Some spectacular finishing by a lightning fast backline ensured Leeds were not weakened by the absence of five key members of their engine room as Bradford were blown away by a mightily impressive second-half display.

By rights no team should be able to play as well as Leeds did without injured forwards Gareth Ellis, Jamie Jones Buchanan, Ali Lauitiiti, Ryan Bailey and Ian Kirke and there were occasions during the first half when the presence of so much talent in the stand clearly told.

However, after reaching the interval trailing 10-6, Leeds were able to step into a gear their great rivals could not match and within the opening 14 minutes of the half the win that would temporarily open an seven-point lead at the top of the table was secure.

It was not that Bradford played poorly following the restart, more a case of Leeds being so hot that it was hard to see any team being able to handle them as they ran in for four tries before the midway point of the second half.

The first was scored by Eric Anselme, the France Test second row who marked a solid debut by putting himself on the end of a sweeping 70-metre move to go over between the posts with just 39 seconds of the half played.

Anselme has joined Leeds from Albi on a month-long loan and though he only arrived on Monday he showed some understanding of how his new team-mates play when he supported a break which had begun deep inside his own half by the effervescent Rob Burrow.

The scrum-half worked the ball to Brent Webb for the full-back to trade passes with Kallum Watkins before releasing the flying Frenchman, who was duly mobbed by the rest of the Leeds players.

It made for the perfect start to a half for a Leeds team which had struggled to impose itself before the break, when Bradford played with sufficient resolve to suggest they were in the mood to avenge a 44-2 mauling at Headingley Carnegie in March.

Indeed, the Bulls made a bold start and opened the scoring with a well-taken try by winger Semi Tadulala, who did well to slap the ball down in the corner before being bundled out of play by Ryan Hall and Danny McGuire after taking a bullet pass from David Solomona.

Paul Deacon could not add the difficult conversion although the scrum-half was on target with three penalty kicks as a tense, at times brutal, half featuring few clear-cut chances unfolded.

Deacon's kicking helped Bradford edge back in front after the Rhinos had taken the lead with their only try before the interval.

It was scored by Watkins, a huge, athletic centre who is regarded as the "next big thing" to emerge from the fertile Leeds Academy. Still just 17 and only given an extended taste of first team action as cover for the injured Clinton Toopi, he hinted at great things to come by forcing his way over after Kylie Leuluai had slipped the ball out a tackle to McGuire, who fired a pinpoint pass to the teenager.

They did not score for another 26 minutes but once Anselme had made himself the third most popular Eric at Leeds after Australians Eric Grothe and Eric Harris, the floodgates quickly opened.

Bradford were quickly undone by another long-range move involving Matt Diskin, McGuire and Simon Worrall, whose pass put Keith Senior away for Kevin Sinfield to land his third goal.

An error by Tadulala 30 metres from his own line then set up the position from which a long, looping pass by Webb put Scott Donald in for a try, a favour the winger returned two minutes later for the full-back, who will fly out to New Zealand today to join the Kiwis ahead of Friday's Test against Australia in Sydney, to finish off a move spanning 65 metres.

McGuire bombed a golden opportunity to extend Leeds's lead when, with the goal-line at his mercy, he fumbled a try-making pass by Anselme.

That let-off prompted a belated spirit of defiance from Bradford who threatened to make a game of it with two tries of their own, the first by Tadulala who once again combined well with his former Wakefield team-mate Solomona to score in the corner.

A strong run by Shontayne Hape from a good pass by Iestyn Harris brought the second try, despite the best efforts of Keith Senior to hold the New Zealander up over the line, and though Sam Burgess snatched a fourth try in the closing seconds the game was up for the Bulls, who also conceded two more late tries.

A risky pass by Solomona effectively closed the door when Ryan Hall intercepted to become the fifth member of Leeds's back division to score before the industrious Leuluai romped over from close range with three defenders clinging helplessly on.


Bradford Bulls: Halley; Evans, Sykes, Hape, Tadulala; Harris, Deacon; Lynch, Newton, Burgess, Solomona, Langley, Morrison. Substitutes: Nero, Finnigan, Godwin, Tupou.

Leeds Rhinos: Webb; Hall, Watkins, Senior, Donald; McGuire, Burrow; Leuluai, Diskin, Scruton, Ablett, Peacock, Sinfield. Substitutes: Tansey, Burgess, Worrall, Anselme.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).