Huddersfield Giants v Bradford Bulls - Live blog (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

6:31pm

Cummins also revealed Danny Addy suffered a bang to the head and Manase Manuokafoa a knock to the shoulder. Neither sounds too serious but will be assessed.

6:30pm

Bulls coach Francis Cummins said after the game: “We know what sort of team we are and we’ve got to have everybody one hundred per cent sticking to what we do.

“When we do that we can cause teams trouble and I thought we did that today.

“I’m really proud of them and how hard they worked.”

4:50pm

Huddersfield Giants 18, Bradford Bulls 43

Jarrod Sammut grabbed a hat-trick as the Bulls produced their best performance of the season to destroy Craig Kopczak’s Huddersfield this afternoon.

The Aussie half-back scored three opportunist tries and added a second-half drop-goal as the Bulls made a mockery of the Giants’ early-season form.

Paul Anderson’s men went into the game on the back of four straight wins which had lifted them to the top of the table.

Furthermore, the Giants had not conceded more than three tries in a game before today but Bradford breached their line seven times this afternoon.

They fizzed with vibrancy throughout in Kopczak’s first outing against the Bulls since his controversial departure last September.

Coach Francis Cummins saw his men lead through Sammut’s third-minute try and Matty Blythe soon added a second in the right corner.

Huddersfield responded through former Bulls academy player Joe Wardle and David Faiumu but further tries from Danny Addy and Brett Kearney put the Bulls 24-12 up at the break.

Sammut added his second in the 46th minute and Shaun Lunt touched down for Huddersfield before replacement hooker Adam O’Brien added a fifth with his first touch in the 55th minute.

Sammut then added a drop goal and touched down again after the final hooter as the Bulls won at Huddersfield in exhilarating fashion for the second season running.
 

4:49pm

FINAL SCORE... Huddersfield 18 Bulls 43. One word. AMAZING.

4:47pm

SAMMUT hat-trick!!! This is simply amazing. Right on the hooter.

4:42pm

L'Estrange and Addy also looked to have picked up injuries...

4:42pm

Manuokafoa going off with a knock.... worrying.

4:40pm

Just playing out time now... not long left... Omar Khan has stood up to salute the Bulls fans... pure theatre.

4:31pm

ADDY off after taking a heavy knock LANGLEY on.. 10 mins remaining... Bulls lead 37-18....

4:27pm

67 - Foster denied a try in the left corner....forward pass by the looks of it...

4:26pm

65 - SAMMUT drop-goal.. keeps the scoreboard ticking over.... Now Bulls 37 Huddersfield 18...

4:23pm

62 - WALKER on LANGLEY off... still 36-18... game growing a bit scrappy now...

4:20pm

DONALDSON off MANUOKAFOA on... still 36-18...

4:20pm

4:14pm

"Stand up if you hate Kopczak" and "Kopczak, Kopczak, what's the score?" are the chants ringing out from the away end... can the Bulls see the game out?

4:13pm

Foster's conversion puts the Bulls 36-18 up.

4:13pm

It was the 19-year-old's first touch!! Amazing.

4:12pm

53 - TRY!!! ADAM O'BRIEN!!

4:11pm

Lunt's try has brought the Giants back into the game. Grix's conversions leaves the scores at 30-18 in Bradford's favour...

4:06pm

Foster converts again. It's now Bulls 30, Giants 12... This could be a massive result. Over 30 mins to go...

4:04pm

Bulls TRY!!! Sammut touches down after pilfering possession from Scott Grix!!!

4:03pm

3:59pm

The second half is now underway....

3:51pm

Half-time is Huddersfield 12, Bulls 24. Big second-half performance needed though if victory is to be secured...

3:45pm

Grix kicks a penalty on the stroke of half-time to make it Huddersfield 12 Bulls 24 at the break...

3:42pm

Foster's conversion puts the Bulls 24-10 up!!! Almost half-time. This is no more than the Bulls deserve for their vibrancy during the opening 40 minutes.

3:41pm

NB - It's the first time in five games this season that Huddersfield have conceded four tries in one game.

3:40pm

TRY!!! Brett Kearney finishes off some slick passing to score the Bulls' FOURTH of the afternoon!!

