Catalan Dragons v Bradford Bulls - Live blog

Updated 8:51am Monday 25th March 2013 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Ross Heppenstall, Bradford Bulls Reporter

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6:53pm

Catalan Dragons 30, Bradford Bulls 10

Bulls coach Francis Cummins saw his men surrender a 10-0 lead as Catalan Dragons ran in 30 unanswered points to claim an ultimately comfortable victory in Perpignan this evening.

Elliot Kear touched down in the right corner to open the scoring in the 13th minute after excellent work from Elliott Whitehead and John Bateman, who added a second try in the 31st minute.

Yet the Dragons responded through replacement prop Julian Bousquet four minutes later to cut the Bulls’ lead to 10-6 at the break.

With mercurial playmaker Thomas Bosc exerting a growing influence on proceedings, Catalan ran riot after the break with tries from Louis Anderson, Morgan Escare, Daryl Millard, Zeb Taia and Leon Pryce.

That capped a miserable evening’s work for Cummins’s side ahead of Thursday’s testing trip to derby rivals Leeds.
 

6:52pm

It's going to be an ultimately very disappointing night for the Bulls... final whistle due to sound shortly.

6:43pm

TRY for Catalan... this time through Leon Pryce, of all people.....

6:38pm

Bradford old boys Leon Pryce and Olivier Elima are all smiles as they celebrate Taia's try... Bosc's conversion makes it 26-10

6:36pm

65 mins... TRY for Catalan as Zeb Taia powers clear... surely game over now.

6:34pm

BOSC fails to add the extras so it's 20-10 with 16 minutes remaining... gonna need a huge effort now..
 

6:33pm

62 mins... TRY for Millard given after deliberation from the video referee...

6:27pm

Chev Walker has picked up a knock but will attempt to run it off... 
 

6:25pm

59 mins... More magical footwork from Bosc but Zeb Taia knocks on clumsily... still 16-10 to Catalan...

6:25pm

6:20pm

BOSC converts to make it 16-10....

6:19pm

TRY for Catalans as ESCARE scampers clear past Whitehead and Kear to put Catalan in front...

6:17pm

Bosc fails to convert so it's 10-10 with 28 mins to go ...

6:16pm

52 mins...TRY for Catalan as Louis Anderson scythes over from close range...

6:13pm

50 mins... Bulls forced to drop-out...

6:13pm

But he will now attempt to run it off..

6:12pm

48 mins .... Jamie Foster looks to have sustained an ankle problem... he goes down very groggily...

6:11pm

It's a Catalan scrum, decides Silverwood... and the Dragons now advancing forward...

6:11pm

It's a Catalan scrum, decides Silverwood... and the Dragons now advancing forward...

6:09pm

Major flare-up involving James Donaldson and then Adrian Purtell...

6:09pm

Major flare-up involving James Donaldson and then Adrian Purtell...

6:09pm

45 mins... BK picks the ball up from acting half before having his progress unceremoniously halted by Steve Menzies...
 

6:03pm

The second half is now underway....

5:47pm

So the Bulls lead 10-6 after an impressive opening 40 minutes...

5:46pm

No try after heroics from Elliot Kear...
 

5:45pm

TRY for Catalan? Video referee will decide...

5:42pm

37 mins... Jarrod Sammut with a fine run from his own 30-metre line.. getting Bulls on the front foot once more...

5:41pm

That was harsh on Bradford, who had barely given Catalan a sniff after their second try...

5:40pm

Bosc converts to cut the Bulls' lead to four points... it's now 10-6...
 

5:39pm

35 mins... TRY for Catalan.. BOUSQUET.... from Elima's quick play-the-ball..

5:34pm

FOSTER fails to convert but the Bulls are buzzing after establishing a 10-0 lead. Deservedly so.

5:33pm

Great finish from Bateman in the right corner from Kearney's earlier outstanding break... it's 10-0 and Foster can make it 12-0...
 

5:32pm

30 mins... Brett Kearney with a brilliant break from his own 10-metre line right up to Catalans' 30-metre line..BATEMAN scores from that set

5:30pm

28 mins...Great kick from Brett Kearney to relieve a spell of Catalan pressure...
 

5:29pm

John Bateman looking class tonight whenever he gets his hands on the ball...

5:28pm

Both sides are willing to offload at every opportunity, making for an increasingly open game… still 6-0 to the Bulls…

5:27pm

Great to see Adrian Purtell in the thick of things and playing with a smile on his face...
 

