BRADFORD Bulls succumbed to a 58-12 defeat at an impressive and ruthless Featherstone Rovers this evening, with Mark Dunning’s side being outclassed

Featherstone knew a victory against Bradford would send them to the summit of the Betfred Championship table and they were in no mood to let that opportunity slip.

A 14-minute spell in the first period saw the hosts run in five tries, Jack Bussey crashing over twice in an extremely rampant spell.

Despite this, Bradford started the game strongly and were able to keep Fev’s onslaught to zero, whilst also creating a couple of opportunities themselves-the most notable being an AJ Wallace breakaway but the referee deemed Dec Patton’s pass as a forward one.

However, there was a sense that if Bradford conceded first the floodgates would open, and so it proved.

On minute 14, Bussey added his first of the evening after latching on to a high kick on the last play of the set, Samy Kibula misjudging the flight of the ball to allow Rovers’ number 13 to score. Mark Kheirallah added his first of five conversions in the opening half to put the home side 6-0 up.

Fev were in the mood to punish a disheartened Bulls in ruthless and clinical fashion, and the second try arrived only three minutes later.

A delightful John Davies grubber was pounced on by Joey Leilua and the try was awarded, despite suspicions of a knock on.

It was then Ryley Jacks' turn to dart through and dive over for the hosts to compile more misery onto Mark Dunning’s side, once more Kheirallah converting.

Bussey then powered his way over for his second of the game, before Ben Hellewell found his way over in the corner 12 minutes before the break, the final try of the first half for the side from the Millennium Stadium.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the visitors in the first half though, George Flanagan adding his second try of the campaign in glamorous fashion, dummying his way past several challenges to add Bradford’s first score of the half (31). Patton added the extras to reduce the score to 30-6 as the half time hooter blew.

A similar pattern soon followed at the beginning of the second half and it didn’t take long for Featherstone to flex their muscles.

Connor Jones collected the ball and headed straight for the Bradford backline, jinking one way and then the other, before diving over the whitewash to end any hopes Bradford had of a comeback. The conversion was added yet again (36-6).

It should have been try number 13 of the season for Kieran Gill after he pinched the ball brilliantly from a Featherstone forward, but as the try-line edged closer the inform man spilled the ball forward.

At the other end, Jacks added another for the hosts, with some more flimsy defending costing the Bulls’ backline, but on this occasion the ever-reliable Kheirallah missed the conversion, 40-6.

Thomas Doyle did score a consolation try for the visitors, dancing his way over the line before a Patton conversion, but it was short rest bite for Doyle and his teammates.

John Davies powered his way over for his first of the game and the conversion was added once again.

Leilua then pounced on a dropped ball to add his second try of the evening, shortly before Morgan Smith crashed over for the line for Featherstone’s tenth try of the fixture, Kheirallah then adding his ninth conversion of the evening.

That was the final instalment of a painful evening for Bradford, but in truth they faced a side far superior in terms of quality. It will be difficult for Mark Dunning’s men to forgot about that loss, but they must, with a key period coming up for the Odsal based side in their bid for a play-off place.

They return to action on Sunday as the Sheffield Eagles arrive in town, a game which offers Bulls the chance to bounce back against another play-off hopeful.