Bulls 32 Harlequins 24

The Bulls quickly started atoning for their Leeds horror by getting back to winning ways against Harlequins tonight.

Skipper Paul Deacon led from the front as Bradford banished the memory of Thursday's 44-2 Headingley hammering.

He finished with 16 points through a try and six goals as the hosts - still struggling with injuries - proved too good for a poor London outfit.

They had some nervous moments along the way as Quins bounced back from an early 18-0 deficit but Steve McNamara's side just had enough to get the win.

They were 18-0 up inside just 12 minutes following some red-hot play, reminiscent of the stuff Leeds produced four nights ago.

Sam Burgess, Dave Halley and David Solomona all bagged tries as the hosts - who welcomed back ex-Quins centre Paul Sykes from injury - set off with real zest.

There were no signs of confidence having been drained or tired legs as Bradford simply destroyed Harlequins.

They had already come close to scoring twice before Burgess went over in the seventh minute.

Deacon showed adventure by sending Ben Jeffries racing clear from deep on the last tackle. Newton and Simon Finnigan supported but Quins captain Rob Purdham just got back to save his side.

Another smart Deacon delivery had Finnigan hitting another gap and this time it took Scott Hill to desperately prevent the score although the Aussie star paid a heavy price, getting walloped and being forced to groggily leave the field with a suspected broken wrist.

Burgess did get Bradford off the mark at the third attempt when the Great Britain prop stormed onto a clever Jeffries line pass to scythe through, ignoring the support of Finnigan to dummy and blast through Jon Wells' attempted tackle.

Straight from the restart, the Bulls were in again after a classic strike. Burgess ran the first drive in hard, Halley darted out of dummy half and slipped Finnigan half through, the former Salford back-rower showing great awareness to feed paceman Jeffries on his shoulder.

He sped down the middle and it was full back Halley who finished off from 40 metres.

Kiwi Solomona combined smartly with Hape down the left before showing great strength to go over for his effort and with Deacon improving all three scores, the hosts were buoyant.

Then came the snow. Odsal, as only Odsal can, was blitzed by a blizzard as fast as anything Bradford had produced in that clinical opening quarter and the hosts didn't take kindly to it.

The snow must have frozen them up as it coincided with their worst spell of the match.

Quins second-rower Mike Worrincy stunned them with two tries in three minutes as the previously subdued visitors came to life.

Halley and Solomona both spilled on the first tackle to hand Brian McDermott's men encouragement and they took it with Worrincy's double.

The first came from Purdham's off-load and the second after centre David Howell exposed some weak defence to speed 50 metres down the Bulls right-hand side, Henry Paul converting twice to have home fans fearing the worst at 18-12.

They needn't have worried. As soon as the snow let up, normality was restored.

Winger James Evans did great getting above Jon Wells to collect Deacon's pinpoint crossfield kick and score, the skipper stepping over himself soon after to finish the half with a flourish.

They were down to 12 men shortly after the start of the second half. Replacement prop Craig Kopczak - playing his first Super League game since last May and back from a loan spell at Halifax - was sin-binned for taking out former Bull Henry Paul late following a kick.

Quins made the most of the numerical advantage, and a couple of penalties gifted by Ashley Klein, to pull a score back, Paul the man going over after a bout of sustained pressure on the Bradford line. The ex-Kiwi international, playing at scrum half, added his third conversion.

Bradford never rediscovered the smoothness of that classy opening period as the game disintegrated with countless penalties.

But they defended their line well for large parts, Solomona denying Rikki Sheriffe in the corner after Howell had earlier bombed a three-on-one overlap, and Deacon was unlucky not to get over after some fine approach work by Burgess.

Deacon settled any lingering nerves with a 68th minute penalty and, although Dwayne Barker responded with a late Quins try, the Londoners still only have one Super League win at Odsal.

Bradford, who were without six regulars including Chris Feather who has suffered a relapse of his back injury, will now try and rest up ahead of the visit of Castleford Tigers on Sunday.