Ten memorable Bradford Bulls matches of the decade

The club have suffered administrations, relegation, liquidation, and even left their historic Odsal home.

It's been tough going for Bulls fans but there have also been some moments to cherish, including victories over rivals Leeds Rhinos - not least their famous Challenge Cup win last season - and promotion.

T&A reporter Rowan Newman looks back at 10 stand-out matches from the last decade and some of the stories surrounding those games.

Frosty Friday night comeback: Bradford Bulls 22 Wigan Warriors 20 (Super League, March 5, 2010)

We start off with a remarkable turnaround as Bulls came from 20-0 down at the break to record a brilliant win against the league leaders.

Matt Orford was the star performer on the night, contributing to two tries and three coversions, as a Glenn Hall last-minute finish sent the Bulls faithful into raptures.

Coach Steve Mcnamara was pleased with the victory but didn't want to see his side having to produce such heroics every week.

He said: "It was a great comeback, as good as any team-bonding exercise, but we can't rely on doing that every week."

Wigan coach Michael Maguire was complimentary about man of the match Orford. He said: "He showed his skills and he got us. He's a crafty half. He's got a good left foot and a good right-foot step."

The win was one of the few highlights in a mediocre campaign which left Bulls finishing 10th - their lowest finish since the Super League began.

Derby delight: Leeds Rhinos 12 Bradford Bulls 18 (Super League, June 24 2011)

The first of four West Yorkshire derbies between Bulls and Rhinos in this list provided Bradford with some light relief in what was another topsy-turvy season.

The victory at Headingley - the Bulls' first in almost four years - over eventual Grand Final winners Leeds allowed fans to dream of a potential play-off finish.

Oliver Elima and Patrick Ah Van were the men on-form in this hotly-contested clash with neither side holding back in the physicality department.

Hooker Matt Diskin showed no old pal's act to his former Rhinos team-mates, sparking a melee involving the majority of both sides after a high challenge on Carl Ablett, which earned him a yellow card.

Read more: Is this the Bradford Bulls team of the decade?

Over 20,000 pack out Odsal in bid to raise £1 million survival fund: Bradford Bulls 12 Leeds Rhinos 4 (Super League, April 6 2012)

The sale of Odsal to the Rugby Football League in January 2012 proved an early warning sign of financial trouble to come for Bulls.

After their overdraft was removed, chairman Peter Hood announced they needed to raise £1 million - and £500,000 of that sum had to be found by mid-April - if the club was to survive.

The Bulls faithful came out in their numbers to support their club, witnessing a third consecutive win over their fierce rivals thanks to tries from Ben Jefferies and Jamie Langley.

However, matters off the field held a far greater significance, as fans from both clubs came together in an effort to save the Bulls from extinction.

Director Andrew Bennett feared beforehand that the fixture would not take place or that it would be the last at Odsal. He said at the time: “We’re at death’s door, we can stay alive for about two and a half weeks.

“We could just about, at this moment in time, put the Leeds game on, but that could be the last-ever game at Odsal unless money comes in quickly.”

Administration strikes: Wigan Warriors 22, Bradford Bulls 30 (Super League, June 29 2012)

Despite raising the half a million needed, things went from bad to worse when it was revealed the club's debts were worse than feared.

The Bulls were placed into administration three days before this clash at Wigan - with ten working days to find a buyer.

Yet in the face of adversity and the prospect of not being paid, they pulled off a courageous victory.

Karl Pryce grabbed a brace against his former club, complementing a faultless kicking performance by Luke Gayle which downed the Warriors on this occasion.

But days later, problems deepened off the pitch when the club made 16 redundancies, including head coach Mick Potter and his backroom staff.

However, Potter and his men carried on without pay and were greeted with a guard of honour a week later as Bulls triumphed 44-12 over bottom-placed London Broncos at Odsal.

The six-point deduction for going into administration meant Bradford narrowly missed out on the play-offs that year, finishing ninth.

One last hurrah for defiant Bulls: Leeds Rhinos 14 Bradford Bulls 20 (Super League, August 1 2014)

Fast forward another two changes of owners and another administration later, the four-time champions found themselves in real difficulties at the foot of the table.

At the start of the campaign, Super League had announced the introduction of relegation, which meant a defeat to Huddersfield Giants in late July would decide Bradford's fate.

A 52-26 loss at the Galpharm Stadium signalled a first relegation for the club in 40 years.

Ironically, the defeat sparked a run of three wins for Jimmy Lowes' men with a special performance at Headingley sandwiched between victories against Wigan and Hull FC.

Luke Gale, Lee Gaskell and Danny Williams all went over the line as the club completed their last big derby with Leeds for the foreseeable future with victory.

But the 2014 season will be remembered as the year rugby league lost one of its superpowers from the top flight division.

