Bradford surrender in slide towards relegation

Yet there was very little of that on show for the majority of this game yesterday as woeful Bradford Bulls capitulated in embarrassing fashion against a side that had failed to win in eight games.

On this evidence – Francis Cummins’s slovenly side were 24-0 down inside 14 horrendous minutes – they do not deserve a place in Super League and can have no complaints if they do fall out of the elite come the season end.

Given their current plight, rooted in 13th place now eight points behind Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and nine adrift of yesterday’s conquerors Salford Red Devils, it will not matter if they deserve it or not; they look set to be consigned to the Championship regardless.

Even with 11 fixtures still to go, this was the game they truly needed to win for a number of reasons, but there was none of the intensity, drive or desire you would expect in the circumstances.

The second half improved but it was more due to the fact big-spending Salford slipped into the old habits that have constrained them so much this season rather than any step up in class from the plodding visitors.

Granted, hearing on Wednesday that an independent sports appeal panel had decided not to redeem them any of the six points deducted for entering administration was always going to be a body blow for Bradford.

But that, all the more, necessitated a response on the field here and it simply did not materialise.

Salford’s Rangi Chase will have been challenged more in his side’s Captain’s Run on Saturday than he was in the first half yesterday.

The England stand-off has generally failed to recreate the magic he so regularly did for Castleford Tigers since switching clubs last autumn, but here he was allowed to run amok and demonstrate all his old bag of tricks.

On the back of that, Salford’s expensive misfits finally started playing as a team, though, admittedly, they were given plenty of encouragement by Bradford.

This debacle was certainly no way for Chev Walker to celebrate his 300th career game.

The ex-Leeds Rhinos player is normally one of the more reliable sorts in Super League but he endured a tortuous opening 14 minutes yesterday, conceding a penalty and then missing the tackle as Logan Tomkins went over for the first of Salford’s eight tries before fumbling twice, the second of which saw Chase go over.

He was mercifully relieved of duties at that point – Walker did, thankfully, return in more familiar form later – but his sluggish team-mates had conspired too so that they were already 24-0 behind.

Tomkins slipped through some non-existent line defence to start a run of three successive tries where Bradford only touched the ball to restart the game with a kick.

Theo Fages broke clear down a soft middle for Junior Sa’u to score and then Chase’s clever, short grubber and regather saw Tomkins furnish Andrew Dixon with another but it was a mystery to everyone where Bradford’s full-back Lee Gaskell was in all of this.

He was particularly lacklustre and mistake-ridden against the side he spent last season on loan with, one of many dropped kicks gifting position for Chase to soon shimmy his way through for their fourth try, the 28-year-old converting them all.

Bradford, at least, stemmed the flow when Elliot Kear finished off a decent handling movement in the 21st minute following good work from Danny Addy and Adam Henry, Luke Gale improving.

But Chase profited from another Gaskell gaffe and Salford were only strengthened by the emergence of Adrian Morley, Tony Puletua and Steve Rapira from the bench.

Destructive centre Sa’u then got in on the act, too, though Tom Olbison scored the last try of the first half for Bradford after a clever delayed pass from Gale who again converted.

Salford were more like their usual erratic selves in the second period – such a lack of composure will be capitalised on by better teams than Bradford – so the damage was limited and the visitors did, at least, compete.

Adam O’Brien clawed back some respect with a try in the 58th minute that Gale improved but their opponents regathered themselves to finish with a flourish, Francis Meli and – after referee George Stokes departed injured – Niall Evalds each crossing, Chase finishing with seven goals.

For despondent Bradford, there is so much work to do before Hull KR arrive at Odsal on Friday but it will probably matter little; Championship football seems a certainty in 2015 for a club who, not long ago, twice ruled the world.

Salford Red Devils: Evalds; Johnson, Walton, Sa’u, Meli; Chase, Fages; Griffin, Tomkins, Tasi, Dixon, Hock, J Walne. Substitutes: Morley, Lee Rapira, Puletua.

Bradford Bulls: Gaskell; Kear, Purtell, Henry, George; Addy, Gale; Manuokafoa, Diskin, Walker, Blythe, Olbison, Donaldson. Substitutes: O’Brien, Sidlow, Fakir, Baldwinson.

Referee: G Stokes (Manchester).