Bradford Bulls 36 Salford 24

What a difference a year makes.

Just over 12 months ago, Salford turned up at the Provident Stadium and ransacked the place, walking away with a 38-18 victory.

The Bulls were shambolic that day and the scoreline was a fair reflection of the match.

Two days later, something far more significant happened.

The club’s then chairman Peter Hood announced the news that the club were in the middle of a financial meltdown.

The fall-out of what happened last season will surely reverberate for years.

But yesterday’s victory – or at least the first half of yesterday’s victory – was further emphatic evidence that the Bulls are growing under Francis Cummins’ leadership.

They led 24-6 at the break after tries from John Bateman, Jarrod Sammut, Adrian Purtell and Brett Kearney on Elliott Whitehead’s 100th appearance for his hometown club.

It was just reward for the Bulls’ free-flowing, expansive style of play which is fast becoming the hallmark of Cummins’ team.

The sight of Adam Sidlow, all 6ft 4in and 17st of him, cutting a swathe through the Salford defence before sending Kearney over the line, was a sight to behold.

The second half was a torrid affair at times, after Salford launched an impressive fightback which harvested three tries and threatened to overhaul the Bulls.

Cummins admitted his players switched off for long periods after the break and tried to overplay. Nevertheless, they emerged victorious.

They can look back on a thoroughly good Easter, even if knocks picked up by Bateman (groin) and Jamie Foster (foot) gave cause for concern yesterday.

Much credit, too, must go to the supporters and club staff who spent the weekend working hard to make the terraces safe to stand on and the pitch playable.

Cummins made a number of minor alterations to his side yesterday, handing Heath L’Estrange, Jamie Langley, James Donaldson and Bateman starting roles and beginning with Tom Olbison and Nick Scruton on the bench.

Matt Diskin was rested so Adam O’Brien earned a place among the replacements against a Salford side featuring former Bradford duo Wayne Godwin and Chris Nero.

Foster kicked off as the Bulls attacked the Coral Stand during the first half and, with Danny Addy’s excellent kicking game complementing Sammut’s elusive running, they slowly assumed control of proceedings.

When Bateman opened the scoring in the eighth minute it was no more than his team deserved.

Sammut dabbed a teasing grubber behind the Salford defence and time almost seemed to stand still as Bateman beat the dawdling Jack Murphy to the ball and grounded it.

It was Bateman’s third try in four matches since returning from seven months on the sidelines following a shoulder reconstruction.

Proof that the homegrown back-rower is one of the best young players in Super League? You would certainly think so.

Foster converted to put the Bulls into a 6-0 lead but Salford, who had beaten Huddersfield 21-20 in stirring fashion on Good Friday, steadied themselves.

In the 16th minute, the Bulls fashioned a delightful handling sequence involving Addy, Donaldson and Kearney which came to nothing but hinted at the possibilities on offer.

Moments later, however, Kearney failed to deal with a diagonal kick from young French half-back Theo Fages and Lee Gaskell hacked the ball forward to score.

It was an uncharacteristic error from Kearney and Gaskell’s try was improved by Marc Sneyd to level the scores.

Sidlow soon came on to replace Langley and Scruton followed two minutes later at the expense of Manuokafoa.

The switch seemed to invigorate the Bulls as they scored soon after when Keith Lulia sent Foster haring down the left channel.

The winger, who yesterday spoke of his desire to stay at the Bulls beyond this season, ran hard and at pace but, crucially, showed intelligence to find Sammut in support.

Foster’s inside pass was perfect, cutting out a clutch of Salford defenders and allowing Sammut to gallop over the line from ten metres out.

Foster added the extras to restore the Bulls’ lead and make it 12-6.

The visitors conjured another strong response and pinned the Bulls back towards their own line before all their good work was undone by a poor last-tackle kick by Sneyd.

Olbison then came on to give Donaldson a breather and the Bulls soon went in search of a third try, only for Purtell to see his progress halted as he threatened to bust clear inside the right channel.

Lulia then embarked on a lung-bursting break which came to nothing while Salford’s best hope seemed to stem from the left boot of full back Sneyd, who kept Kearney on his toes at times during the first half.

Five minutes before the break, Kearney showed his quality at the other end of the field, catching a testing bomb from Addy before his audacious offload attempt went awry.

Elliot Kear was the next Bulls player to set off on a charging run moments later, giving his team field position to enjoy another period of pressure which led to two more tries before the break.

First, a Salford player was caught offside from a kick and the Bulls swiftly worked the ball out to the right-hand side, where Kearney’s neat pass sent Purtell bustling over in the corner.

A minute before half-time, Sidlow left a trail of Salford defenders in his wake, showing previously unseen pace and no little skill to usher the supporting Kearney over from close range.

Foster converted both tries to leave the Bulls 24-6 up and in total control.

Salford, though, began the second half on the front foot and forced two goal-line drop-outs in quick succession.

Their pressure soon told when Gaskell sent Murphy over in the right corner to cap a fine array of passing.

Sneyd’s conversion made it 24-12 and Foster’s afternoon then ended early when he hobbled off the field and was replaced by Langley, forcing Purtell onto the flank.

Salford continued to probe and scored again soon after when Gareth Owen’s pass sent Nero bustling over from close range and Sneyd’s conversion made it 24-18.

It was worrying stuff but five minutes later Langley’s brute force took him over the line, despite the close attention of several Salford defenders, and Sammut’s conversion made it 30-18.

However, Salford replied again three minutes later when Andrew Dixon touched down from Fages’ kick and Sneyd’s goal made it 30-24.

Scruton and Donaldson then replaced Sidlow and Bateman in a double substitution as the game continued to ebb and flow.

Crucially, Sammut kicked a penalty from 40 metres and then scampered over in the left corner late on to finally confirm the outcome.