Bradford Bulls break Whitehaven curse to get opening day win

Two damaging defeats here in the last two seasons meant Whitehaven were looking for an unlikely hat-trick, but despite going ahead through an early penalty, they rarely looked like pulling off another shock success.

A Chester Butler try put Bulls in front before the break, before two quickfire scores from Kieran Gill early in the second half stretched the home side’s lead.

Josh Rourke squeezed over in the corner to give Whitehaven hope, before George Flanagan Sr made the game safe for Bulls late on.

Bulls started brightly, with Whitehaven full-back Sam Freeman on hand to make a couple of important covering grabs to deny Tom Holmes and Kieran Gill respectively.

But his opposite number Jack Walker limped off with an early leg injury and Bradford seemed to lose momentum.

Perry Singleton was held up over the line for Whitehaven before Bulls winger David Foggin-Johnston made a vital acrobatic interception to prevent a try.

The Cumbrians eventually hit the front when Bodene Thompson inadvertently caught a deflection from a team-mate in an offside position and Freeman knocked a simple penalty over for 2-0.

Bodene Thompson had a solid game, and was very unlucky to concede the penalty that saw Whitehaven hit the front. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

The crowd started to become restless, and their mood was not helped when Holmes, who performed superbly at full-back in Walker’s absence, was denied a try after Jordan Lilley’s forward pass.

Moments later though, Bradford did manage to hit the front.

After a couple of good breaks, they stayed patient down the middle, and that paid off when Butler collected Lilley’s short pass to crash over the line.

Dec Patton’s kick was good enough to give the hosts a four-point lead.

Bulls dominated the last 10 minutes of the half, Gill just losing control of the ball as he stretched to put it down and Joe Arundel being stopped on the line twice in quick succession.

Ben Blackmore thought he had scored a minute before the break from Lilley’s risky long pass, but the new Bulls winger was deemed to have put a foot in touch before scoring.

Jordan Lilley showed his full range of passing this afternoon, and was unlucky not to record a number of try assists. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Dion Aiye was held up over the line just after half-time for Whitehaven but then Bulls put their foot on the gas.

Butler shrugged off a tackle on halfway from Lilley’s pass to break the line, and he smartly drew the last man before popping the ball to his left for Gill to run on to and steam in under the posts.

Chester Butler scored Bulls' first try and set up their second, the second row showing up well at Odsal. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Any easy kick for Patton put Bulls 12-2 in front, and moments later the hosts posted another six points on the board.

A flowing move saw Patton's brilliant inside ball allow Holmes to break the line, and he slipped in Gill, who had kept pace with him.

The centre the legs to make it over, with a good kick from Patton giving Bulls a seemingly unassailable lead.

But Whitehaven found a second wind, and threw away a great chance for a second try when left-winger Curtis Teare dropped the ball forward with the line at his mercy.

Against the run of play, Gill came inches from touching down for his hat-trick after Patton dabbed a kick through, before Whitehaven got a deserved first try.

It was great work from Freeman, who improvised after a poor pass, squirting a pass with his boot out to the right wing, where Rourke squeezed over in the corner.

Freeman’s excellent conversion gave the visitors a sniff, but Bulls closed the game out well.

And Flanagan finished the Cumbrians off with a few moments to go, going low to dive over after Brad Foster had put Bulls close in.

Patton’s conversion rounded off the scoring, as Bulls head to York next week with a bit of confidence after putting an opening day two points on the board.

Dec Patton converted all four of Bulls' tries in their win this afternoon. Picture: Tom Pearson.

BULLS: Walker, Blackmore, Arundel, Gill, Foggin-Johnston, Holmes, Patton, Lawrence, Lilley, Foster, Butler, Wallace, Thompson. Interchanges: Flanagan Sr, Baldwinson, Rogers, England.

WHITEHAVEN: Freeman, Eccleston, Rourke, Singleton, Teare, Doran, Bishop, Castle, O’Brien, Walker, Holliday, Lanskey, McAvoy. Interchanges: Ainley, Aiye, Bradley, Tabu.

Bulls Man of the Match: Tom Holmes.