Bradford Bulls 46 Sheffield Eagles 12: Hat-trick hero Gaskell returns to stun Eagles

Gaskell, out for eight matches with a broken jaw, also had a hand in several other tries as the Bulls put the previously in-form Eagles to the sword for the second time this season.

Having thrashed the South Yorkshire side 46-12 at Odsal in the Kingstone Press Championship in May the Bulls again proved too fast and evasive.

A devastating four tries in the opening half hour laid the platform for victory with Mark Aston’s side proving too easy to penetrate.

The Eagles came into the end-of-season divisional split on the back of four wins in their last five games but were never in contention and in a disappointed Aston’s words “failed to raise the bar.”

The Bulls took the lead within three minutes when winger Danny Williams was given the space to take a long looping Gaskell pass and go in at the corner.

Williams scored his second in the same place and, when Gaskell finished a move that he started, involving fine inter-passing from Williams and Jay Pitts, making his 150th appearance, the Bulls were 20-0 ahead.

Misi Taulapapa got Sheffield on the scoreboard five minutes before the break but Adam Henry’s try, from a well-weighted Danny Addy kick, restored Bradford’s authority.

Gaskell grabbed two more tries after the break – the first from another Addy kick before completing his hat-trick with a short diagonal run off of a neat pass by hooker Adam O’Brien.

James Claire scored Bulls’ eighth and final try on his home debut after signing from Castleford, before Menzie Yere notched a late consolation for the Eagles.

Addy, who earned praise from Bulls boss James Lowes, added five goals from eight attempts.

Bradford: Mullaney; Williams, Purtell, Henry, Claire; Gaskell, Addy; Clough, O’Brien, Sidlow, Olbison, Ferguson, Pitts. Substitutes: Blythe, Lauaki, Crossley, Ryan.

Sheffield: Laula-Togagae; Turner, Yere, Smeaton, Taulapapa; Briggs, Brambani,; Thorpe, Carlile, Stringer, Knowles, Stringer, Knowles, Staughier, Petersen; Substitutes: Battye, Davey, Davies, Tonks.

Referee: M Thomason (RFL).