BULLS 72 ROCHDALE 16

IT FELT like a scene reminiscent of Game of Thrones when Rochdale last visited Odsal.

The pre-match blizzard and the snow and ice shutting the terraces was like a sign of foreboding from above, highlighting the chilly picture facing the Bulls this season.

Winter wasn’t so much coming but already here for a club that had gone through the mill. Relegation seemed almost an inevitability from defeat that frozen February day.

But hopefully the worst has now past as the Bulls start to plan ahead to a brighter 2018. Let’s face it, next year cannot be any more painful.

The return of the Hornets for yesterday’s campaign finale could not have been more different from seven months earlier. The sun shone – for most of the time at least – and the Bulls ran riot.

The fifth win in six weeks was achieved in a first-half points frenzy – and the fans headed for the off-season with overdue smiles on faces.

And while the prospect of starting again in League One represents a culture shock for a club steeped in Super League glory, at least this time the Bulls will be much better prepared.

There will be no need to throw things together at the last minute as they were forced to this year because of circumstances.

Geoff Toovey’s position remains unclear – with indicators still strongly pointing to a return to Australia – but the squad is beginning to take shape.

Five contracts were signed this week as the Bulls put their faith in youth. It is the obvious move but also the right one given the academy’s long-proven track record for developing young talent.

And this time they will be hoping that those starlets can remain with the club as they blossom rather than heading off for grander pastures at the earliest opportunity.

Three of those who put pen to paper – Liam Kirk, Ross Oakes and Evan Hodgson – all lined up in Bulls colours as they said farewell to the Championship with a real flourish.

Kirk, at 20, has become almost a senior figure after appearing in every game in a team that has used around 40 players.

For Oakes, it was a first outing since May 7 when the centre damaged his ankle in a tackle against Sheffield.

Others were playing for the Bulls for the last time, including St Helens-bound James Bentley who got the home side on the board early on.

He took the ball from Scott Moore out of dummy half and charged over from short range.

Then it was the turn of Vila Halafihi, a player desperate for a contract, to go over from Cory Aston’s pass after the stand-off had led a Bulls charge upfield with Bentley.

Rochdale’s bad start quickly got worse as they were reduced to 11 men after a fracas following a late hit on Joe Keyes.

He was taken out by Gavin Bennion after lofting a kick and both teams piled in. When the dust settled, Rochdale’s Jordan Case and Jovilisi Taira were sin-binned alongside Scott Moore, although Bennion surprisingly escaped further punishment.

The Bulls cashed in on the numerical advantage as Kirk carved through a non-existent defence.

Rochdale’s discipline continued to disintegrate as Lewis Foster’s dissent left them with only ten and Sam Hallas took instant advantage with a fourth home try.

It was becoming hard to keep up as the Bulls exploited the wide open spaces once again with Oakes collecting a bullet pass to race over and celebrate his new deal in style.

Then it was Ethan Ryan’s turn to dart in from Hodgson’s set-up – the sixth home try inside the first half hour. Aston’s fifth conversion gave the Bulls a 34-point lead and it was carnival time for the Odsal faithful.

Rochdale regained some face when Case, back from the sin bin, scored under the posts.

But it was a mere blip in a half of total domination from the hosts.

Aston, who was having a field day, was held up just short but Omari Caro joined in the fun.

And not to be left out, birthday boy Keyes became the Bulls’ eighth different try scorer – catching Rochdale on their heels to race 60 metres and touch down unopposed.

A huge hit from Hallas on Taira as the hooter sounded put the seal on by far the most memorable half of the season.

With a whopping 40-point cushion, the second half was always going to be a less eventful affair.

Rochdale’s attempts to glean some respectability from a miserable display too often fell down on unforced errors. They were truly woeful.

Ross Peltier brought up the half century for Bulls ten minutes in, showing his strength to bull-doze through a tackle to follow up his score against Dewsbury the week before.

As the procession of points continued, Ryan helped himself to his second try – and the Bulls’ tenth – after a clever delayed pass from Keyes opened a gap from five metres out.

Any hint of a contest had long disappeared. But after a year when so much had gone against them, the boot was firmly on the other foot and the Bulls were determined to make the most of it.

Rochdale found a slither of respectability as the intensity levels understandably dropped and winger Chris Riley crossed in the corner to at least see them into double figures.

As Daniel Yates landed an impressive conversion from the touchline, it even prompted a few ironic cheers from a small band of travelling fans.

But they were quickly silenced as the Bulls struck once more. Moore was one of the few yet to get his name on the home scoresheet but the experienced hooker put that right by holding off a defender to charge over.

Jack Holmes notched Rochdale’s third try after Ryan failed to deal with a grubber kick.

But this was always Bradford’s day and they saved the best until last as Aston became the 11th different try scorer, setting off to the races as he hurtled down the right flank to bomb from one end to the other.