BRADFORD BULLS 34 HUNSLET 0
KEITH McGHIE, Bartercard Odsal, Friday
KIERAN GILL came home to score twice as Bradford predictably returned to winning ways by nilling troubled Hunslet in an ultimately ill-tempered derby clash.
The Bulls managed only one converted score in a laborious opening half and, despite a lack of clinical finishing, they gave a slightly more rousing display after the interval once two tries in as many minutes had all-but settled the issue.
As cards began to be dished out and the south Leeds’ side were reduced to 11 men, against the 12 of Bradford, further tries gave a more realistic reflection of the play.
Hunslet’s first game without Dean Muir, with assistant Kyle Trout and Michael Knowles preparing the side, was their second pointless game in three, during which time they have scored just one try.
The Bulls made a couple of enforced changes following their defeat at Barrow, with Gill being recalled from his brief loan at Batley to fit in on the wing in place of Guy Armitage, who came off in Cumbria after hurting his leg.
Joe Keyes was also injured (knee), so Tom Holmes moved into the halfback role as Luke Hooley resumed at fullback.
Eribe Doro came back for his latest 14-day loan spell from Hull KR, while Bayley Liu was also recalled as Sam Hallas and Michael Lawrence dropped out.
Friday evening fireworks greeted the players and when the smoke had dispersed – the major plus emanating from a blustery wind – Mackenzie Turner gobbled up an intercept and raced 60 metres to touch down, only to be called back for a Bulls penalty.
Ebon Scurr, Doro, Bayley Liu and on-loan centre Konrad Hurrell made rousing early charges through some borderline rough tackling, which caused referee Cameron Worsley to speak with the Parksiders’ captain.
Despite the largely dominant Bulls savouring a sizeable proportion of territorial gain and the visitors attack failing to function threateningly, it was well into the second quarter before a dancing Jordan Lilley bewildered the Hunslet defence and created the opening try and conversion.
Perhaps the weather was a factor but both sides struggled for any cohesion.
Will Kirby was comfortably held up as the Bulls continually proved their worst enemies with a compulsion to offload in heavy traffic, several times finding opposition hands.
Jayden Okunbor had a touchdown ruled out as the hosts, clearly the more likely, lacked precision in finishing.
Just before the interval magnificent combined defence from Billy Jowitt and Coby Nichol prevented Bradford scoring in the corner.
Finally Hurrell managed to cause enough disruption to set strong-running Gill free to score, although Lilley’s kick from out wide was always unlikely to send the touch judges’ flags skywards.
A couple of minutes later an increasingly troublesome Emmanuel Waine broke the line for Waqa Blake to send Okunbur over in the corner and Lilley’s kick from the tee was this time judged to perfection.
It took a while before a Scurr break was carried on by Nathan Mason for Holmes to score – Coby Nichol offending in trying to prevent the try, so being sin-binned and gifting the Bulls an eight-point try.
Gill added another with Lilley’s kick hitting the upright.
Eight minutes from time Sam Campbell and Liu were both dismissed for punching.
Keelan Foster joined them for an early shower after Holmes was flattened although, to the amazement of many, he was only shown a yellow card, leaving the basement club down playing out the remainder of the game with just 11 men.
Blake added Bulls’ sixth try in the closing seconds with Lilley finishing with five goals from seven attempts.
GAMESTAR: Eribe Doro showed plenty of drive and effort amid a largely inconclusive Bulls display.
GAMEBREAKER: The Bulls’ two tries in as many minutes, two thirds of the way through the second half, were always likely to outpoint toothless Hunslet.
BULLS
26 Luke Hooley
37 Jayden Okunbor
3 Waqa Blake
28 Konrad Hurrell
4 Kieran Gill
1 Tom Holmes
6 James Meadows
10 Ebon Scurr
9 Jordan Lilley
15 Logan Bayliss-Brow
11 Zac Fulton
25 Bayley Liu
27 Eribe Doro
Subs (all used)
16 Nathan Mason
20 Ronan Michael
19 Tyran Ott
21 Emmanuel Waine
Tries: Lilley (22), Gill (49, 70), Okunbor (52), Holmes (66), Blake (79)
Goals: Lilley 5/7
Dismissal: Liu (72) – punching
HUNSLET
1 Jimmy Watson
21 Coby Nichol
19 Liam Welham
20 Lloyd McEwan-Peters
5 Mackenzie Turner
4 Billy Jowitt
25 Kobe Rugless
8 Harvey Hallas
34 Mason Corbett
17 Keelan Foster
29 Brad Gallagher
37 Will Kirby
10 Matty Fletcher
Subs (all used)
14 Cam Berry
18 Brad Clavering
26 Ethan O’Hanlon
27 Sam Campbell
Sin bin: Nichol (66) – high tackle, Foster (76) – illegal challenge
Dismissal: Campbell (72) – punching
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0; 10-0, 16-0, 24-0, 28-0, 34-0
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulls: Eribe Doro; Hunslet: Billy Jowitt
Penalty count: 9-6
Half-time: 6-0
Referee: Cameron Worsley
Attendance: 3,777