Bradford Bulls down Dewsbury Rams as top-four hopes rise

Eamon O’Carroll’s men had already won once at the FLAIR Stadium this season, romping to a 40-4 success in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup on their way to the semi-finals.

And they encountered few problems second time around either, as a side featuring two debutants in Max Lehmann and Franklin Pele ran in seven tries.

Bulls were searching for a fourth win in a row to round off a perfect June, and they almost got off to a dream start after six minutes, only for Kieran Gill to lose control of the ball in a tackle as he stretched out for the try line.

Dewsbury showed some bright flashes early on, and some gorgeous hands saw the hosts break down the middle, only for Zac Fulton to haul down Owen Restall 30m out as he looked to storm in under the posts.

Despite a sluggish start from Bulls, they took the lead on 16 minutes through debutant Max Lehmann, after some lovely fast hands moved the ball out wide to the right.

Jayden Myers' final pass out of the back of the hand looked possibly forward, but the referee deemed otherwise and awarded the try.

Max Lehmann did not have to wait long to score on his Bulls debut. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Jordan Lilley missed that conversion from the touchline, but he landed the next, far easier attempt moments later.

Ebon Scurr barrelled his way close to the line, and the ball was worked back via Mitch Souter and Lilley to Tom Holmes.

The latter released Fulton into a gap two metres out and the Aussie darted in for an easy score.

But the Rams had not played like a side cut adrift at the foot of the table and good hands from Paul Sykes kept their attack alive down the left.

The ball was worked to winger Restall, who flopped over in the corner to score despite a despairing last-gasp lunge from Lehmann.

Calum Turner’s excellent conversion from out wide reduced the deficit, but Bradford quickly shrugged off that minor setback.

The prolific Fulton grabbed his second, charging in from 10 metres out using brute force, before showing some real skill, as he spun his body to twist the right way round and plop the ball over the whitewash for a converted score.

Dewsbury almost hit back just before half-time in a chaotic passage of play.

Lilley's kick towards the line almost dropped for John Davies, but then Dewsbury broke away with the loose ball through Bailey O'Connor.

They looked to be in, but a certain try assist for Carr on the halfway line was denied after the ball bounced off Scurr's hand, with the knock-on not deemed deliberate.

Ebon Scurr made some important contributions for Bradford as usual this afternoon. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

The second half began badly for Bulls, as an ugly high tackle by new boy Pele on Jimmy Beckett saw him packed off to the sin bin for 10 minutes.

The away fans were only further incensed moments later when a Myers break was prevented by the referee's over-eager whistling, with the man in the middle having already blown for a Bradford penalty.

The man disadvantage barely seemed to be troubling Bulls and they stayed patient after Eliot Peposhi won a penalty close in.

That paid off when Lilley cut across the defence to crash over the line in the tackle, before just sliding his conversion attempt wide.

Dewsbury’s spirit looked broken after failing to take advantage of Pele’s sin-binning and they soon conceded again once Bulls were back to their full complement.

Holmes took advantage of some extremely soft defending, bouncing off three Dewsbury players to score a simple try, which Lilley converted easily to put Bradford 26-6 in front.

Despite his silly yellow card, Pele’s power troubled Dewsbury no end all afternoon.

Immediately after he was clattered round the head, Jackson Walker hugely fortunate not to be yellow carded, the New Zealander made good ground once again.

The ball eventually came out to Davies and while the veteran back row was grabbed by the defender, that only served to practically drag him over the line for a try, with Lilley adding the extras.

Souter played for less than half an hour this afternoon, due to new rules enforced this season around managing players' minutes, meaning Tyran Ott spent most of the game at hooker.

But the former looked refreshed after a long spell of rest, and he almost set up Peposhi after coming back on late on, before scoring himself from close range, after the excellent Holmes was stopped a few metres short.

Tom Holmes' try capped a fine playmaking afternoon for him in the halves. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Lilley popped over the conversion to increase the lead further with 10 minutes to go.

Ronan Dixon crashed over from close range for a consolation score, which Sykes converted, before Jack Billington had a last-second try ruled out for double movement.

But that late flourish came far too late for Dewsbury, who are surely heading straight back down to League 1.

DEWSBURY: Turner, Carr, M. Walker, O’Connor, Restall, Sykes, Hookem, Beckett, Butterworth, J. Walker, Graham, Billington, Collinson. Interchanges: C. Davies, Dixon, Bibby, Morris. 18th man: Corion.

BULLS: McGowan, Taufua, Gill, Myers, Lehmann, Holmes, Lilley, Baldwinson, Souter, Appo, J. Davies, Fulton, Hallas. Interchanges: Scurr, Ott, Pele, Peposhi. 18th man: Rogers.

BULLS MAN OF THE MATCH: TOM HOLMES.