Archive
Sat, 20 April 2002
Bradford Bulls 54
St Helens 22
Bradford Bulls: Leon Pryce, Tevita Vaikona, Scott Naylor, Lee Gilmour, Lesley Vainikolo, Brandon Costin, Robbie Paul, Paul Deacon, Joe Vagana, James Lowes, Brian McDermott, Jamie Peacock, Mike Forshaw
Subs: Nathan McAvoy, Paul Anderson, Stuart Fielden, Lee Radford
Tries: Tevita Vaikona (3), Scott Naylor, Lee Gilmour, Lesley Vainikolo, Robbie Paul, Stuart Fielden, Jamie Peacock, Mike Forshaw
Goals: Paul Deacon (7)
St Helens: Paul Wellens, Darren Albert, Dwayne West, John Stankevitch, John Kirkpatrick, Michael Higham, John Braddish, Sonny Nickle, Paul Southern, Dave Whittle, Mark Edmondson, Mike Bennett, Barry Ward
Subs: John Simms, Chris Giles, Adrian Gardner, Dave McConnell
Tries: John Kirkpatrick (2), Adrian Gardner, Darren Albert
Goals: John Braddish (3)
However Challenge Cup finalists St Helens, who fielded only five first team regulars and chose to play out the last 25 minutes of the game with only 12 men are facing an inquiry by RFL officials over their decision to field a weakened side.
Bulls chairman Chris Caisley accused St Helens coach Ian Millward of "doing immense damage to the sport".
Commenting on the match, which was televised live by BSkyB, Caisley said of Millward, "He has treated the broadcaster, the sponsors and the spectators with complete contempt and laughed in their face at the same time."
"We could have expected a 17,000 crowd, the way St Helens have been playing."
The game drew an attendance of 14,271.
"Since the Challenge Cup started, we have had games the week before the final and this is no exception," Caisley continued.
"I can remember the time this club was effectively fined £50,000 for leaving a few players out of a match against New Zealand. If £50,000 was an adequate punishment then, what is an adequate punishment now? I would imagine our broadcast partners, BSkyB, will be thinking this game doesn't think much about their support for the sport.
"Unless someone shows that's not the case by dealing with this issue in a proper way - not a two and sixpence fine - then the prospects of re-negotiating this TV contract is going to be remote.
"I think this has done immense damage to the sport."
Ian Millward was unrepentant and insisted that the missing players were genuinely injured, although 10 were likely to play in ther Challenge Cup final against Wigan next Saturday.
Bulls coach Brian Noble refused to get involved in the controversy, but said playing against a weakened team had affected the Bulls' preparation.
"From a coach's point of view, it was pretty hard to motivate the players. If they have got injuries, they have got injuries, but we have spent two weeks building up for a very big game."
The Bulls suffered their own injury problem when blockbusting winger Lesley Vainikolo, who opened the scoring with a try in the first minute of the game, had to leave the field halfway through the first half after setting up another try on the wing.
"He has done some damage to his quad and, if it's a tear, he will be out for a while," said Noble.