Archive
Fri, 04 April 2008
Hull FC V Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls: Dave Halley, James Evans, Paul Sykes, Shontayne Hape, Semi Tadulala, Ben Jeffries, Paul Deacon, Sam Burgess, Wayne Godwin, Andy Lynch, Chris Nero, Simon Finnigan, Jamie Langley
Subs: Matt Cook, Iestyn Harris, Chris Feather, Craig Kopczak
Tries: Matt Cook, Semi Tadulala, Sam Burgess, Chris Nero
Goals: Paul Deacon(4)
Hull FC: Tony, Byrne, G. Horne, Yeaman, Raynor, R. Horne, Lee, Dowes, Berrigan, Cusack, Radford, Manu, Tickle.
Subs: Thackray, Houghton, Washbrook, Wheeldon.
Tries: Berrigan
Goals: Tickle (2 from 2)
REPORT
Bradford Bulls moved to joint second in the engage Super League as they eventually ran away 24-8 with an often tight game at Hull FC.
The result left home coach Peter Sharp under intense pressure and facing up to the possibility of becoming the first managerial casualty of the season.
Hull remain in the bottom two and Sharp, who had previously offered a number of injuries to key players as a reason for his side's poor form, must now be looking increasingly over his shoulder with the majority of his stellar names back on the field.
A burst of two tries in five second-half minutes from Matt Cook and Semi Tadulala proved the difference for Steve McNamara's men, who have now won their last three games since their Easter mauling at Leeds Rhinos.
Knowing that they needed to win, if only to harness the support of their increasingly dissenting fans, Hull were comfortably the better side during the opening half but were pegged back by a try from Chris Nero and went in level at the break.
From there, they were never able to dent Bradford's resolve.
They started in superb fashion, with Willie Manu making two scintillating breaks that nearly resulted in tries.
On each occasion, however, Manu's pass inside and then Kirk Yeaman's ball back to the Tongan were intercepted by Bradford, who were wearing a kit almost identical to Hull's in colour and design.
Undeterred, Hull did make the breakthrough they had threatened on 16 minutes as Shaun Berrigan chalked up his third try of the season.
The Australian hooker pounced on some static Bradford marking to dive over from close range, with Danny Tickle adding the extras.
Hull continued to boss the half, with Berrigan peerless in defence and Manu continuing to cause Bradford all sorts of problems - but their inability to make their pressure tell cost them as Nero helped level the scores two minutes shy of the break.
In what was Bradford's first serious attack, Ben Jeffries floated a lovely kick over the top where Nero was waiting to glide in and post his second try in as many games. Deacon added the conversion.
Bradford turned down match commissioner Steve Cross's request to change their kit during the interval and returned in the second half to take the lead for the first time through a Deacon penalty.
Tickle soon cancelled that out, though, with a goal of his own in the 53rd minute, just after referee Ben Thaler had ruled out a Todd Byrne try after deeming that the Hull winger went in touch as he crossed in the corner.
Paul Sykes was then guilty of wasting a golden chance to put Bradford back ahead. The centre picked up the ball after Sam Burgess had punched his way through Hull's defence, but he was unable to make the most of a clear overlap and was dragged away from the line by Yeaman.
But that was soon forgotten as two quick tries ended the contest.
First, sub Cook slithered over from dummy half and an almost improbable angle to score, before Tadulala finished off a fine last-tackle move in the corner after some neat hands from Burgess and Nero.
Hull offered nothing in the way of a comeback, and any thoughts of one were soon ended when Burgess barged over for a last-minute score.
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Bradford coach Steve McNamara has backed his Hull counterpart Peter Sharp to survive the pressure after the Bulls' 24-8 engage Super League win at the KC Stadium on Friday night.
"Things just aren't going for Hull at the minute," said McNamara.
"I really feel for their coach. I think he's a super bloke, a super coach - and I think he's got a super side when he's got everyone back on the field."
"I think people need to lay off him, his team and his staff - and you'll see how good Hull FC will be as the season goes on. I can't keep saying enough that they will turn over a lot of sides this season home and away."
"They need to be given a chance to breathe away from the external pressure that is put on the people at this club. I don't want to talk our performance down - because we were good - but I do feel for Peter."
"I thought physically we were down at the start of the game - but we managed to hang in there, get level and then kick on in the second half," McNamara added.
Sharp remained defiant that Hull can rescue their ailing season. They had Shaun Berrigan to thank for putting them 6-0 ahead but were eventually overrun.
"I saw some really encouraging signs tonight, but at the moment we just can't sustain it for long enough," said the coach.
"The first 20 minutes were very good, but we fell away. We let teams off the hook all the time - and you just can't do that."
"Bravery is not a quality we lack but we need to roll up our sleeves."
"We need to be mentally tougher and we'll get through it."
Sharp also refused to blame a disallowed try from Todd Byrne.
"We can't hang our hat on that," he said.
"It probably should have been a try. But we've got to be a bit tougher than that."