Late Wigan surge a bitter blow for Bradford Bulls

Devastating does not do justice to the Bulls’ fate last night.

In fact, it does not even come close.

Francis Cummins’ men were 18-4 up at the home of the Super League leaders with 22 minutes left to play.

Another glorious victory at the DW Stadium – 12 months after their famous success on this ground – was staring them in the face.

A place in the play-offs was also coming back into sharp focus.

But then disaster struck; not suddenly, but systematically as Wigan scored four tries in the last 16 minutes to break the heart of every Bradford player and supporter.

This was a ninth defeat in ten Super League matches for Cummins’ side.

When Chris Tuson barrelled over the line in the last minute to complete a quite stunning Wigan comeback, a top-eight finish had never seemed so far away.

Yet for much of the first half, the Bulls were the better team.

They completed their sets, looked dangerous with the ball in hand and scored three tries, the first of which was brilliantly created by debutant Sam Wood and finished by Michael Platt.

Despite being without so many members of their first-team squad through injury – and Keith Lulia withdrawing late on after his wife had given birth – the Bulls produced possibly their best 40 minutes of the season.

Luke Gale, back in the side after missing last week’s Warrington defeat following the death of his mother, was instrumental as the Bulls established a thoroughly deserved 16-4 interval lead.

It was impossible not to hark back to the events on this ground a little over 12 months ago.

On June 29 last year, Mick Potter’s team left the DW Stadium celebrating victory after a performance which came to characterise their entire campaign.

Many of the players who performed heroics on that famous night have since departed.

In fact, for one reason or another, there were only five survivors from last year’s win on duty for this round 21 clash.

Those were Platt, Heath L’Estrange, Gale, John Bateman and Manase Manuokafoa.

Wigan, having been without Sam Tomkins when losing to Bradford 12 months ago, were missing the England star again last night due to a knee injury.

That meant rookie Ryan Hampshire lined up at full back and he was pivotal in the move which saw Wigan open up a third-minute lead.

The teenager from Normanton broke from deep inside the right channel and showed intelligence to find Iain Thornley in support.

Thornley kept the move flowing with a neat pass to Josh Charnley and the England winger made no mistake with a typically predatory finish in the corner.

Pat Richards failed to convert and Wigan quickly went in search of a second try, with prop Dom Crosby held up just short of the line.

Nevertheless, the Bulls gradually got a foothold in proceedings as Gale came to the fore with some neat handling and clever kicking – and in the 15th minute they conjured a brilliant move which ripped Wigan apart down the left flank.

Jamie Foster embarked on a searing break and found Wood in support.

The teenager showed outstanding awareness to offload to Platt and he raced over from ten metres out for a well-taken try which Foster converted.

That put Bradford 6-4 up and poured confidence into Cummins’ players, who were given a major boost soon after thanks to a delightful 40-20 from Danny Addy.

The tactical manoeuvre so often leads to a try and almost did so this time, with Wood finishing off a fine handling sequence only for the score to be ruled out for an apparent forward pass.

The Bulls were enjoying the bulk of possession and field position and fashioned some superb handling moves, with Gale at the heart of everything.

The 25-year-old flighted a high bomb behind the Wigan defence and the hosts failed badly to deal with it, with Adam Sidlow scooping up the loose ball to touch down from close range.

Foster improved the score to make it 12-4 – and he almost weaved his way through for a try of his own soon after, only for referee to Tim Roby to call back play for a previous obstruction.

After some fine handling between L’Estrange, James Donaldson, Sidlow and Addy, Bateman went close to powering over before Gale’s grubber kick was slightly overcooked as the Bulls continued to turn the screw on their hosts.

When Donaldson came off to be replaced by Nick Scruton, Cummins’ message to his staff on the touchline was telling.

“Tell Donno ‘well done’,” he said, and it was with good reason.

The Cumbrian was not alone in giving everything for the cause as the Bulls continued to push Wigan back towards their own line.

Accordingly, they claimed their third try of the match in the 36th minute when Bateman barrelled over the line from close range, although Foster could not convert.

The second half saw Wigan come back strongly but Foster kicked a penalty to extend Bradford’s lead in the 58th minute. Yet the Warriors refused to lie down and hit back with two tries midway through the second period.

First Hampshire engineered the space to find Charnley inside the right channel and his neat pass gave the England winger his second try on a plate in the 64th minute.

With 13 minutes remaining, Liam Farrell broke the Bulls’ defensive line and sent the supporting Tuson scampering clear.

Richards’ conversion made it 18-14 but another penalty from Foster gave Bradford a little breathing space in the 70th minute at 20-14.

But with four minutes remaining, Thornley burst through a gap to touch down and Richards’ conversion levelled the scores.

There was more drama to come as Tuson burst clear in the dying embers to ground the ball from a central position and complete the fightback.

As Wigan’s players and supporters celebrated as if they had reached a Grand Final, Cummins and his men were disconsolate.

Their agony was understandable.

Attendance: 13,213