Bulls 10 Hull KR 42

THERE was a certain inevitability that Danny Addy would take centre stage on his first return to Odsal.

Signed by Hull KR at the end of last season, the 26-year-old was one of six former Bradford players wearing Hull KR colours. The sun was shining, the script was written, the platform was his.

Addy scored a hat-trick and was instrumental throughout in the pivotal half-back role that some Bulls supporters felt he was never a natural fit for during his Odsal career.

The Pontefract lad was jeered by some Bradford fans during the previous meeting between the sides at the Summer Bash and again yesterday.

Their shame will be in failing to recognise the outstanding service he gave during seven seasons as a Bulls player.

Although Geoff Toovey's young side once again gave everything in a spirited display which saw Cory Aston make an impressive try-scoring debut and forward Damian Sironen also make a promising bow, Rovers ultimately outclassed their hosts with plenty to spare.

The promotion-chasing Robins had wrapped up top spot in the Championship the previous week and had too much quality for a Bulls side who lost Ashley Gibson early on and Ethan Ryan before the break.

It was only 18-10 at half-time but Bradford, with Gibson forced off due to a torn bicep and Ryan then sustaining a broken jaw in a challenge with Kieren Moss, fell away during a second half which saw them nilled.

Hull KR's side read like a who's who of former Bulls players, four of whom made the switch from Odsal at the end of last season.

Moss lined up at full back, Ryan Shaw started on the wing and Addy at stand-off, while Nick Scruton, Ben Kavanagh and Mitch Clark all featured in Rovers' forward pack.

Bradford lost Gibson to injury after barely five minutes of his home debut and he was replaced by academy product Brandan Wilkinson.

Yet Toovey's men continued to probe and were rewarded with a fine opening score in the ninth minute.

Sironen, who former Australia boss Tim Sheens had shown an interesting in bringing to Hull KR, offloaded superbly out of a tackle close to the Robins line.

His pass found homegrown prop Liam Kirk, who needed no second invitation to step through the visiting defence from close range for his second try of the season.

Oscar Thomas, who had combined well with James Bentley in the build-up to Kirk's try, saw his conversion attempt strike a post.

Nevertheless, their 4-0 lead was thoroughly merited and poured confidence into the hosts as they went in search of a second score.

Sam Hallas' clever kick asked questions of Moss but the former Bulls full back did well to field the danger and avoid a goal-line drop-out.

In the 14th minute, Addy found half-back partner Jamie Ellis and he almost burst through the Bulls defence before Joe Keyes halted his progress with a fine tackle.

However, Keyes was penalised for holding down and from there, punishment was soon meted out by Rovers.

Although Chris Clarkson and Shaun Lunt were held up, a high kick to the right corner was superbly caught and grounded by the onrushing Jake Butler-Fleming. Ellis sent the conversion sailing through the posts and Rovers were 6-4 up.

Yet with Hallas making his presence felt and fellow Leeds loanee Mikolaj Oledzki doing likewise off the bench, Bradford refused to be bullied by their table-topping visitors.

At the other end, Keyes and then Jon Magrin were both held up over the line as Bradford continued to pose problems for Sheens' side.

Aston's kicking was thoughtful and offered his new team an additional attacking weapon – but Rovers continued to probe and Ryan twice made important challenges on Moss, the second of which left both players nursing facial injuries and requiring head assessments.

It said much for the brutality of the game and commitment from both sides, although it was difficult to split them in terms of class, in the first half at least.

Eight minutes before the break, though, Rovers struck in devastating fashion as Justin Carney broke down the left flank, bulldozing his way through Bentley and Thomas to race for a try which Ellis improved for 12-4.

Yet the spirit from the young Bulls simply could not be faulted. In the 35th minute, the ubiquitous Aston took a short pass from Reiss Butterworth and scampered over from close range for a try which Thomas converted to cut the gap to two points.

Aston had been prominent in the previous play in that set, his neat pass almost sending Hallas over before he went over himself, much to the delight of his new team-mates.

Yet Rovers always gave the inescapable impression they could move through the gears when the opportunities arose – and so it proved in the 39th minute with a score of Super League quality.

Ellis broke inside the right channel and found the supporting Ben Cockayne, who showed intelligence to send Addy racing clear from 40 metres for Rovers' third try.

Addy, jeered by the Bulls supporters as he scored, celebrated with a punch of the air and Ellis' third goal made it 18-10 at the break.

Moments after the restart, Maurice Blair spurned a golden opportunity to score a fourth Hull KR try. He broke the Bulls line inside the left channel and had Cockayne and Addy in support with a try seemingly certain.

Blair threw a pass to Cockayne but it was mistimed and the ball bounced off the Rovers man. Addy was then held up over the line before Carney spilled the ball as another chance went begging for Rovers.

Yet another opportunity came and went for the Robins moments later when Ellis cleverly found Liam Salter in space inside the left channel and the centre touched down.

No try was awarded as Ellis' pass was deemed forward but soon Rovers did score – from a pass that did appear forward – as Bulls old boys Shaw and Addy combined to devastating effect.

Shaw, who spent the 2015 season at Odsal, broke down the right flank and his long, questionable offload inside to Addy sent the Pontefract lad charging over for his second try.

It was a knife in the side of a Bulls side now struggling to keep their visitors at bay and a fifth try soon arrived when Ellis sent Clarkson bustling over the line.

The Bulls enjoyed some respite when they forced Rovers to drop out to gain a repeat set which led to a delightful handling sequence which saw the ball go through five pairs of hands before James Mendeika was denied in the left corner.

The Bulls never threw in the towel and Kirk almost barrelled over with 15 minutes remaining.

But who was there to deny him and protect the visitors' line? It was Addy, who then completed his treble late on when he took a pass, swatted Thomas aside and crashed over the line, before Rob Mulhern completed the scoring late on from Blair's pass.