BRADFORD BULLS 30 DONCASTER 4
KEITH McGHIE, Bartercard Odsal, Sunday
PERMANENT Super League action may be still some way off, but Bradford will welcome top-flight Castleford to Odsal in two weeks’ time after a tough-tackling yet ultimately comfortable defeat of Doncaster.
The Dons were victims of a Bulls league double last season and were never allowed to dream of bettering that recent history in a game played in non-stop rain.
The Bulls fielded four winter captures for the first time with Waka Blake, Jimmy Meadows, Matty Gee and Ronan Michael wearing the white, black, amber and gold for the first time.
Edene Gebbie, Jacob Jones and Isaac Misky made their competitive debuts for the South Yorkshire side, while Pauli Pauli and Suaia Matagi made their first appearances of the year after missing the 26-0 pre-season defeat against Sheffield through suspension.
Barely two minutes were on the clock when James Donaldson crashed over to open the home side’s account.
Joe Keyes, making his second debut for Bradford, improved the try on the way to two goals from three attempts.
Doncaster weathered a couple more stabs in-goal from Keyes and Jimmy Meadows before, on their first real venture forward, Greg Burns caught the hosts’ defence napping and scored from close range.
Donaldson’s clever change of direction and perfectly timed pass put 2024 top try scorer Kieran Gill in for his first of this year.
The bitter cold and constant rain didn’t help continuity, but the Bulls repeatedly gained good field position through some tough tackling and well-measured kicks from Keyes
Tom Holmes athletically danced his way through to help take Bradford’s lead out to 16-4 before half time.
The Bulls’ well drilled defence was then forced to weather five successive sets prior to a minor melee as the visitors pressed to get back into the game
But Bradford’s big pack made life difficult throughout for the men in blue.
A Jordan Lilley penalty increased the advantage after a Craig Hall drop-out had gone straight into touch. Then a Zac Fulton try, following a determined Jayden Okunbor deflection back of a high cross-kick, edged the Bulls closer to the third round.
The final quarter was almost slapstick as the greasy ball slipped and slid from both sides’ hands.
Gebbie was helped off ten minutes from time after fielding a kick before being clattered by two enthusiastic Bulls’ chasers
Doncaster’s defence, like their opposite numbers, frequently hunted in packs to restrict Bradford’s forward momentum.
But finally Keyes raced onto a deft Lilley kick to clinch progression for Brian Noble’s side.
Afterwards the Bulls’ coach acknowledged how good Doncaster were likely to be this season.
“We’ve got to be pleased with that performance, especially in the effort areas and in those conditions,” said Noble.
“They challenged us in certain areas but generally I thought we were just better.”
GAMESTAR: Tom Holmes demonstrated good positioning and some lively running.
GAMEBREAKER: Zac Fulton’s fourth Bulls try always looked like making it a bridge too far for Doncaster.
MATCHFACTS
BULLS
1 Tom Holmes
37 Jayden Okunbor
3 Waqa Blake
4 Kieran Gill
23 Jorge Taufua
6 James Meadows
7 Joe Keyes
8 Michael Lawrence
14 Mitch Souter
10 Ebon Scurr
11 Zac Fulton
12 Matty Gee
13 James Donaldson
Subs (all used)
9 Jordan Lilley
15 Logan Bayliss
17 Franklin Pele
20 Ronan Michael
Tries: Donaldson (2), Gill (20), Holmes (34), Fulton (57), Keyes (74)
Goals: Keyes 2/3, Lilley 3/3
DONCASTER
1 Craig Hall
18 Edene Gebbie
4 Reece Lyne
3 Brad Hey
2 Bureta Faraimo
6 Ben Johnston
7 Connor Robinson
16 Pauli Pauli
9 Greg Burns
10 Suaia Matagi
14 Jacob Jones
12 Alex Sutcliffe
13 Loui McConnell
Subs (all used)
20 Isaac Misky
23 Jason Tali
24 Watson Boa
25 Ilikaya Mafi
Tries: Burns (14)
Goals: Robinson 0/1
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 12-4, 16-4; 18-4, 24-4, 30-4
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulls: Tom Holmes; Doncaster: Jacob Jones
Penalty count: 10-8
Half-time: 16-4
Referee: Cameron Worsley