5:26pm

24 mins... Donaldson and Diskin on for Scruton and L'Estrange...
 

5:24pm

22 mins... Pryce almost sends the onrushing Bosc clear but he fails to control the ball and the opportunity is again lost for the Dragons.

5:23pm

21 mins... Bulls forced to drop out after Jamie Foster fields a high bomb...
 

5:20pm

18 mins... Thomas Bosc breaks clear of a statuesque Bradford defence but sees his pass to Steve Menzies intercepted and Catalans' opportunity is spurned.

5:18pm

16 mins... Brett Kearney has looked safe as houses under a stream of high balls... still 6-0...
 

5:17pm

Jarrod Sammut agonisingly a yard short from a brilliant 40-20....

5:15pm

Kear finished well after some brilliant handling on the Bulls' right edge... Foster converts so it's 6-0 after 12 minutes...
 

5:14pm

Elliot Kear after delightful handling from Whitehead and Bateman... capping a brilliant move..!!

5:13pm

Bulls on Dragons' 30-metre line... TRY!!!

5:12pm

10 mins... Olbison almost crashes over and then Heath is held up... Bulls piling the pressure on here...
 

5:09pm

07 - Thomas Bosc kicks through but Jamie Foster does well to field the danger... still 0-0...

5:08pm

Bulls keep the ball alive neatly and Foster's kick pins Catalan back towards their own line...

5:07pm

05 mins... Steve Menzies, all 39 years of him, with a surging run from Catalan... it has been an even opening and remains scoreless...

5:06pm

04 mins... Ian Henderson with some funny dummy running for Catalan. Brett Kearney fields high kick from Leon Pryce superbly...

5:04pm

03 mins... An excellent kick from Danny Addy puts the Bulls on the front foot....

5:02pm

We are underway here.... Bulls in possession...

4:54pm

4:54pm

Remplaçants : Elima, Pelissier, Bousquet, Fakir

4:54pm

La composition des Dragons : Escaré, Blanch, Menzies, Millard, Pala, Pryce, Bosc, Simon, Henderson, Casty, Taia, Anderson, Baitieri

4:49pm

Omar Khan, Gerry Sutcliffe and Ian Greenwood have taken their seats in the main stand here at the Stade Gilbert Brutus. Kick-off less than 10 mins away.

4:47pm

Just had a chat with Keith Lulia. He's confident of being fit for Leeds on Thursday.

4:47pm

RFL suits Blake Solly and Ralph Rimmer are in situ in the Stade Gilbert Brutus this evening.

4:44pm

4:19pm

Interchange: Sidlow, Diskin, Donaldson, Murphy

4:19pm

Bulls team: Kearney, Kear, Purtell, Whitehead, Foster, Addy, Sammut, Scruton, L'Estrange, Manuokafoa, Bateman, Olbison, Walker

4:19pm

Diskin, Sidlow, Murphy and Donaldson on the bench... Walker is back to start in the back row alongside Olbison and Bateman.

4:19pm

That means Adrian Purtell starts alongside Elliott Whitehead in the centres...

4:17pm

TEAM NEWS.... Keith Lulia ruled out after failing to recover sufficiently from a dead leg sustained against Hull KR...

3:59pm

3:16pm

Just spoken to Catalan Dragons officials and it is expected that ex-Bulls Ian Henderson, Steve Menzies, Leon Pryce and Olivier Elima will all feature this evening...

3:15pm

Stay tuned for team news, people. We will bring it you first within the next hour or so...

3:15pm

3:15pm

3:11pm

3:06pm

Catalan Dragons hoping for a crowd of around 8,000 today...

2:59pm

2:55pm

2:54pm

1:09pm

1:08pm

1:02pm

12:52pm

12:49pm

That would mean Adam O'Brien and Jobe Murphy miss out from the 19-man squad. Sam Wood also travelled as 20th man but more for experience.
 

12:48pm

Also expect Chev Walker to come straight back into the side at loose forward and James Donaldson to drop to the bench...

12:47pm

12:46pm

Team news some way off but am expecting Matt Diskin to return in place of Adam O'Brien on the bench...

12:42pm

12:33pm

Kick-off is four and a half hours away but anticipation in the town is building steadily ahead of this evening's big match...

12:32pm

Good afternoon from a warm but slightly overcast Perpignan for this afternoon's Super League round eight clash between Catalan Dragons and Bradford Bulls...