£1million return vanishes at the final hurdle: Wakefield Trinity 24 Bradford Bulls 16 (Million Pound Game, October 3, 2015)

It was a valiant effort from the Bulls, who attempted to bounce back to the sport's pinnacle at their first attempt.

Despite losing top try scorer Luke Gale to Castleford and Elliot Kear to rugby union in the off-season, Lowes seemed to have invigorated his fragile side.

A runners-up finish in the Championship, which included a 17-match run of consecutive wins, was followed by a fifth-place finish in the resulting Super Eights qualifiers, meaning Bulls had reached the Million Pound game.

A sell-out crowd of more than 7,000 witnessed Wakefield edge a tightly-contested final at Belle Vue to depress Bradford fans with another season in the second tier.

Lowes slammed the new league format afterwards and suggested the Bulls faced having to go part-time before retracting his comments in an apology in the days after.

Featherstone defeat sparks beginning of the end: Featherstone Rovers 20 Bradford Bulls 0 (Championship, July 24 2016)

Missing out on promotion meant Bradford received £900,000 central funding instead of the £1.7 million they would have pocketed from a Super League return.

New Bulls coach Rohan Smith won seven of his first 11 games in the Championship the following season, leading his side to another make or break fixture with Featherstone.

If Bulls were to win, a place in the Super Eights would be guaranteed, while a loss meant fourth place to their opponents.

In the end it was a feeble effort by the professional team, with part-time Rovers the ones celebrating when the final hooter sounded.

A once-proud club who were world champions a decade ago, now faced the dismal prospect of a third season in the Championship.

And much worse was to follow off the pitch as Bulls were placed into administration for the third time in four years before suffering liquidation in January 2017.

The result on the pitch was an exodus of players, a 12-point deduction start for the new season and ultimately relegation to the third tier.

The resurgence begins: Bradford Bulls 27 Workington Town 8 (League One Play-off final, October 7, 2018)

The arrival of the vastly-experienced John Kear as coach provided some much needed good news for long-suffering Bulls fans.

After some smart signings such as Elliot Minchella, Matt Garside and the returning Steven Crossley, Bradford were predictable fixtures at the top end of League One.

But the emergence of York City Knights, combined with two defeats at the hands of Leon Pryce's Workington Town, meant Bulls had to settle for second place and the play-offs.

Bradford legend Pryce was aiming to complete a hat-trick over his home-town club in the final but Jy Hitchcox’s hat-trick inspired the hosts to a 27-8 success, despite missing six kicks along the way.

It was a comfortable victory at a delighted Odsal for Kear's men as the boss claimed "this team is evolving and it’s going to be better next year." Bulls were on the road to redemption.

Bringing back the good old days: Bradford Bulls 24 Leeds Rhinos 22 (Challenge Cup Round Six, May 11 2019)

It was a mixed Championship return which ended in a sixth place finish - but the Challenge Cup run to the quarter-finals provided some memorable highlights.

An amazing comeback win at home to Featherstone Rovers had set up a tie in the sixth round against fierce rivals Leeds at Odsal, live on terrestrial TV.

A bumper crowd of 10,258 witnessed a huge shock as the second tier side shocked the Super League giants in their first meeting since that 2014 consolation victory.

Dalton Grant, Jake Webster, Sam Hallas and Mikey Wood all went over the whitewash as Rowan Milnes kicked to perfection to book their side into the quarter-final draw.

Despite falling to Halifax, the result provided a statement that the Bulls were back.

"Today is a very special day indeed," declared Kear after producing another Challenge Cup masterclass.

Odsal farewell? Bradford Bulls 30 Sheffield Eagles 10, (Championship, September 1 2019)

Although steady progress on the pitch was being made, it was financial matters off it which still haunted Bradford.

This culminated on August 15 this year when Bulls made the shock announcement they were to leave their long-standing Odsal home to play at Dewsbury Rams' Tetleys Stadium.

Owner Andrew Chalmers deemed the annual rent and maintenance costs of remaining there too high and, in ending their 85-year affiliation with the venue, pledged to develop a new stadium in Bradford within two to four years.

An emotional crowd of over 7,000 witnessed Bradford ease to a win over the Eagles as tries came from Joe Keyes, Jake Webster, Ross Peltier, Ethan Ryan, Brandon Pickersgill and Rhys Evans.

The result meant little compared to the significance to many Bulls fans of losing their spiritual home.

Thousands filtered onto the hallowed turf in emotional scenes once the final hooter went.

Some felt they really were saying goodbye to Odsal for ever, while others felt it might not be the end.

And following the departure of Chalmers to be replaced by new owners intent on returning the Bulls to Bradford as soon as is practical, it remains to be seen whether this was the final farewell to the Old Lady.

What memorable Bulls games of the last decade have we missed? Let us know in the comments section.