Comedy of errors no laughing matter for Bulls

For all they showed plenty of intent, created some bits of magic along the way and, early on, looked capable of coming out of their rut yesterday, Bradford lost again.

The main reason for their downfall at Craven Park was the massive number of needless errors and until Steve McNamara can erase these from his confidence-battered side, there will be yet more defeats between now and the end of the season.

The Bulls had led for the majority of the first half and only went in behind following Kris Welham’s try three minutes before the break.

Bradford should have been clear by then and well on their way to a first win in four attempts.

Instead though a catalogue of unforced mistakes saw McNamara’s men unable to capitalise.

They lost possession five times while in Rovers territory, Ben Jeffries being the main guilty party.

He twice annoyingly fumbled while playing the ball in a good position and also sent a forward pass to Chris Nero.

Craig Kopczak – with his first touch after coming on – and Mick Worrincy also coughed up passes to let Rovers off the hook while Paul Deacon missed touch with a penalty and Dave Halley ran behind Worrincy on halfway to gift the hosts more easy ball.

It was enough to send McNamara grey, especially as for much of the half Rovers offered little.

Yet the second half got even worse as the visitors were held scoreless and Rovers – who themselves had only won once in their last five matches – eased to a comfortable success.

Bradford had almost crossed in the first minute when a great Sam Burgess off-load sent Deacon racing away.

He was hauled in and at the end of the set the skipper’s kick was palmed down by Rikki Sheriffe but only to the waiting hands of Welham, who sprinted 50 metres back upfield.

It was Burgess who got back to bring the young centre down but the Bulls did get over on ten minutes after a finely crafted effort.

Terry Newton, who announced earlier in the week he would be leaving Odsal at the end of the season, opened up the Rovers defence with a strong run from dummy half.

He dummied into space and could have gone himself but instead found the pace of Halley on the inside, who touched down under the posts.

Deacon slotted the extras and fired a classy 40/20 soon after to get his side back in good position.

But Jeffries came up with one of his errors to waste all the good work and another chance went begging soon after.

Jeffries, Paul Sykes and the hard-working Sheriffe worked the blindside well to get clear and, after another quality interjection by Sykes, Andy Lynch off-loaded for Deacon but the scrum half’s kick to the short Rovers’ right was poor, landing easily for Liam Colbon to mop up.

The home side then struck with their first true opportunity – and courtesy of the sort of gaffe that has ruined the Bulls’ season.

After Worrincy was pinned for offside, Chris Nero put in a great tackle to halt Clint Newton just short but it mattered little.

Dobson’s kick should have been harmless enough but dithering Halley and Jeffries both waited for each other to usher the ball dead.

Neither took command, it didn’t roll out of play and a shocked Scott Murrell pounced on the gift as the bungling duo waited.

Dobson improved but Bradford showed just what they can do when they get it right with another sharp touchdown.

Lynch trundled up on halfway but instead of taking contact, the prop cleverly slipped a pop pass at the line to put Deacon surging through the gap. The No 7 advanced and waited for Worrincy to appear on his shoulder with the second-rower finishing off from 25 metres.

Deacon was cleaned out after his pass though and had to depart with a head injury.

Sykes kicked the conversion and moved to half-back but the visitors certainly lost some cohesion without their captain, who didn’t return until just before the hour mark.

A lucky ricochet handed Rovers back-to-back possession for their second try when – after Paul Cooke’s kick bounced back off a Bull – Dobson’s long pass enabled Jake Webster to put Colbon in at the corner.

Dobson couldn’t convert but did when Rovers struck again just before the break.

Matt Cook had just bombed a glorious chance for the Bulls at the other end, spilling with the line begging after great build-up play by Sykes and Jeffries.

Rovers made them pay by ploughing upfield, finishing with Dobson poking a grubber down the blindside which Jeffries, bizarrely, tried to step out of the way of. All the Aussie succeeded in doing though was allow Peter Fox to pick up and send in Welham.

Such confusion and indecisiveness would plague the Bulls in the second half too, though they had numerous attempts early on to get back in front.

Rovers were indebted to magnificent full back Shaun Briscoe, who pulled off two try-saving tackles in one set, first somehow holding up Jamie Langley and then Cook.

But his best was yet to come when just moments later the new England No 1 brilliantly scrambled across to force Sheriffe into touch just as the winger was passing back inside for the waiting Langley to touch down – though replays later showed Sheriffe was still in play, so the try should have stood.

It was a crucial play which ultimately swung the contest. Bulls didn’t argue the decision too much and soon after Briscoe was marauding away up the middle of the pitch on a 50-metre clearing run, Steve Menzies just getting back to deny a try at the other end.

The Bulls’ mistakes kept coming though and, after Wayne Godwin’s forward pass, Rovers hit again with another soft try. Cooke’s grubber looked innocent enough but both Sheriffe and Sykes were slow to turn and Welham nipped in for his second.

Another Burgess off-load created space for Deacon to put Nero away but Semi Tadulala coughed up, then Langley lost the ball on the second tackle from a penalty and Tadulala dropped a kick downfield with no one near.

Bradford’s defence opened up again to allow Colbon his second. Briscoe wasn’t held on the halfway line so he got up and stepped through some weak tackles, with Colbon eventually finishing off and Dobson striking the conversion.

The wily Aussie scrum half then added a 70th-minute penalty after Nick Scruton was done for a high tackle to make it 26-12 and the Bulls fell away badly.

Clint Newton broke clear from more tired defence to send Ben Galea on and Daniel Fitzhenry finished the move for Hull KR’s sixth try.

If Dobson hadn’t been so off with his boot – he kicked only three from seven – the final damage would have been much worse.