Featherstone Rovers moved into fourth place in the Championship table with a convincing 18-37 victory tonight at the Provident Stadium, bringing to an end Bradford Bulls‘ 17-match unbeaten run in the Championship.
Rovers were sent on their way by a first-half hat-trick from Australian star Jy Hitchcox, with his fellow Australian Rene Maitua also getting his name on the scoreboard in the first half to give them a 6-22 interval lead.
Ben Blackmore extended Rovers’ lead to 22 points with Rovers’ fifth try, converted by Paul Sykes, before the Bulls mounted a fightback with a try from Chev Walker, to add to James Mendeika’s try in the first half.
But it was too little too late, and Frenchman Rémi Marginet added a field-goal for Featherstone before Andy Ellis scored their final try.
Mendeika scored his second for Bradford just before the end, but that was little consolation for the home supporters.
Rovers now move into fourth spot in the table, just two points behind third-placed Sheffield Eagles, while Bradford remain at the top, two points ahead of Leigh, who have two games in hand.
Bradford Bulls 18 Featherstone Rovers 37
Bulls: T – Mendeika (18, 79), Walker (55); G – Shaw 3/3
Rovers: T – Hitchcox (4, 9, 30), Maitua (32), Blackmore (45), Ellis (74); G – 6/7; FG – Marginet (68)
Half-time: 6-22 Attendance 5,044
