BATLEY BULLDOGS 12 BRADFORD BULLS 48
KEITH MCGHIE, Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, Sunday
IF the fiery 1895 Cup clash between the sides was close, four converted tries in the opening quarter ensured that this rematch would rarely hit any dramatic heights.
Yet, as an arguably weakened Bulls pack dominated, the visitors won’t complain about a comfortable fifth straight league win which hoists them to third in the Championship.
No fewer than eight different try scorers made it onto the score-sheet, as only a late knock to Guy Armitage and Zac Fulton’s slight leg strain rang any apparent fitness alarm bells ahead of Bradford’s AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-final at York next Sunday.
The Bulls cruised to a 32-6 interval lead and only sterling on-goal line second half defence from the Bulldogs prevented the Odsal outfit breaching the half-century mark.
Alfie Dean and Luke Cooper were the only additions to the home side which staged a notable comeback from 14-0 down to grab a draw against Barrow, with crucial pivot Ben White shaking off any worries about a finger injury picked up in that game.
Dane Manning was serving the last of his eight-game ban following the incident which kicked off the late all-out brawl when the sides clashed in early March.
The Bulls, in the wake of Franklin Pele’s surprise departure from the club and despite still missing at least three more usually first choice forwards, never lacked penetration.
They opened the scoring straight from a scrum when ex-Batley halfback James Meadows sent Kieran Gill roaring over.
A charging Matty Gee claimed a quick second try before Logan Bayliss broke and brilliantly bamboozled fullback Robbie Butterworth, then Ronan Michael got in on the scoring act with his first try for the Bulls.
Another former Mount Pleasant favourite Luke Hooley tagged on the first four of his eight goals and the Odsal outfit were running at more than a point a minute.
A fine cross-field handling move resulted in Batley finally getting a foothold on the game with Jack Render celebrating his 100th career appearance with a well-taken touchdown near the corner.
Josh Woods added the conversion but home celebrations were cut short when ex-Bradford back Elliot Kear’s off-load was snaffled by Mitch Souter who darted behind the posts from 40 metres out.
Nathan Mason was denied by a forward pass as the Bulls continued to cut through the Bulldogs’ defence at will.
Hooley added a penalty for a ball steal just before the break to push Bradford five scores clear.
Three minutes after the restart, Kear put Alfie Dean over in the corner with Josh Woods tagging on a second conversion from out wide, to give Batley a glimmer of hope.
But Tyran Ott ran in a solo effort from dummy half to again take any wind there might have been out of their sails.
Armitage touched down but was pulled back for a forward pass, Bayliss, Gill, Jordan Lilley and Bayley Liu were all adjudged as being held up and credit must go to the last gasp efforts of a well beaten but still game Batley side for this resistance.
Armitage was winded rescuing a cross-kick in the closing stages, before Waqa Blake finished a free-handling move, enhanced by Lilley’s inventiveness, to notch Bulls eighth and final try, although Hooley’s 100% kicking performance was blighted by a failure from near the touchline.
Lilley capped proceedings with a well-earned try right on the final hooter as Hooley took his goal tally to eight.
GAMESTAR: Sam Hallas – Captain for the day and led from the front with an almost full match appearance.
GAMEBREAKER: The four Bulls tries in the opening quarter gave the hosts a mountain bigger to climb than just the Mount Pleasant slope.
MATCHFACTS
BULLDOGS
1 Robbie Butterworth
19 Jack Render
4 Joe Arundel
5 Elliot Kear
26 Alfie Dean
6 Ben White
7 Josh Woods
8 Adam Gledhill
14 Brandon Moore
27 Isaac Shaw
3 Ollie Greensmith
15 Nyle Flynn
22 Luca Atkinson
Subs (all used)
9 Alistair Leak
10 Luke Cooper
16 Michael Ward
31 Noah High
Tries: Render (28), Dean (43)
Goals: Woods 2/2
BULLS
26 Luke Hooley
37 Jayden Okunbor
3 Waqa Blake
4 Kieran Gill
5 Guy Armitage
6 James Meadows
9 Jordan Lilley
15 Logan Bayliss
14 Mitch Souter
20 Ronan Michael
11 Zac Fulton
12 Matty Gee
18 Sam Hallas
Subs (all used)
19 Tyran Ott
25 Bayley Liu
16 Nathan Mason
21 Emmanuel Waine
Tries: Gill (10), Gee (13), Bayliss (15), Michael (18), Souter (32), Ott (49), Blake (73), Lilley (80)
Goals: Hooley 8/9
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-24, 6-24, 6-30, 6-32; 12-32, 12-38, 12-42, 12-48
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Nyle Flynn; Bulls: Sam Hallas
Penalty count: 4-10
Half-time: 6-32
Referee: Kevin Moore
Attendance: 2,304
