Bradford Bulls v Hull KR - Live blog (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

7:46pm

So the Bulls are up to third in the Super League table after seven rounds. A thoroughly decent start to the season.

7:44pm

Donaldson required treatment on the field after appearing to take a blow to the head during a challenge.

Cummins said: “Donno said he was okay to go back on but I wasn’t going to risk it.

“Keith looks like he’s got a bad dead leg so we’ll just to have to assess that later in the week."
 

7:42pm

Bulls coach Francis Cummins said he would wait on the prognosis following the injuries sustained by James Donaldson and Keith Lulia...

7:41pm

“It felt awesome,” said Purtell with a huge smile after playing 55 minutes of today’s fine win.

“By the time I was on the field the boys had really laid the platform so it was pretty easy to slot into a game like that.

“I’ve been training hard now for the past three months and I’ve always had this goal to get back playing.

“I’m just glad to have got that game out of the way so we can just focus on Bradford as a team because we’re playing really well.

“I want to just put my misfortune 10 months ago behind me now.”
 

7:40pm

Spoke to Adrian Purtell after the game. He was in excellent spirits and said he was delighted to be back on the field...

4:44pm

Bradford Bulls 34, Hull KR 12

Adrian Purtell celebrated his comeback with a victory today as the Bulls put their injury crisis to one side by outplaying Hull KR to claim a superb win.

The Australian centre was making his first appearance since suffering a heart attack on May 27 last year and entered the fray in the 25th minute.

His contribution was understandably low-key but he played for the remainder of the game and John Bateman also returned for his first appearance of the season, marking it with a try.

But it was Jarrod Sammut who typically took centre stage with a scintillating two-try display.

Jamie Foster, who kicked five goals, opened the scoring with a neat finish in the left corner and Brett Kearney soon added a second.

Rovers replied through David Hodgson midway through the second half but Elliot Kear, Bateman and Sammut all touched down to help the Bulls into a 26-6 interval lead.

The visitors hit back through Josh Hodgson but Sammut claimed his second with 11 minutes remaining to complete a fine victory.

James Donaldson was withdrawn after an apparent clash of heads and it was to be hoped he had suffered no serious injury.

Keith Lulia also picked up a dead leg, giving coach Francis Cummins cause for concern ahead of Saturday's trip to Catalan Dragons.

4:42pm

FINAL SCORE... Bulls 34, Hull KR 12...

4:39pm

Foster penalty makes it 34-12.... 2 mins to go...

4:35pm

73 mins...BATEMAN on KEARNEY off...

4:29pm

68 mins... Manuokafoa on for Sidlow...

4:27pm

Foster's conversion makes it 32-12 with 14 mins remaining..

4:26pm

64 mins... TRY..!!! SAMMUT scores his second after leaving Lovegrove and Eden for dead...!!!

4:21pm

Purtell makes a small carry but cannot find the right pass...

4:19pm

Greg Eden knocks on.. goodness knows how many errors Rovers have made today...

4:17pm

55 mins... Adam O'Brien replaces Heath L'Estrange... still 26-12...

4:13pm

Donaldson went off after a collision with Adam Walker... looked to be a clash of heads...

4:12pm

51 mins... Scruton and Olbison on for Manuokafoa and Donaldson...

4:06pm

It came from another drop-out and Dobson converts to make it 26-12... game on??

4:04pm

TRY!!! Josh Hodgson over from close range....

4:03pm

Bulls forced to drop-out again....

4:02pm

The Bulls are forced to drop-out but Travis Burns knocks on horribly and Rovers' opportunity is spurned.

3:58pm

The second half is underway....

3:57pm

3:51pm

HALF-TIME: Bulls 26, Hull KR 6.... Bulls full value for their commanding interval lead.

3:45pm

A high kick from Dobson is then caught by Liam Salter but Sammut and Lulia prevent him from grounding the ball....

3:44pm

Purtell makes two tackles in quick succession to halt Corey Paterson's progress...

3:38pm

Foster's conversion makes it 26-6 to the Bulls... not quite cigar time but certainly a commanding lead...

3:38pm

Foster showed real intelligence there to find Sammut in support... the Aussie had no problems finishing off the break...

3:36pm

TRY..!!! Sammut!! Foster with a brilliant break and pass....