3:36pm

DONALDSON on WALKER off...

3:36pm

Bulls now aiming to preserve their lead heading into half-time... still 18-10...

3:29pm

Nice inter-passing between Kearney and L'Estrange with the latter sending Addy diving over from close range!! Foster converts to make it 18-10 with 25 minutes played...

3:28pm

BULLS try!!! ADDY!!!

3:26pm

SIDLOW on... SCRUTON off...

3:26pm

GIANTS score again.. this time David Faiumu goes over from Shaun Lunt, who has livened things up for Huddersfield since his introduction... Grix's conversion makes it 12-10...

3:23pm

Scott Grix misses conversion... 12-4 to the Bulls...

3:22pm

22 - GIANTS try... Joe Wardle cross in the left corner from Luke Robinson's pass.... 4-12 with kick to come...

3:17pm

Bulls fans loving this... 12-0 up and cruising at the moment but a long, long way to go....

3:13pm

Foster converts to put the Bulls 12-0 up!!

3:12pm

09... The Bulls have scored again!! Addy kicks to the right corner, Kear palms the ball back and Matty Blythe scores!!! 

3:06pm

Nice try from Sammut as he collected his own short grubber kick to score from close range. Jamie Foster converts to make it 6-0 to the Bulls!!!

3:04pm

03 TRY for JARROD SAMMUT!!

3:04pm

That has put Bulls on the front foot...

3:03pm

Kopczak knocks on horribly with his first touch... and then he gives a penalty away for holding down...

3:02pm

Jamie Foster kicks off to get the game underway...

3:02pm

2:57pm

RFL supremo Nigel Wood also in attendance today....

2:57pm

2:56pm

2:54pm

Craig Kopczak's name is roundly booed by the Bulls supporters as it is read out over the Tannoy... a sign of things to come, you feel.

2:52pm

2:52pm

2:47pm

Huddersfield were also looking to clock up a club record-extending run of successive wins at the start of a Super League season. Victory today would take them to five.

2:39pm

Craig Kopczak was named in Huddersfield's starting line-up as he prepared to face the Bulls for the first time since his controversial departure last year.

The homegrown prop progressed through the ranks at Bradford but terminated his contract shortly before the trip to Catalan Dragons last September.

He joined Huddersfield after a settlement fee between the clubs was agreed and was set to face a hot reception from the large contingent of Bulls fans.

Kopczak made the starting line-up along with two former Bulls in Joe Wardle and Brett Ferres, while Larne Patrick was named among the replacements.

The Bulls were missing injured joint-captain Matt Diskin after he suffered a severe dead leg in last weekend's home defeat to St Helens.

That meant Heath L'Estrange lined up as the Bulls' starting hooker, with 19-year-old Adam O'Brien making his first Super League appearance of the season off the bench.

2:33pm

2:33pm

Referee: Mr James Child

2:32pm

Huddersfield replacements: Lunt, Patrick, Cording, Mullally

2:32pm

Bulls replacements: O'Brien, Sidlow, Langley, Donaldson

2:26pm

Bulls: Kearney, Kear, Blythe,  Lulia, Foster, Sammut, Addy, Scruton, L'Estrange, Manuokafoa, Olbison, Whitehead, Walker

2:24pm

2:24pm

Huddersfield: Murphy, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, George, Grix, Robinson, Crabtree, Faiumu, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Ta'ai. 

2:19pm

It has been confirmed that Danny Brough misses out through illness today....

2:15pm

Also hearing that Danny Brough is not playing for the Giants today... teamsheets due any minute...

2:15pm

2:00pm

2:00pm

1:51pm

O'Brien coming in for Diskin is set to be the only change to the 17 from last weekend....

1:50pm

Am hearing that Adam O'Brien will come in for the injured Matt Diskin today.... awaiting confirmation...

1:42pm

1:36pm

1:36pm

Talk in the Huddersfield press box and among players pitchside is of the news that Salford head coach Phil Veivers - a former Bulls assistant coach - has been sacked today.

1:31pm

1:30pm

Good afternoon from the John Smith's Stadium as the Bulls prepare to face Super League leaders Huddersfield Giants...