Bull Masters - Mick Withers
Martin Luther King once proclaimed he had a dream, sadly for him he was assassinated before his dream came true over forty years later. Mick Withers had a dream the morning of the 2001 Grand Final and fulfilled it before half time. His dream was pure fantasy "to score a hat trick of tries in the Grand Final"; nobody had done that before and, considering the opposition were the mighty Wigan Warriors, it did appear some what of a flight of the imagination. The fact is Mick Withers went on to score his hat trick before half-time leaving the Cherry and Whites completely despondent. His hat-trick being a classic lesson in support play, playing at stand-off he showed a natural ability of knowing when to join the attacking line and his dynamic performance that night at Old Trafford earned him the coveted Harry Sunderland Trophy as Man of the Match.
From joining the Bulls in 1999 from Australian club Balmain Tigers, Mick's impact was phenomenal playing 29 times and scoring 21 tries in his first season in Britain. His contribution will always be remembered by the Odsal faithful. Who could forget his last minute drop goal in front of a Super League record crowd of 24,020 to clinch the ‘minor premiership' 19-18 against Leeds.(Amazingly his first ever drop goal.) Then the heart breaking experience of being deprived of victory in the Grand Final by the video referee who deemed he had knocked-on when his perfect pass to Leon Pryce would surely have sealed the match.
The following season will always be remembered by the Bulls supporters for their triumph over Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup final at Murrayfield, the first time the final was staged north of the border, in Edinburgh, the trophy returning to Odsal for the first time in 51 years. Mick Withers will always be associated with the triumph for his two tries, which once again showed his talent for support play.
By April 2001, due to Stuart Spuce's premature retirement caused by a succession of injuries, Mick had moved to fullback, a positional change that proved a master stroke by Coach Brian Noble and he soon proved to be a natural. Like all great last line defenders, it is the points saved that are just as important as the point he scored, even though during the season Mick scored a staggering 31 tries it was the many more he denied the opposition that proved his ultimate success in the role. His ability to read the game was exceptional he instinctively knew when to join the attack, where he proved to be lethal with ball in hand. The success for Mick and the Bulls continued with The World Club Challenge victory over Newcastle Knights at the start of 2002.
After finishing second in the league in 2002, a tight 28-26 win at Knowsley Road saw the Bulls return to Old Trafford. Although Mick scored a try the conclusion to the campaign ended similar to 1999 with defeat against St Helens in controversial circumstances. Mick was to miss most of the following season through a series of injuries restricting him to, make only six appearances. However he returned playing centre in the Grand Final success over Wigan.
Mick's value to the Bulls continued for a further three seasons, every time a ‘big match' came around he was taking the field some times carrying injuries. Throughout his Odsal career Mick proved to be a really tough character often playing through the pain barrier. During the 2004 World Club championship match against Penrith, Mick failed to pop up for a familiar try but managed to kick three goal as the Bulls ran out 22-4 winners and he took the Man of the Match Award, not bad for a former Penrith junior!. Unfortunately for Bradford and Mick the season ended in despair as Bradford lost to Leeds in the Grand Final. The club and Mick gained amble revenge twelve months later with a 16-8 Champagne victory. This was his sixth and last grand final in Bradford's colours. For the start of 2006 Mick picked up another World Club Championship helping the Bulls to a 30-10 triumph against West Tigers, which saw Mick proudly collect his eleventh medal with the club.
Mick moved on to Wigan for the 2007 season where injuries forced him into early retirement but he will always be remembered for his time at the Grattan Stadium where he was ‘Simply the Best'!
Grand Finals 3 winners 2001, 2003, 2005. Runners up 1999, 2002, 2004.
Challenge Cup, winners 2000, Runners-up 2001.
World Club Championship winners 2002, 2004, 2006.
Twickenham Sevens Winner: 2002
Martin Bass