So near and yet so far for Bulls

BRADFORD BULLS are on the edge of a return to former glories according to coach Eamon O’Carroll who put aside the crushing disappointment of a one-point semi-final championship defeat to put his arm around his players.

An epic 21-20 battle in the south of France yesterday after a strong season has convinced the Bulls’ boss that the club is heading in the right direction.

Bradford players were visibly emotional at the end of a titanic knockout clash in heatwave conditions in the south of France but O’Carroll kept his cool.

“We are so close, it’s bitterly disappointing to lose such a tight game, but now is not the time to beat ourselves up.

“We have come such a long way recently and we have just shown that we can perform at the highest levels and the experience of this type of game is invaluable to this playing group going forward.

“Congratulations to Toulouse, just to finish second with all of the obstacles that they face is a huge testimony to them, I don’t think a lot gets said about that so it’s huge credit to them in the way they have managed all that.

“Toulouse are a full-time outfit, and I don’t like mentioning it but you can see that clearly in the way they play. They seem to go up a level towards the ends of the halves and take a lot out of the opposition. You have to be at your very best for the entire 80 minutes.

“And we were in with a shout until the very last second. Our discipline (two sin-bins) has cost us and we’re hurting. But it’s right that a club of this stature is hurting because we know what we are capable of.

“It’s been tough this year, we’ve been forced into using 40 players for a variety of reasons but it’s turned around and we’ve started to have competition for first-team positions, the players are really buying into what we’re trying to do.

“We’ve got some good pros at this club but more than that we’ve got a connection all of a sudden with everyone wanting to be a part of it.”

O’Carroll paid tribute to the hundreds of Bulls supporters who travelled to Toulouse at short notice, adding: “It’s a massive thank-you to the Bradford supporters on behalf of me and the boys, they backed us earlier this year when they made so much noise it felt like a home game.

“In today’s tough financial climate, for them to put their hands in their pocket and come all this way to support the club is brilliant.

“It’s no surprise, they’ve travelled everywhere with us this year and dug us out in times when it’s been difficult.

“I’m immensely proud of that support and the efforts of the players and staff at the club to put us in this position. I just wish we could have got over the line for them.”

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