JOHN Kear hailed Bulls’ refusal to give in after they were put to the sword by Warrington Wolves.

The Super League hosts served up a ten-try masterclass in a 54-6 Challenge Cup fifth-round hiding.

Despite the heavy defeat, it was no disgrace from the battling Bulls against a team Kear believes are "the real deal" this season.

And the Bradford head coach took plenty of positives. He said: “We know now the standard we have got to aspire to to assemble a Super League side to be able to compete like that but there are loads of things to be pleased with.

“You can look at the technical and tactical side but really it is about effort, application and their attitude. In all honesty for those three things, they have all got big ticks.”

More than 2,000 fans made the trip across the Pennines and out-sung the Warrington support but they had to watch their side play second fiddle to a strong Wolves outfit on top of their game.

Kear said: “This is a good Warrington team – believe you me. I watch Super League week in, week out and I’ve seen this Warrington team grow.

“They have pieced together their defence and now the fields are drying up, you can see their attacking flair as well, so we’ve come up against a pretty tidy team and I think we have come out with some credit.”

Josh Charnley scored four tries and former NRL player Bryson Goodwin notched a hat-trick, while ex-Bull Ryan Atkins produced some superb set-up play.

“Warrington are the real deal – no doubt about it,” said Kear.

“When I was looking at our preview I said to one of our coaches ‘I could frighten our lads to death with some of the clips that are on here’, so you’ve obviously got to temper it.

“They’re difficult to play against because defensively they are so sound. They end their sets really well and they are playing more good football.

“I like how it has just built gradually and it looks as if they will be a really good team as the season goes on."

Kear added: "We never gave in and made Warrington work hard for their tries and there were some great tries.

“The try for Josh Charnley when the ball went in and out of Ryan Atkins – I blinked and missed it.”

Bulls were 30-0 down at the break but offered more resistance in the second half and were rewarded with a late score from Joe Keyes.

Kear said: “At half-time there was no one in the changing rooms with a pet lip out, looking at the floor and feeling sorry for themselves.

“And that is when it heartens you. We felt ‘right, they have smacked our backsides 30-0. They might well beat us again in the second half but we are going to go out there and try and be a bit better than we were in the first half and they were, which is all credit to them.

“The endeavour, the effort and the commitment was there for all to see, so I have come away, even though it sounds strange at 54-6, very heartened by what I have seen when I look at this great club being reborn. I don’t just mean on the field of play, I say it when you look at the posts at that far end with our great following.”