AFTER three successive defeats, defending champions Bradford Bulls finally got off the mark in comprehensive fashion in the Women’s Super League.

Following losses to Leeds Rhinos, St Helens and Cas-tleford Tigers, the Bulls thrashed York City Knights 72-10 at Odsal.

Shona Hoyle calmed any home nerves with a try in the fourth minute that was improved by Claire Garner, and Hoyle was the creator of their second try three minutes later, putting Jess Courtman away for winger Leah Jones to finish the attack.

After a period of even play, with the hosts needing robust defence to keep York out, Courtman got the third try down the left flank in the 20th minute to make it 14-0.

York’s low kick-offs were proving no problem to the hosts, but more of an issue was the visitors’ defence, who left a large gap for Heather MacDonald to saunter through and dot down under the posts in the 24th minute for Garner to convert and make it 20-0.

England international Courtman was having some joy down the left and scored her second try in the 28th minute, side-stepping her way past two tacklers on the way to diving over, with Garner’s goal keeping the Bulls close to a point a minute.

Garner also converted the next try on the half-hour to make it 32-0, and by half-time it was 44-0 as the Bulls again showed their willingness to keep their line intact before hitting the visitors with two more converted tries, the first coming from the pacy Jones, who ran from halfway to leave the York defence for dead.

Both sides made fumbles early in the second half before normal service was resumed and Kirsty Moroney scored a try in the 44th minute after great work by Reagan Walker.

Garner then carried several visitors over the line on her back as she scored the Bulls’ tenth try two minutes later, adding her own conversion to take the score to 56-0.

However, the City Knights finally got over the line in the 55th minute on the back of two penalties and a knock-on, but there was no way that the visitors could halt Debbie Smith four minutes later from ten metres out after York had allowed the restart to go dead.

Walker added the conversion to make it 62-4, and Smith then bagged her second try, going over in the 63rd minute after Haylie Hields had been held just short and Moroney had flicked a try-scoring pass to the prop.

Stunning defence by Hoyle then stopped York from scoring their second try in the 72nd minute, but two minutes later they profited from an interception on their own line to go the length of the field and score, despite a valiant effort from Jones.

Smith bagged her hat-trick in the 79th minute after good work by Hields, with Walker adding the final conversion.