Comments(14)

WayneRouke says...
6:56pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Cant win them all.. Bad Luck Bulls.. Better luck Next time

COYB

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Tricky Dicky says...
7:01pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Without wishing to discredit a heroic effort by the lads, it was Men against Boys out there. Catalan exploited the Bulls' lack of size and made going forward look very easy. Inexperience saw the Bulls lose the ball in advantageous positions and Catalan were ruthless to exploit. It is all part of the learning curve and as long as the Bulls can grow from it then it wasn't such a bad night in France. Bon nuit.

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nosher says...
7:10pm Sat 23 Mar 13

mmm disappointing. Sounds like de ja vu like the Widnes away game. Are we short on fitness ?

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mdn says...
7:17pm Sat 23 Mar 13

nosher wrote:
mmm disappointing. Sounds like de ja vu like the Widnes away game. Are we short on fitness ?
Don't think it's lack of fitness so much as only having three props in the rotation. We should improve when Langley and Evans are back in contention in next week or so allowing us to use four props.

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bantam59 says...
7:52pm Sat 23 Mar 13

not another defeat
oh well ill stick with the tigers n city

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bantam59 says...
7:53pm Sat 23 Mar 13

mdn wrote:
nosher wrote:
mmm disappointing. Sounds like de ja vu like the Widnes away game. Are we short on fitness ?
Don't think it's lack of fitness so much as only having three props in the rotation. We should improve when Langley and Evans are back in contention in next week or so allowing us to use four props.
EXCUSES EXCUSES OH MY DEAR

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jordiebull92 says...
7:56pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Seriously how many teams go perpignan and come away with a result, valiant effort by the lads but knew it would take a massive perfornance for the win. Cant wait for thursday night!! COYB

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NORTHER1964 says...
8:53pm Sat 23 Mar 13

What I saw of the game we were guilty of very poor tackling. Nearly every set of 6 the Cats was making they made 60 metres. There was a few Bulls players falling of tackles an th biggest culprit was Addy. Sorry but Addy should be playing for teams like Dewsbury. Not super league standard.

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WayneRouke says...
9:32pm Sat 23 Mar 13

bantam59 wrote:
not another defeat
oh well ill stick with the tigers n city
BORING BORING BORING TROLL.. Go back to your OK thread talking rubbish about council loans.

Or better still, go home, cos the earth is full.

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jordiebull92 says...
9:37pm Sat 23 Mar 13

NORTHER1964 wrote:
What I saw of the game we were guilty of very poor tackling. Nearly every set of 6 the Cats was making they made 60 metres. There was a few Bulls players falling of tackles an th biggest culprit was Addy. Sorry but Addy should be playing for teams like Dewsbury. Not super league standard.
Addys really come good this season with galey been injured so wered ya get that from? Did u watch boots n all mid week even they refferred as to how well addys done this year.

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NORTHER1964 says...
9:50pm Sat 23 Mar 13

Sorry jordie but I really don't think hes good enough for super league. His tackling is poor as he has a tendency to hide in the wings.

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axlef1963 says...
12:05pm Sun 24 Mar 13

hes back again just because your games postponed it doesnt mean we want to hear your drivel.you obviousely know sod all about real sport so go crawl back under your rock.also why are people picking out individual players again.weve got a young lad playing out of position and putting in a great stint.ther are many reasons why you can miss a tackle ie players around you not being in the right place.lets giev the lads are support no matter what for christs sake we nearly werent here after last year.this team are on a learning curve and weve got to remember that.so everyone get there on thursday and give the lads our support no matter what the result COYB

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bullybullman says...
6:54am Mon 25 Mar 13

Always a big ask to take the points in France but its the second time we have Capitulated in he second half this season.

On Danny Addy he is a quality young player and he is without doubt at super league standard but his inexperience shows for time to time but this will improve with time.

We are very thin on the ground on the player front & as we get are big guns back we will charge up the table remember its not how you start its how you finish.

I think it stinks that Catalans are allowed to flaunt all the rules & without doubt they are a great team but does super league need a French team ? I think not, unfair advantages & I for one think its unfair that most supporters have to miss a game due the the expence & travel to France which few can do.

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Tricky Dicky says...
12:14pm Mon 25 Mar 13

I agree with Bully on Addy's inexperience. The pass he threw to Sammut, where he never looked, was a game changer as, to Sammut's hand, we looked sure to score and go 16-0 up just before half-time. Sammut knocked on, Bulls gave away a penalty, Catalan go on to score and never looked back. However, the lad has been asked to undertake a role that is not his natural position and will learn from his mistakes. It take time to adjust to the big stage and we must be patient.

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