Bradford Bulls half back Jordan Lilley bites back at critics

Lilley has spent much of the season as the club’s only recognised first-team half back, with Lee Gaskell and Billy Jowitt out injured and Tom Holmes recovering from cancer treatment.

But both Gaskell and Holmes have returned to the side over the past few weeks, and some have called for head coach Eamon O’Carroll to give that partnership a try.

Last season, Lilley could have slotted seamlessly into hooker if Gaskell and Holmes had been paired together, but he is unlikely to be taking that number nine shirt off Mitch Souter or Tyran Ott this year.

Discussing the possibility of his place being under threat, a rare occurrence during his many years at Bradford, Lilley told the T&A: “I don’t just expect to be in the team every week.

“I know selection is going to be performance-based and it’s on me to do enough to keep myself in the side.

“We suffered with long-term injuries earlier this season, including one to my half back partner (Gaskell).

Zac Fulton was pleased to see Lee Gaskell make his long-awaited return from injury, but probably not as delighted as Jordan Lilley was. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“It’s been hard for us to field a consistent team and it’s also meant less competition for places.

“It’s been good to have this break between facing Barrow at the start of the month and Whitehaven this Sunday, as it’s allowed some lads who’ve been pushed themselves to play through injury the chance to freshen up and those who’ve been out to get another week closer to returning.

“That’s all going to allow us to have some competition back but that’s healthy for us players, as you should have to fight for your place in the side.”

While Lilley is happy to prove to O’Carroll that he deserves his starting spot, he sounded a little stung by some of his critics this season.

He said: “It’s been massively hard work without Lee alongside me for most of the season.

“People are quick to criticise me if we don’t look clinical in attack and I’ve been questioned for my game management at times, but being the only half back in the team for a lot of the league campaign has made it easier for teams to defend against us.

“Most teams will overload on you because they know there’s no proper half back threat on the other side of the field.

“You need to create as a half back and you want to exploit those three on twos you often get, but they’re harder to come by when the opposition overloads on your side.

“We’ve done our best to deal with that, and JD (John Davies) was tremendous when he dropped into the halves alongside me for a few games, just sitting in and allowing me to be me.

“But you’ve not really seen Jordan be Jordan a lot, and while I’ve not hit my own standards this season, Lee returning will help me with getting back to that brand of rugby I want to play.

“I thought there were glimpses of that when they two of us played together in the win over Barrow last time out, and you can see the different having a half back threat on each side.”

Lilley came through at Leeds, where his half back idol was Rob Burrow, who was coming to the end of his career just under a decade ago.

The pair played frequently together in Rhinos’ first team in 2016, following a long-term injury to Danny McGuire, so Lilley is more qualified to talk about Burrow more than most.

The 41-year-old’s death from Motor Neurone Disease earlier this month hit Lilley hard, but he was keen to focus on the positive impact Burrow had on his life when speaking about him to the T&A.

Rob Burrow and Jordan Lilley were part of the Leeds Rhinos squad that were crowned Super League champions in 2017 after beating Castleford in the Grand Final. (Image: PA.)

Lilley said: “It’s been tough to process and I was really upset when I found out about his passing after the Barrow game.

“Obviously I knew him personally and he had a massive effect on my career with all the stuff he did for me.

“He had faith in me as a player, he picked me up when I was struggling and he gave me a boost when I needed it.

“He was always there to ring me or go for a coffee with me and when we were out as a team anywhere, he was the bubbly bloke among the group.

“When we played together in 2016 and 2017, he always helped me on the field too, but off the field he was just massive for me.”

Lilley added: “My condolences go to his family, because while it’s tough for me, they’re the ones who’ve been through so much.

“I think the last couple of weeks since he died have shown the kind of bloke Rob was, with all those tributes proving how much he meant to so many people.

“He was one of a kind, you won’t get another Rob Burrow.”