3:35pm

Foster converts his second goal of the game to make it 20-6 to the Bulls...!!!

3:34pm

TRY...!!! BATEMAN..!!! Touches down after a clever kick from Danny Addy..!!!

3:31pm

Foster converts at third time of asking to make it 14-6.... decent cushion for the Bulls but 13 mins to go to the break...

3:29pm

Well-worked try for the Bulls there as Kear touches down Kearney's kick unopposed....

3:29pm

3:28pm

TRY!!! Kear touches down in the right corner..!!!

3:28pm

The Aussie centre replaces Nick Scruton...

3:27pm

24 mins... ADRIAN PURTELL enters the fray to a standing ovation...

3:21pm

Dobson converts to make it 8-6...

3:21pm

18 mins... Rovers have scored a fine try in the left corner... David Hodgson after good work from Greg Eden and Michael Dobson...

3:20pm

Alex Brown inexplicably allows a high kick from Addy to bounce but Rovers, who have committed some awful handling errors, survive... still 8-0...

3:12pm

Sadly not, so it's 8-0 to the Bulls with 10 minutes played...

3:12pm

Can Jamie Foster convert??

3:11pm

TRY..!!!! The Bulls have scored again and it's Brett Kearney in the right corner after a high kick falls into his path...

3:10pm

08... Nick Scruton almost powers his way through after a barnstorming run....

3:10pm

Jamie Foster could not finish his own try... so it's 4-0...

3:08pm

The try came after Evarn Tuimavave knocked on and some neat handling led to Keith Lulia putting Foster over in the left corner...

3:06pm

BULLS TRY!!!! Jamie Foster finishes well in the left corner...
 

3:03pm

A high bomb from Michael Dobson is fielded by Brett Kearney...

3:03pm

Hull KR have begun well but Bulls defending strongly thus far...

3:01pm

And we are off..!!!

2:57pm

Adrian Purtell's name is cheered loudly as the Bulls team is read out by matchday host Steve Bailey...

2:55pm

Warm embraces and handshakes all round between the Bulls players as they complete their pre-match preparations before jogging off the field...

2:53pm

2:53pm

2:53pm

Kick off just five minutes away now...

2:44pm

Also a big boost that Jamie Foster is passed fit to return after missing the draw at Widnes with a shoulder knock. 

2:42pm

2:37pm

The reshuffle sees Elliott Whitehead lining up in the centres for the first time this season...
 

2:34pm

Bateman straight back into the starting line-up says much for the regard he is held... he's not played Super League since last August...

2:31pm

2:26pm

Hull KR interchange: J Hodgson, Walker, Horne, Paea

2:25pm

Hull KR starting line-up: Eden, Brown, Salter, Welham, D Hodgson, Burns, Dobson, Tuimavave, Carlile, Lovegrove, Mika, Paterson, Griffin

2:13pm

2:13pm

2:12pm

Adrian Purtell confirmed as being on the bench this afternoon... John Bateman to start...

2:12pm

Interchange: Purtell, O'Brien, Murphy, Sidlow

2:11pm

BREAKING NEWS.... Bulls starting line-up...

Kearney, Kear, Whitehead, Lulia, Foster, Addy, Sammut, Scruton, L'Estrange, Manuokafua, Bateman, Olbison, Donaldson.

2:02pm

2:01pm

Just awaiting team news but expecting Sam Wood and Chev Walker to be the two men who miss out........

12:54pm

12:54pm

12:53pm

12:51pm

Adrian Purtell was poised to make an emotional comeback for the Bulls in this afternoon's Super League home clash with Hull KR.

The Australian centre has been included in Francis Cummins’ 19-man injury-hit squad and is expected to feature off the bench.

It will be Purtell’s first competitive action since he played the full eighty minutes of the Magic Weekend defeat to Leeds on May 27 last year.

The 28-year-old suffered a heart attack in the aftermath of that game but was told in December he could resume his playing career in three months’ time.

He stopped taking medication to thin his blood a fortnight ago and took part in his first full contact session at training on Friday, putting him on course for a tumultuous return this afternoon.

Homegrown back-rower John Bateman is also set to make his first appearance of the season after a shoulder reconstruction but a number of players will be missing through injury.

Full team news to follow later this afternoon...
 

12:48pm

Good afternoon from the Provident Stadium...