BRADFORD boss Brian Noble said he was “disappointed” after Challenge Cup elimination at Salford.
The Championship side came close to a second successive upset, after beating Castleford in the previous round.
“In many respects I’m disappointed that we didn’t come away with the win,” said Noble.
“The second half saw (Salford) more direct and they probably kicked the ball better than us and we probably only had one set in their half.
“That was a reflection of how hard we had to work and, after a six-day turnaround, I’m really proud of the players’ efforts.”
Noble said the uncertainty over Salford’s line-up was no excuse for the Bulls: “It’s disrupting if you choose to make it so but we had a few things to put right ourselves (after last week’s defeat to Toulouse).
“Credit to Salford – you could see that they were desperate for a win and at the back end of the second half they managed to stay at our end of the field.
“The ruck was slow for both teams and I’m not sure, despite a 9-3 penalty count and four or five set restarts, that we transgressed as much as that suggests.
“They still have some very good players and they found a way to win.
“The fans were magnificent tonight – they were noisy and encouraging and that’s what you want from them… and I think the players responded.”
“We have to give Salford credit though as they came through a very difficult situation.”
