BULLS 36 NEWCASTLE 8

BULLS stayed on course for the top-four finish they crave with a workmanlike win over lowly Newcastle Thunder.

There was nothing flashy about the return to Championship battle following last week’s Challenge Cup break.

But Lee Greenwood’s men got the job done fairly comfortably against the division’s basement side, running in six tries, and moved up to third with other results going their way.

“It was a bit scruffy but we never felt in danger of losing,” said Greenwood. “Maybe we could have put more points on but you’d take a scruffy win over a pretty loss.

“Our pitch is small and if you make it really slow, it’s sometimes difficult to score points. We’ve still done all right to score 30 odd on our field.

“It was red hot out there, which came as a surprise bearing in mind the recent weather. It’s a potential banana skin we’ve avoided.

“Generally, every week somebody gets shocked and turned over and we’ve made sure it wasn’t us today.”

Jordan Lilley was the star man with a perfect six conversions with the boot as well as a second-half try.

“He’s full of energy and will give it his best wherever you put him,” added Greenwood.

With Jorge Taufau banned, and the Bulls readying an appeal against that tomorrow, David Foggin-Johnston got the nod for his first game for two months.

The Keighley-bound winger, who scored in the 28-12 win at Kingston Park, had not featured since the Bulls lost in Toulouse at the end of June.

Former Halifax prop Eribe Doro was also named in the 17 for the first time after not being signed in time to play at Batley.

Fresh from penning his new one-year deal, George Flanagan made his third start in a row.

Having been upset twice this season by fellow strugglers Barrow, the warning was there for the Bulls not to underestimate a Newcastle side scrapping for their Championship lives.

Both sides were feeling each other out in the opening sets, making decent ground without threatening a score. Foggin-Johnston came up with a couple of good catches but then got away with allowing another high ball to bounce.

Ben Blackmore set up the first opportunity with a big break into the Newcastle half. But Lee Gaskell’s grubber had a bit too much on it for the pursuing Jayden Myers.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: David Foggin-Johnston played his first game since ToulouseDavid Foggin-Johnston played his first game since Toulouse (Image: Tom Pearson)

The Bulls, though, were on the board on nine minutes. Joe Arundel burst into space and Flanagan was on his left shoulder to take the pass and have enough in the tank to take his tackler over the line with him.

Newcastle failed to cash in after their restart found touch and were made to pay with a second Bulls score. Lilley angled a kick left where Kieran Gill flicked it back for Tom Holmes to dive over.

Thunder hit back with a try from Robert Tuliatu but it was iffy defending as he got through Fenton Rogers and Jason Baitieri far too easily to cross. Nikau Williams screwed the conversion wide.

Newcastle had another chance but the Bulls defence held them five metres short before play returned to the other end where Gaskell slipped Arundel through a gap for try number three.

Doro came on for his first action and having announced himself with a meaty hit on Williams was held up over the line from more Bulls pressure.

But he finished the half receiving treatment after landing awkwardly as Keven Appo tried to set him up near the line.

The Bulls fluffed the Newcastle kick-off for the second half but Blackmore made immediate amends by dragging Gideon Boafo into touch.

Lilley then latched onto Appo’s off-load to go over for a fourth try and his kick increased the lead to a commanding 20 points.

 

 

Newcastle responded through Alex Clegg but Williams once again failed with the extras.

Thunder’s delaying tactics to slow down the ruck were frustrating the crowd - and ref Kevin Moore, who had let it go too often, finally acknowledged what they were doing with a Bulls penalty.

Appo almost conjured up something special from it with an off-load out the back door but Billy Jowitt lost the ball as he pounced between the posts.

Newcastle weren’t going away just yet without really hurting the Bulls but Mac Walsh bobbled and lost a pass five metres out.

Kieran Gill then wrapped up the win against his former club when he touched down Lilley’s low kick for his 20th try of the season.

With their hopes of only a fifth victory long gone, Thunder just wanted to hear the hooter.

But the Bulls refused to ease off in the closing minutes. After Myers was held up out wide, Flanagan notched his second try of the afternoon with that trademark show-and-go plunge from dummy half.

BULLS: Holmes; Blackmore, Myers, Gill, Foggin-Johnston; Gaskell, Lilley; Lawrence, Flanagan, Rogers, Arundel, Wallace, Baitieri. Interchange: Jowitt, Appo, Scurr, Doro.

NEWCASTLE: Donaghy; Johnson, Walsh, Walker, Boafo; Williams, Balmforth; Chapelhow, Davies, Moore, Clegg, Tuliatu, Bailey. Interchange: Simons, Lightowler, Walton, Lawther.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jordan Lilley.