Enormity of defeat hits home as Bulls' Super League promotion dream ends

AS the final hooter sounded, several Bulls players sank to the turf in despair.

The enormity of the club’s latest failure had just hit home and a return to Super League had never felt further away.

For Rohan Smith and his men there is now no chance of promotion or money-spinning battles with Leeds, Huddersfield, Salford and Hull KR in the Qualifiers.

Only mundane, essentially meaningless, contests with the likes of Workington, Whitehaven, Oldham and Swinton in the Championship Shield.

Contrast the tears among the beaten Bulls outfit at the end with the elation from Featherstone’s players, who jumped for joy as their supporters invaded the pitch.

Take nothing away from Jon Sharp’s men; the Bulls certainly took nothing from them after being nilled.

Featherstone ran harder and with more aggression than Bradford all afternoon and Smith was honest enough to admit it was the right result.

His men had just been beaten by a bunch of part-timers who were superior from start to finish and ran out worthy victors.

There has been no shortage of failure at the Bulls in recent times, both on and off the field.

Such as entering administration twice in the space of two years and being relegated from Super League.

But this was as bad as it gets – failure to make the top four in a largely part-time league.

The Bulls would have received £450,000 in central monies next season had they finished fourth but they will now get just £275,000.

It means another black hole in the Bulls’ finances and raises serious question marks over the club’s ability to remain as a full-time outfit.

Either way, there will surely be some serious cutbacks in the coming weeks and months.

Smith made a huge call by leaving out Adam O’Brien altogether and opting to start Danny Addy at hooker, as he had against Leigh in the Summer Bash.

That meant Stuart Howarth began on the bench along with Joe Philbin, Jay Pitts and Tom Olbison.

The Bulls made the worst possible start when Kieren Moss knocked on straight from the kick-off, which pretty much set the tone for the rest of the half.

For a game that meant so much, Bradford did not always seem aware of the seriousness of the occasion.

They were desperately poor at times as Featherstone ran in three tries to establish an 18-0 interval lead.

Moss’ early error forced a drop-out which gave Featherstone another chance to test the visitors’ line.

Bradford were playing up the slope at the Big Fellas Stadium in the first half and went close inside the third minute when Dane Chisholm orchestrated a move out to the left flank, where Ethan Ryan was hauled into touch.

The tension was palpable, on the field and in the stands, as Featherstone’s hulking forwards made their presence felt with some big early hits.

They led in the seventh minute when Ryan lost the ball coming away from his own line and John Davies’ quick pass sent hooker Andy Ellis bustling over the line.

Rovers continued to probe as Bradford, who offered precious little up front, struggled to escape their 20-metre line for much of the opening 40 minutes.

Former Bulls stand-off Kyle Briggs, who converted Ellis’ try, tested his erstwhile employers with some teasing kicks and appeared to target Ryan, who recovered well from his early error in fairness.

In the 15th minute, Chisholm found Kris Welham with a neat offload inside the left channel and the former Hull KR man entered Rovers’ 20-metre line.

He had Ryan to his left but attempted to find Kurt Haggerty to his right, only for his pass to go astray as he was tackled as the chance went begging.

Welham hit the turf in frustration not once but twice, yet at the same time it hinted at the possibilities on offer for the Bulls when they attacked their hosts.

Adam Sidlow and Moss both went close with promising breaks deep inside Rovers territory and Welham was held up over the line but genuine try-scoring opportunities were few.

Ben Kavanagh was replaced by Joe Philbin in the 22nd minute while Featherstone replaced Jordan Baldwinson and Andy Bostock with Anthony Mullally and Darrell Griffin.

Featherstone's physical superiority up front soon told as a huge carry from former Bradford loanee Mullally gave them some excellent field position deep in Bradford territory.

That led to scrum half Anthony Thackeray producing a delightful show-and-go as he dummied to pass but instead darted over the line himself for a fine individual effort.

Briggs missed the conversion and, in the 27th minute, Sidlow and Dale Ferguson were replaced by Olbison and Stuart Howarth before Addy made way for Jay Pitts.

Featherstone scored a third try in the 33rd minute when Thackeray found Steve Snitch and the second-rower outmuscled the Bulls' defence to score from close range.

Rovers threatened a fourth home score in the 37th minute when Mullally was held up over the line by Moss’ try-saving tackle before Briggs added a penalty on the stroke of half-time following a high tackle.

Mullally, a giant of a man at 6ft 5in, continued to make his presence felt up front for Featherstone.

The prop was among a quartet of Leeds players on duty for Featherstone yesterday along with Luke Briscoe, Ashton Golding and Baldwinson.

Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington was in attendance yesterday along with other luminaries of the game such as Deryck Fox and Brendon Tuuta.

But the second half was a scrappy, disjointed affair and the Bulls showed little sign of rescuing the game.

Yes, there was the odd spark from Chisholm but that was about it.

Ryan was replaced in the 57th minute with Matty Blythe moving out to the right flank.

To make matters worse, Howarth and Pitts took a knock as they wrapped up Ian Hardman as the Rovers full back brought the ball out of defence, although they were fine to continue.

On the hour mark, Lewis Charnock chipped the ball over a Featherstone defender and regathered but the chance came to nothing.

The Bulls struggled badly for ideas and for creativity and Featherstone stretched their lead in the

Chisholm failed to find touch with a kick from a penalty and Briscoe collected possession, with only a head-high tackle on the Leeds winger preventing him from bursting clear.

That came at the expense of another penalty which almost led to Mullally barrelling over the line again.

It was shocking stuff from the Bulls, it really was, and with 10 minutes remaining the away end containing over 2,000 travelling supporters began emptying.

Golding touched down in the right corner but a penalty was given to Bradford for crossing in the build-up, while Haggerty was sinbinned with nine minutes remaining following a minor flare-up.

With six minutes on the clock, Welham broke down the left flank and his pass found Omari Caro, who was tackled as the Bulls were kept at bay again.

A once-proud club who were world champions a decade ago are now facing the dismal prospect of a third season in the Championship.

In the meantime, the Championship Shield awaits.