Bradford Bulls 22, Featherstone Rovers 12

IF the Bulls do go on to realise their dream of promotion this season, then the finishing of Omari Caro could prove pivotal.

Certainly it was the difference yesterday as Jimmy Lowes’ men edged a season-opener with a victory they just about deserved.

Cockney Caro arrived at Odsal on trial last summer and seeking a route back into rugby league having been discarded by Hull KR at the end of 2014.

The speedy winger did enough to earn a one-year deal for the 2016 campaign and immediately proved his worth with three clinical scores that saw off Featherstone’s gutsy challenge.

Debutant Richie Mathers, still working his way back to match fitness after the best part of the year without a competitive game, played 80 minutes at full back.

Kris Welham, Kurt Haggerty and Jonny Walker made impressive bows while a fifth debutant – Ben Kavanagh – was forced off early on with a knock to his ankle and shin.

He left the stadium on crutches last night.

Despite the handful of new recruits, it is worth remembering the spine of this Bulls team remains essentially unchanged with Lee Gaskell, Danny Addy and Adam O’Brien all at the heart of victory yesterday.

In bitterly cold conditions and with grey skies above, a fleet of vintage motorcycles did a lap of the track around Odsal shortly before kick-off in a reminder of Bullmania and the glory days.

Twenty years ago, Super League was formed and Bradford led the way, on and off the field.

Now the club is fighting desperately to avoid a third successive season in the Championship.

Marc Green reckons Lowes has learned from last season and revealed he has told the board of directors as much.

The Bulls chairman wrote in his programme notes: “Jimmy has a fresh approach to 2016 after having a full season under his belt in the new structure.

“He has expressed to the board the direction he understands his performance department needs to head if we are to achieve our goal of promotion back to the Super League.”

Featherstone boss Jon Sharp embarked on a major overhaul of his squad during the winter and fielded over half a dozen new signings yesterday.

A new partnership with Leeds saw Rhinos players Ash Handley, Mitch Achurch and former Bulls loanee Jordan Baldwinson playing for the visitors on dual registration.

Scrum half Anthony Thackeray has arrived from Dewsbury and Misi Taulapapa, Kyle Briggs, John Davies and Scott Turner all started following their close-season arrival from Sheffield Eagles.

Davies exerted a telling influence on proceedings from hooker and combined effectively with Thackeray and Briggs, the former Bradford stand-off who was beginning his third stint at Featherstone.

Perhaps inspired by their stunning 37-18 victory at Odsal last July under previous boss Andy Hay, Rovers took the game to Bradford from the off.

An early spell of pressure deep in home territory came to nothing as Briggs’ grubber was collected by a Bulls defender.

But, with Davies orchestrating play cleverly from acting half and prop Andy Bostock punching some sizeable holes up front, Rovers continued to probe.

Sure enough, they struck the opening blow in the sixth minute when Thackeray found debutant Danny Craven with a neat pass inside the right channel.

The full back dummied his way past a Bradford defender with a delightful show-and-go before touching down in the right corner.

Briggs’ touchline conversion made it 6-0 and Craven almost grabbed a second from a central position soon after, only for Mathers’ fine tackle to deny him.

The Bulls awoke from their slumber soon after that scare as a penalty gave the hosts the field position to exert some serious pressure on Featherstone.

Gaskell found himself 10 metres out and on the last tackle when he took it upon himself to weave his way past a statuesque Featherstone defence and touch down with ease.

It was a fine individual score and so typified Gaskell’s ability to unlock defence and score tries.

It remains to be seen what the Bulls might be capable of this season, but Gaskell will surely be the fulcrum of any promotion success.

Addy, Gaskell’s half-back partner until a bona fida scrum half arrives, added the conversion to level the scores.

Yet Featherstone always looked dangerous when the ball passed through the hands of Davies, Briggs and Thackeray.

They advanced deep into Bradford territory once again following a strong run from the imposing Jack Ormondroyd, a Bradford lad and son of former Bantams striker Ian Ormondroyd.

But the pendulum swing back in Bradford’s favour moments later as O’Brien, Gaskell and Addy combined to find Haggerty advancing forward at pace 20 metres out.

His progress was halted but the hosts continued to pressurise the visiting defence.

Gaskell found prop Adam Sidlow, who made a superb lung-bursting run which saw him drive through the heart of the Rovers defence and offload to Haggerty.

That led to Rovers conceding a penalty as new skipper Adrian Purtell and Gaskell both went close from close range.

The pressure soon told, though, as Addy finished that set by sending in a teasing kick to the right corner where Caro emerged to get a hand to the ball marginally ahead of the covering Featherstone defender.

This time Addy could not convert but the Bulls were 10-6 up and Walker was introduced and made his mark, producing one superb offload out of a tackle.

Dale Ferguson replace Tom Olbison in the second row and Bradford had a third try in the 32nd minute when Gaskell showed outstanding vision and skill to kick to the right corner.

Caro had a relatively simple job of plucking the ball out of the air and touching down for his second try of the match.

Addy applied the extras but Featherstone simply refused to lie down and hit back three minutes before the break.

This time, Thackeray impishly kicked the ball behind the Bradford defence and had the speed of thought and movement to chase it and touch down in the left corner.

Briggs added another fine conversion to make it 16-12 at the break.

Thackeray’s high bomb caused panic in the Bulls’ defence five minutes after the restart as a mix-up between Mathers and Caro forced the hosts to drop out.

The visitors could not make it pay and the game grew scrappy with chances few.

The first try of the second half was always going to be crucial and it went to the Bulls in the 54th minute.

Gaskell’s high bomb was fumbled by Craven and, straight from the scrum, Bradford worked the ball down the short side for Caro to scamper clear in the right corner.

Caro then had a try disallowed in the same spot after excellent work from Sidlow but the pass from Addy was adjudged to have been forward.

Featherstone did not give up, but the Bulls had done enough and there was further cause for celebration when news of Leigh’s defeat at Batley filtered through.

Bradford are up and running in 2016.