Quickly does it for Bulls

8:56pm Sunday 11th May 2008

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Bulls 48 Catalans Dragons 16

Clint Greenshields may as well have just stayed on the bench after his yellow card.

Only five minutes had gone when the Catalans full back was sin-binned today. The game was scoreless and there was all to play for.

But it didn't matter. In the space of those ten minutes, the Bulls produced a remarkable passage of rugby which completely transformed the game and ended it as a contest.

When Greenshields returned only 15 minutes had passed but his side were 24-0 down and last year's beaten Challenge Cup finalists were already heading out of the competition.

It had to be the costliest yellow card ever. Bulls boss Steve McNamara admitted he had never seen a side make opponents pay quite so spectacularly.

"I don't think they touched the ball while he was off," he said. He was right.

"We were very professional in how we went about them and we kept our composure to build up that lead, which was important.

"It was a pleasing win and we played really well."

In doing so, Bradford displayed all the characteristics required to go all the way to Wembley themselves.

Strong, hard and fast in their play, disciplined and professional, a Catalans side who had been nine matches unbeaten had no answer.

The massacre began straight after Greenshields was sent packing having held down Michael Platt following the Bradford player's sensational 70-metre break.

Semi Tadulala got over in the next set - the first of his third hat-trick in just seven games - and Bradford were irresistible as they mercilessly cut open the 12-man Dragons time after time.

Their opponents didn't have the ball in their own hands ONCE while Greenshields was taking his breather.

The Bulls forced a drop-out and then scored three back-to-back tries. Terry Newton picked out Sam Burgess with a glorious pass close to the line, then Jamie Langley bust tacklers down the right from the kick-off to set Paul Sykes clear, Dave Halley finishing off.

Tadulala got his second and continued his remarkable run - it's also now 14 tries in just seven matches - after Newton's pass had Shontayne Hape scorching down the touchline.

Deacon improved every score and the tie was done and dusted. Greenshields returned to the fray only to see Thomas Bosc boot the restart out on the full, heaping more pressure on themselves.

This time they were let off the hook though as Andy Lynch tried an ambitious pass to get Glenn Morrison in and the ball went to ground. Catalans finally won the ball back but they had no chance of winning the match.

They were fortunate not to go further behind with the unlucky Deacon having two tries ruled out.

David Solomona's exquisite dummy and pass found Tadulala opening up again but the flying Fijian's inside pass to the supporting skipper went forward.

Then a well-rehearsed set move between the half-backs saw Iestyn Harris' clever dink over the defensive line fall right into the hands of Deacon, who had motored through to touch down. However, referee Ben Thaler harshly deemed he had got their too quick and was offside.

In between, after Halley had been bundled into touch on his own 20, Catalans put on a set move of their own straight from the resulting scrum.

It finished with Greenshields whizzing past Deacon down the blindside to score but it wasn't the start of a spectacular comeback.

Deacon quickly made up for being caught flat-footed by putting in a pinpoint grubber for Chris Nero to latch on to and his fifth conversion made it 30-6 at the break.

Langley enjoyed his best game of the season, showing the sort of form that had him selected for Great Britain a little under 12 months ago.

He carried four defenders over the line with him when he charged in two minutes after the restart - typical of the way the second row had run all afternoon.

Wayne Godwin was bright and inventive off the bench and it was the hooker who created the next score, cleverly fooling the markers before sending Hape through a gap.

Deacon improved both scores to make it 42-6 and Bradford looked capable of handing Catalans a real embarrassment.

However, in the sweltering heat, they were never going to be able to keep up the pace and their visitors finally responded, Dimitri Pelo and Julien Touxagas going over after a spell of pressure.

Catalans boss Mick Potter was "miffed" that no Bulls players got yellow-carded after Platt produced a similar offence to Greenshields later on but he didn't make excuses.

He felt his side lacked enthusiasm and poor defence led to that first-half disaster, not being down a man.

Burgess produced a stunning tackle to somehow hold up Jerome Guissett as Catalans looked to gain more respectability towards the death but it was fitting the Bulls got the last score.

Tadulala was the benefactor after Lynch, Solomona and Hape had all combined to get the ball to the big wingman, who used all his power to bundle his way to the corner.

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