Determined Bulls hold off fightback

7:38pm Sunday 27th April 2008

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Bulls 26, Wigan 12

The Bulls made sure history did not repeat itself with a commanding defeat of Wigan.

When the Warriors got back to 18-12 with seven minutes to go, there was some inevitable trepidation that Bradford might collapse like they did in THAT play-off defeat last September.

Steve McNamara's side had been 16-0 up seconds before the interval yesterday and playing some of their most controlled football of the season.

They looked like the real deal. A Wigan fightback had fans fearing the worst in the second half but they needn't have worried.

Some brilliant defence, led by the inspiring Glenn Morrison, and real guts at the death ensured Bradford came away with the points they thoroughly deserved, leap-frogging their opponents into fourth place at the same time.

It was Wigan who lost their cool when, after Paul Deacon's 75th-minute penalty stretched the Bulls' lead to a reassuring eight points, tempers frayed.

The volatile Gareth Hock seemed to be at the centre of most of the trouble as the players squared off in melees on three separate occasions, referee Ben Thaler struggling to keep control.

It spoiled the end of what had been an absorbing encounter but well-disciplined Bradford - who received the penalty after each fracas - had the last laugh, James Evans going over in the final second to rub salt into Wigan's wounds.

That sparked wild celebrations as the hosts clinched a victory that not only readies them for the test of Leeds in Cardiff but proves to the doubters they can defeat the big' teams.

They had lost four of their last five matches against Wigan but yesterday proved simply too hot.

The opening quarter was as good as anything the Bulls have played all season as they dominated the action while capitalising on almost every mistake their opponents made.

Former Bull Stuart Fielden coughed up the ball in the first tackle of the match, much to the amusement of the home crowd, and that would set the tone for Wigan.

Although David Solomona quickly did likewise for Bradford to see that chance go, the next two times Wigan erred, the hosts struck.

Phil Bailey lost the ball on halfway and in the next set Shontayne Hape was sprinting over after Solomona's great drop-off created a gaping hole for his Kiwi team-mate to exploit.

Then, when Fielden spilled once more under a typically fierce tackle from Terry Newton and Sam Burgess, the Bulls fired again.

Newton - who was at the hub of everything - did the damage with a grubber close to the line, Wigan's ball-watching gifting Ben Jeffries the four points as the livewire stand-off accelerated in to touch down.

Deacon converted and, with Semi Tadulala having opened the scoring courtesy of a typically powerful finish after a fine blindside raid by Newton and Morrison, they were 14-0 up.

That saw Wigan boss Brian Noble call for the cavalry and on came Trent Barrett, the star Aussie stand-off back after a knee injury, and fiery Great Britain second-row Hock.

But neither lifted the visitors and Barrett, so influential when Wigan won that play-off game last September, played like he had already signed for St George, which is the rumour doing the rounds Down Under.

He did not look interested in getting too heavily involved and it needed a typically bullocking run from Feka Palea'aesina to drag Wigan out of their malaise.

But a fine head-on tackle from the diminutive Dave Halley dragged down the 18-stone powerhouse, the young full back looking assured again throughout, getting his side a head start every set because of his fine positional play when dealing with kicks.

Halley's continued form saw Michael Platt stuck in Reserve Grade but he was again well worth his place.

Bradford should have powered on and finished the game in the first half but some needless errors of their own reduced their potency.

Deacon failed to find touch with a penalty kick and then, the next two times Wigan infringed, his side handed over possession on the second tackle with forward passes to let them off the hook.

Burgess knocked on the first tackle following a drop-out to hand the visitors further encouragement and, with the pivotal Jeffries then departing after pulling a hamstring, the tide could easily have turned.

But Evans got back quickly to make safe a Barrett kick that had everyone sweating - Wigan's only real threat of the half - and then Bradford went down the other end and put in a huge defensive set.

To a man they muscled up and Wigan could not get away from their own line, being forced to kick from their own 20.

When Barrett went high on Chris Nero, Deacon slotted another two points and all the visitors could muster was two points themselves after Nero failed to play-the-ball correctly in injury time.

McNamara had to shuffle his players around with Jeffries absent, Iestyn Harris playing at No 6 and hooker in the second half, while Andy Lynch was forced off after Hock seemed to lead with an elbow.

Wigan did finally break through with a Richards try and were helped out with a succession of penalties as Thaler pulled Bradford for being offside at the restart.

However, the Bulls heroically defended their line for three consecutive sets to break Wigan spirit and although Bailey controversially got over late on - Hock fumbled and Mickey Higham picked up while offside in the build-up - there would be no shock result.

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