BRADFORD Bulls ace Tom Martin has finished fourth at the Wheelchair World Cup with Ireland, after defeat to Australia on Friday morning.
While men's first team duo Waqa Blake and Esan Marsters were bundled out at the group stage with Fiji and Cook Islands respectively, Martin ensured Bulls had a representative in the knockout stages.
After coming second in their group behind England, Ireland were beaten by France in the semis earlier this week in Wollongong.
England beat Australia in the other last-four clash, meaning the hosts took on Ireland for the right to finish third.
Australia started the game superbly and were already 28-4 in front after 15 minutes.
They stretched that lead out to 52-4, but Ireland fought gamely, hitting back by scoring four tries without reply.
But a late burst from Australia ensured they won the game 70-24.
Martin played the vast majority of the game, making the second-most metres behind the team's star man Joe Calcott.
It was a huge improvement from Ireland at this World Cup, as at the previous wheelchair edition, they had finished bottom of their group with three straight defeats.
In that World Cup four years ago, England beat France in the final, and there was a repeat on Friday morning.
In a thrilling encounter between undoubtedly the world's two best wheelchair sides, England just winning the game 50-38.
They had been 22-10 behind to the French after half an hour, but had enough in the tank to come back and retain their crown.
Rob Hawkins scored two tries in England's final triumph, with the Halifax Panthers superstar often seen helping out at Bulls' training sessions down at the Sedbergh Centre.
And Hawkins has more than just a World Cup triumph to celebrate this week, having just won the International Rugby League's wheelchair Golden Boot award for the third year running.
Hawkins, 25, is the first player in any form of rugby league to win three successive Golden Boots, awarded by the IRL to the best player in the world during the calendar year.
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