Archive
Sat, 01 March 2008
Wigan Warriors V Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls: Michael Platt, James Evans, Paul Sykes, Shontayne Hape, Semi Tadulala, Ben Jeffries, Paul Deacon, Joe Vagana, Wayne Godwin, Andy Lynch, Glenn Morrison, Jamie Langley, Sam Burgess
Subs: Iestyn Harris, Chris Feather, Chris Nero, Simon Finnigan
Tries: Chris Feather, Wayne Godwin
Goals: Paul Deacon(3)
Wigan Warriors: Mathers, Colbon, Goulding, Carmont, Richards, Barrett, Leuluai, Coley, Higham, Paleaaesina, Hock, Hansen, O'Loughlin.
Subs: Fielden, Prescott, McIlorum, Tomkins.
Tries: Goulding, Carmont, Richards, Hansen, Tomkins.
Goals: Richards (4 from 6),
REPORT
One of the pre-season favourites to challenge for Leeds’ crown, the Bulls have lost three of their opening four matches, with the Warriors recording their third victory from the opening month in a promising start to the campaign for them.
The Bulls had opened up an early 8-0 advantage through a Wayne Godwin try and two goals from Paul Deacon, but Wigan hit back through George Carmont and the boot of Pat Richards, before Darrell Goulding edged them in front 12-8 at the halfway mark.
A Richards try extended the home side’s lead early in the second half before Chris Feather responded for the Bulls, but an error from Michael Platt allowed Joel Tomkins to seal the points for the Warriors before Harrison Hansen put the icing on the cake in front of a crowd of 15,444.
Deacon opened the scoring in the sixth minute after Sean O’Loughlin was penalised for a high shot in front of his own posts, and the Bulls went further ahead with the first try of the game four minutes later.
Thomas Leuluai was sent to the sin-bin for deliberate offside, and Godwin caught Wigan cold by darting over from a quick tap penalty.
Deacon’s conversion made it 8-0, but Wigan hit back with a try of their own just two minutes later after a mistake by James Evans.
The Bulls winger tried to slip an ill-advised pass out of the tackle on his own line but only found the sidelines, and he paid the ultimate price when Trent Barrett kicked through for Carmont to touch down in the corner.
Richards converted to reduce the gap to two points, and then added a penalty awarded against Glenn Morrison which levelled the scores.
Morrison then became the second player to enter the sin-bin seven minutes before half-time after holding down Richards in the tackle.
With the interval just three minutes away, Gareth Hock made a big bust down the middle and, although the Bulls cover got back to stop the supporting Richard Mathers, Wigan spread the ball right on the next tackle for Darrell Goulding to cross.
Wigan extended their lead three minutes into the second period, although Goulding was nearly the villain this time.
He broke down the right but, instead of handing Liam Colbon a walk-in score, he tried to beat Platt himself and was tackled.
Luckily for him, Barrett’s inch-perfect kick on the next play was taken in the in-goal area by an airborne Richards, who added the conversion to make it 18-8.
Back came the Bulls, though, and Feather took a beautiful short ball to crash over, Deacon’s conversion narrowing the gap to four as the hour mark approached.
However, another error, this time by Platt, allowed Wigan to regain a 10-point advantage.
Leuluai’s kick was fumbled by the former Castleford man and Tomkins was on hand to score, with Richards again successful with the boot.
The Bulls knew it was not to be their night with four minutes left when the ball slipped out of Shontayne Hape’s grasp with the line gaping, and a last-minute score from Hansen merely rubbed salt into the wounds.
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Bulls head coach Steve McNamara said: "I'm disappointed in terms of where we are at the moment, with only one win from four matches."
"We're just lacking one or two little things and it's costing us dear. It's very frustrating."
"But, with the quality of the squad we've got and the number of games we have left, we'll be fine."
"It's not too hard to fix, but we have got to fix it as soon as possible.
"There are a couple of concentration issues there, but it's also the amount of errors we are making with the ball."
"It's been a tough start to the season for us. We don't want to be in the position we are."
"We are very, very disappointed we are one from four at this moment in time - but we'll be strong together.
"We've lost three games. We need to change that around, and we will do."
"We are disappointed - but we are not downbeat. We just need to find the solution."
Warriors coach Brian Noble, meanwhile, was understandably delighted after watching his side cement second spot in the table.
"The weather made it difficult to play the kind of rugby we want to play and the kind Bradford want to play," Noble admitted.
"It was always going to be an arm-wrestle with these kinds of conditions. But I thought it was a good team effort."
"We were disappointed with certain aspects of our performance last week, and it was important we put that right for ourselves."
"We have made a good start, but we can't afford to get carried away. There are too many good teams out there."
"In relation to our form, we have still got some way to go with the standards we have set for ourselves."
"But it's good at this time of the year that you've still got those kinds of things to work on."