Game

Sunday 14 Jun 2009

Kick Off 15:00

REPORT

The Bradford Bulls gained revenge for their defeat earlier in the season with a 21-10 win over in-form Warrington Wolves in the engage Super League.

The Wolves, who had won seven of their previous eight games before today, had to make do without several key players and also lost Lee Briers with an apparent hamstring injury.

Converted scores from Chris Nero and Glenn Morrison, plus a penalty and drop goal from Paul Deacon, put the Bulls in charge.

And despite a second-half rally from the hosts which saw Simon Grix and Chris Hicks cross, a further try from Terry Newton made sure of the win.

Adrian Morley and Ben Westwood were missing for the Wolves through international duty, as was Bradford’s Sam Burgess.

Mickey Higham (torn bicep) and Matty Blythe (ankle) also did not figure for the hosts, while Paul Sykes (hamstring) missed out for Bradford.

The Bulls, who went down 58-22 at home to the Wolves in April, were out of the traps quickly and dominated the early stages, but had a Steve Menzies score chalked off by the referee.

The Bulls knew they were in a battle when loose forward Jamie Langley had to leave the field with a cut to his head and Terry Newton rolled away from a tackle in pain.

Both remained on the pitch but the Wolves, who lost Briers to what looked liked a hamstring injury, grew in confidence and went close when Matt King spilled the ball as he stretched for the line.

The first try came in the 15th minute when Menzies should have been bundled into touch on the right.

The Bulls centre somehow kept the ball alive and after the ball was thrown wide stand-off Ben Jefferies kicked to the left for Nero, who stepped past a couple of Wolves defenders on his way to the line.

Warrington thought they had done enough to hold the centre up but the try was correctly awarded.

The frantic pace gradually slowed as the heat became a factor and Warrington gave away a penalty seven minutes before the break for what the referee deemed a dangerous tackle.

Deacon slotted home from 30 metres and then dropped a goal as the half-time siren sounded to give the Bulls a 9-0 lead.

Bradford set the tone for the second period when replacement Elliott Whitehead crossed after a neat pass from Deacon but his effort was ruled out.

Paul Rauhihi broke well for Warrington but he looked to force the pass and Bradford pounced on the loose ball.

The Bulls swept down field and after working the ball from left to right, Morrison sliced through the Wolves defence and stepped past Richard Mathers before touching down.

Deacon was on target with the conversion but the home side pulled a try back in the 54th minute.

Chris Bridge managed to find Grix in space out wide and he stepped inside and raced under the posts, avoiding some poor Bradford tackles in the process. Bridge made no mistake in adding the extras.

Newton scored a third Bradford try in the 65th minute when Dave Halley offloaded well. The Bradford hooker charged for the line and crashed over for an easy score.

Hicks grabbed his 16th try of the season when he forced his way over in the corner at the death but it was too little, too late for Warrington.

POST-MATCH COMMENTS

Bradford coach Steve McNamara saw "big performances" all over the field as his side claimed a second successive engage Super League victory with a win at Warrington.

"I think the time when we played at Odsal we were in a bit of a flat spot and they were probably in a similar type of situation today themselves," said McNamara, whose side went down 58-22 earlier in the season.

"They've had a tremendous run in the league and the cup which went to extra-time and at some stage it catches up with you."

"But right from the start we were on the upper hand today and thankfully we pushed it on."

Asked for his opinion on the returning Morrison, who missed nine matches with a wrist injury, the Bulls boss added: "I think there were some big performances all round but for Glenn to come back and play all but 69 minutes on his first game back in those conditions was pretty impressive for me."

"They kick the ball really well and have players in the side who can test you with kicks but fortunately for us Lee Briers suffered an injury."

"It restricted them slightly but our back three caught most of the balls on the full, retained very well and got us on the front foot at the start of some of our sets."

Sam Burgess, who scored in England's 12-try demolition of France last night, was initially included in the Bulls' 19-man squad but did not figure in the line-up.

Explaining his absence, McNamara said: "There was a lot of talk about Sam and whether we would play him or not play him but I'll never risk a player's health."

"We've monitored his weight loads over the last couple of months. He's a young boy, he's not got any injuries and we got knocked out of the Challenge Cup and have no extra games."

"So I thought the opportunity was there to play him but watching him in the session this morning we decided to go without him."

Of Briers' injury, Warrington's director of rugby Tony Smith, who travelled back from Paris to resume his domestic duties, said: "It's probably similar to last time when he did it, so a couple of weeks I reckon."

"It's very similar to what he did last time so I'd be surprised if he's right by next week."

Asked whether he thought his dual role with England and Warrington had played any part in the defeat, Smith said: "I doubt it."

"You guys don't know but I have had a little time away this year already and things just go on and we've had victories."

"Regardless of whether it did or didn't that was the arrangement from both parties and there's no regrets on both sides. You can ask the boss at the back of the room if you want."