Mullaney to the four, as Bradford Bulls get Featherstone defeat out of their system

REDEMPTION was emphatic.

After the horror of that nightmarish display against Featherstone four days earlier, the Bulls simply had to win yesterday and win well.

They managed that with plenty to spare but the significance went deeper than consigning last Wednesday’s shambles to the dustbin.

In the performance of Jake Mullaney at half-back, the Bulls looked to have found the creative spark they have so desperately craved in recent weeks.

The diminutive Australian was simply unplayable, destroying part-time Hunslet with the kind of speed and skill the Bulls will require in the Super Eights.

With Lee Gaskell currently sidelined with a broken jaw and Harry Siejka absent with a knock, the stage was set for Mullaney to shine.

Injuries have disrupted his debut campaign at Odsal, but the 25-year-old’s class has never been in doubt.

He scored a stunning first-half hat-trick and also brilliantly created tries for Adam O’Brien and Ryan Shaw as Jimmy Lowes’ men established a 38-6 interval lead.

Danny Williams then seized the spotlight in the second half with a treble of his own as the Bulls made light work of their struggling hosts.

As if to emphasise that the headlines belonged to him, Mullaney’s fourth try late on sealed the win and confirmed him as the man of the match.

Adrian Purtell was missing with a quad injury, which meant Mullaney was named in the halves alongside Danny Addy, with James Mendeika moved from full back to centre.

Ryan Shaw reclaimed the full back spot with Etu Uaisele back in the team on the right wing.

Hunslet included three Leeds Rhinos players on dual registration in the highly regarded Jordan Lilley, who lined up at full back, with Josh Walters and Rob Mulhern in the back row.

Rhinos coach and legendary former Bulls prop Brian McDermott was among the bumper crowd at a sun-kissed South Leeds Stadium.

The grandstand, full to bursting with Bradford supporters, offers fantastic views across Leeds.

South Leeds has produced all manner of rugby league stars down the years, among them Jason Robinson, Garry Schofield, Sonny Nickle and Lowes.

The Bulls boss, raised on the nearby Belle Isle estate, a tough, uncompromising district, watched the first half from a grass banking with his coaching staff yesterday.

He was soon applauding as the Bulls grabbed two early tries to establish control.

The architect of both tries was Mullaney, who superbly created the first and then brilliantly scored the second.

The Bulls had gone close when Adam Sidlow took Adam O’Brien’s pass and attempted to barrel over the line, only to be penalised for a double movement.

But the Bulls continued to probe and Mullaney expertly broke the Hunslet line inside the left channel before showing intelligence to send O’Brien scampering clear from 20 metres out.

Moments later, Mullaney ignited again to quite devastating effect.

Collecting possession ten metres inside his own half, Mullaney showed outstanding speed to again break the Hawks’ line and then dummy past another defender to saunter clear.

It was a reminder of his class in a season when the Australian has not been seen enough in a Bulls jersey.

The early one-way traffic continued in the 13th minute when Matty Blythe grabbed a third Bradford try.

It stemmed from a horrible knock-on ten metres from his own line by Hunslet centre Mufaro Mvududu, whose mistake led to O’Brien neatly sending Blythe diving under the posts.

Hunslet, to their credit, fashioned a spirited response, forcing the Bulls to drop out but never really looking like scoring.

The Bulls weathered that brief storm and hit their hosts with a sucker-punch when Addy superbly created the space to usher the onrushing Mendeika over the line from close range.

The Bulls were cruising it, much to the delight of their army of travelling supporters.

They were soon roaring their approval again when, after a fine carry from Tom Olbison, Addy found Mullaney to his left.

Once again, Mullaney had too much speed for the Hawks’ defence as he scampered into the corner on a diagonal run.

It was all too easy once again but take nothing away from Mullaney.

On the half hour mark, it was hat-trick time for the former Salford man.

He took a short pass from O’Brien and powered through a gaping hole in the Hunslet defence.

The resistance from the Hawks was, quite frankly, pitiful.

But they responded moments later when hooker Jack Lee barrelled over the line through the Bradford defence to score a try which Lilley converted.

On the stroke of half-time, however, Mullaney embarked on another searing break inside the left channel which Shaw supported and the Cumbrian scored easily.

Leading so comfortably with a 38-6 advantage at the break, the onus was on the Bulls to kick on and rack up a cricket score.

But the second half was a more scrappy affair and Hunslet, to their credit, enjoyed much of the early pressure.

They forced several repeat sets but again could not make them pay as the Bulls held firm before Williams claimed an exhilarating long-range effort in the 53rd minute.

Picking up a loose ball deep inside his own half, he drove at the heart of the Hunslet defence, twisting and turning to evade tackles before ignoring the supporting Mullaney to score himself.

It was a fine effort from the Leeds lad and saw him sprint around 80 metres to score.

As the glorious sunshine gave way to drizzle, Addy attempted a 40-20 which Lilley tried to stop, only for Uaisele to hack the ball forward and touch down in the right corner.

Dale Ferguson then showed his physical prowess by taking a short pass and powering through the Hunslet defence to score from close range.

Addy then kicked a 40-20 which came off and the tactical kick which so often produces a try did so again here.

The Bulls worked the ball from the scrum across the face of the Hunslet defence to the left corner, where Williams was on hand to score his second.

His third did not take long to arrive, this time Addy’s fine long pass finding the former Leeds man in the left corner and he finished well again.

But Mullaney then went over late himself for a fourth try late on, again in the left channel, to confirm the day was his.