BULLS take on Halifax at the Shay Stadium on Sunday, in one of the iconic rugby league derbies in West Yorkshire.

There is more than just local pride at stake this weekend too, with Halifax’s six-game winning streak taking them above Bulls and into third in the Championship table.

Their early-season clash this year was a belter, with a late Jordan Lilley drop-goal securing a 27-26 victory at the Tetley’s Stadium in Dewsbury.

So with a nod to that brilliant game, we take a look at five classic encounters between the pair in rugby league’s summer era.

BULLS 27 HALIFAX 26 (2021)

Bradford’s first two competitive fixtures of 2021 saw a 41-16 defeat to Featherstone in the Challenge Cup and a 50-12 humiliation at the hands of Sheffield on the Championship’s opening day.

And after falling 14 points behind and going a man down inside the opening 20 minutes at the Tetley’s Stadium here, all the signs pointed towards another stinker for Bulls.

But showing extraordinary powers of recovery, Jordan Lilley and Dan Fleming tries brought them back within striking distance, as Fax found themselves down to 12.

Fleming and Gadwin Springer were both placed in the bin too after the latter’s high shot on Lilley, as the derby atmosphere heated up.

Danny Brough’s early second half penalty levelled proceedings, before the pacey Brandon Pickersgill put Bulls ahead.

David Foggin-Johnston gave Bulls some breathing space, before Fax hit back to edge in front through Springer and Kevin Larroyer.

But a Brough penalty levelled proceedings before an intense clash was settled by Lilley’s 75th minute drop goal.

BULLS 16 HALIFAX 20 (2019)

Bradford were on a high after their stunning 24-22 Challenge Cup win over Leeds in the previous round.

That meant another West Yorkshire derby between Bulls and Fax in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals, with the winner knowing they would have the honour of becoming the first second-tier side to reach the last four since 2006.

A tense first half saw Rowan Milnes’ converted try separate the sides, but the teenage half was then carried off with a broken leg.

The second half swung back and forth, with Halifax the grateful recipients of an eight-point penalty try, but when Matty Wildie pounced on a mistake to score, Bulls looked to have edged it.

They had reckoned without the individual brilliance of James Woodburn-Hall, whose superb late try dumped Bulls out of the cup, and put Fax into the semis, where they eventually came up short against the mighty St Helens.

HALIFAX 34 BULLS 46 (2011)

Bulls’ days of Super League glory had long gone, and by 2011, they were no more than a mid-table outfit, soon to slip into much greater crisis.

They still had some great players in the ranks though, with Elliot Whitehead, Heath L’Estrange and Andy Lynch all starting this Challenge Cup tie, and a teenage John Bateman coming off the interchange bench.

And they should have been far too strong for Fax, who only finished sixth in the Championship that year.

But this madcap game saw both sides ship tries at an alarming rate, with the score after 44 minutes reading 32-28 to Bulls.

The Super League side looked extremely vulnerable defensively, but fortunately they were bailed out by some crazy Halifax errors.

Sean Penkywicz put two tries on a plate for Bulls, and a late steal by Whitehead from Rob Worrincy paved the way for a nervy victory.

Bradford were much better in the last-16 against Wigan, but their 12-men came up just short, losing 26-22.

HALIFAX 12 BULLS 60 (2003)

Without challenging for the top honours, Halifax did a sterling job in the early years of Super League, with regular mid-table finishes.

But with financial issues starting to engulf the club, they had a nightmare 2003 season, which was of course Bulls’ famous treble year.

The contrast between the pair was clear, and best illustrated by the two thumpings Bulls handed out to their big rivals in the league that year.

Bulls won 62-22 at Odsal, before recording an even wider margin of victory in the return at The Shay.

After back to back recent defeats to Wigan and Saints, Bulls got their mojo back against their rivals, romping into a 34-6 half-time lead, and carrying on from there.

Eleven Bulls players crossed the line in this Friday night fixture, with Daniel Gartner, Rob Parker and Lesley Vainikolo all grabbing themselves braces.

HALIFAX 26 BULLS 30 (1997)

Bulls won their first Super League title in 1997, but were forced to dig deep to secure a double over unfancied Halifax.

They were indebted to a Simon Knox hat-trick in April for helping them secure a 28-26 win at Odsal, but there was an even more extraordinary match five weeks later at Fax’s then ground Thrum Hall.

Bulls’ unbeaten run looked set to come to an end when they found themselves 26-6 behind.

But with Stuart Spruce leading the comeback with a brace, a last-gasp try from Paul Loughlin in the corner made it 30-26, and sealed an improbable Bradford victory.

That was part of a 20-game winning run which almost led them to an invincible season, before they lost their last two matches against Wigan and the London Broncos.