Bradford Bulls Championship season assessed after 10 games

Well, thanks to a host of cup matches to kick off the campaign, Bulls have played far more than that already, but we have now hit the 10-league game mark.

And as usual with the ultimate soap opera rugby league club in Bradford, it’s hard to say whether it’s been good, bad or ugly so far.

In truth, it’s been a mixture of all three, and it’s not overly hard to split ‘the 10’ into three categories.

So to pay tribute to all-time Hollywood great Clint Eastwood, 94 last week, we’re going to pay homage to the film that arguably made him a superstar, as we look at the good, the bad and the ugly in Bulls’ Betfred Championship campaign so far:

GOOD

Game 2 – Bulls 29 Halifax 10

This result looks a bit less impressive now given the Panthers’ awful start to the season, but it was still a pressure derby at Odsal under the lights on Good Friday, with Bradford still smarting from a bruising, literally and metaphorically, 42-12 defeat to Wakefield on opening night.

Halifax had won their first game, and with the visitors only 12-10 down at the break in a topsy-turvy clash, this Odsal showdown was anyone’s for the taking.

But Bradford were imperious in attack and defence after the break, shutting Fax down superbly and claiming 17 unanswered points to get their first league victory on the board.

Game 3 – Featherstone 14 Bulls 24

Bradford had not won away to bitter rivals Rovers in nine years, and in truth, had rarely looked like doing so either.

But they surprised many by simply being the better side in this April encounter at Post Office Road.

Connor Carr flies over to score for Bulls at Featherstone in April. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

They were wobbling a little either side of the break, after a Mitch Souter sin-bin and the hosts pulling the score back to 10-10, but a Jordan Lilley penalty put Bradford immediately back in front and they never looked back from there against last year’s league leaders.

Game 4 – Bulls 19 Toulouse 12

If beating last year’s league leaders wasn’t enough, how about the side who finished second and caused you play-off semi-final agony the following weekend?

Bradford were defensively outstanding at Odsal that Saturday, while they also recovered from a ferocious start by their French visitors, who raced into an early 8-0 lead.

Three successive victories with winless York up next…it’s easy this Championship lark, right?

Game 7 – Swinton 12 Bulls 38

Alas, that did not come to pass, and instead, Bradford went into this early May encounter staring a third successive league defeat in the face.

And while Swinton have been whipping boys in the past, the ideal team to get back on track against, this iteration of the Lions had just gone and won at Toulouse and Fax.

Yet after weathering some real pressure in the opening 15 minutes, Zac Fulton’s superb try opened the floodgates and Bulls never looked back from there.

Game 8 – Bulls 28 Sheffield 10

Bradford’s injury crisis was so bad heading into this home game against the Eagles that half of the starting line-up was playing out of position, and 18-year-old Jacob Bateman was forced into making his senior debut.

It was not an ideal situation given Sheffield had been flying in league and cup, with only Wakefield causing them any trouble all season up to that point.

But after a tight start, a committed and together Bradford side stunned Sheffield with three tries in nine minutes just before the break, and the visitors never recovered.

BAD

Game 5 – York 25 Bulls 14

It feels as if Bradford, both Bulls and City, have a habit of getting you excited before letting you down, and this was certainly the case in North Yorkshire for the former in April.

Bradford had been brilliant against objectively better sides than the Knights in their previous two games, but looked completely lost without Dan Smith here, who pulled out injured just before kick-off.

A dejected Eribe Doro tries to digest Bulls' shock defeat at York in April. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

They had a good opening 10 minutes, and finished with a flourish in the final 10 minutes, but were atrocious in the middle hour, as York romped to a deserved win, their first of the season.

Game 6 – Bulls 13 Widnes 14

Bradford were much better the following week, but this game deserves to go into the ‘bad’ category for just how atrocious their game management was in the final 10 minutes.

Leading 13-6 heading into the dying stages, a converted try for the Vikings naturally set nerves jangling.

But given how Bulls have been putting Lilley into position for years to slot crucial drop goals, there was no excuse for not being alive to Widnes’ Tom Gilmore doing the same thing, as he slotted over two in quick succession in the dying moments to pinch an away win for his side.

Game 9 – Batley 21 Bulls 20

Remarkably, it happened again barely a month later at Mount Pleasant, after Bulls threw away a 12-0 lead to go behind.

They dragged themselves off the canvas to level at 20-20, but then Lilley wasted his one-point attempts, Josh Woods did not blow his only chance, and Bradford lost again to a struggling side.

Furious Bulls head coach Eamon O’Carroll tore into his side at full-time, arguing that ‘his lads’ Under-12s team’ would have shown more composure in the closing stages.

UGLY

Game 1 – Wakefield 42 Bulls 12

It feels unfair to put this game into the 'bad' category, given Wakefield are streets ahead of every other side in this league.

And Bulls were level at 8-8 25 minutes in, off the back of arguably their try of the season so far from Aidan McGowan.

But horrible injuries to Jorge Taufua, Lee Gaskell and Dan Okoro eventually wore Bradford down, as did the outstanding Mason Lino in the halves for Trinity, who eventually romped to victory.

Game 10 – Bulls 36 Barrow 24

This was an important win to get Bradford back on track after the horrors of Mount Pleasant, but they made it way harder than it needed to be.

The ugly came in several forms, Bulls throwing away a comfortable 16-0 advantage to only lead by four at the break, a crazy Eribe Doro headbutt and sending off almost allowing the visitors back into the game after the hosts had pulled away again, and Fulton being sent from the field for punching at the death.

Zac Fulton (centre) was all smiles for much of Sunday's game against Barrow, but things turned sour for him late on. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Bradford may have got the two points, but they will now be sweating, with their two star forwards so far this season potentially in line for lengthy bans.

With 16 league fixtures left to play for Bulls, how will the rest of the season pan out?

Based on the opening 10, it's anyone's guess...