Bradford Bulls 10 Wigan 44: Depleted Bulls fail to nullify rampant Warriors

Super League champions Wigan Warriors tackle St George Illawarra for that revered title on Sunday and used their encounter at Odsal to iron out some of the issues that saw them squander a 16-point lead against St Helens in Cardiff.

Someone had to pay for that misdemeanour and, unfortunately, it was Mick Potter’s embryonic Bradford side.

Wigan approached their niggling and annoying best to frustrate a team who had pushed Leeds so close but this morning remain without a Super League win from their initial two fixtures.

England full-back Sam Tomkins delivered a quality performance to both deny Bradford’s best attacks and set in motion his own team’s finer moments while their fulsome pack was as rugged as ever.

The West Yorkshire club, missing the injured Jamie Langley and Kyle Briggs from last week, were 26-0 down by the interval and never likely to produce a comeback against such esteemed opposition.

But they should take credit for the endeavour they displayed in a much-improved second period, scoring tries through Elliott Whitehead and Patrick Ah Van, and can take heart from the promptings of their hooking duo of Matt Diskin and Heath L’Estrange, who will cause most teams countless problems in the season ahead.

However, Wigan, who shrugged off the loss of ex-Great Britain centre Martin Gleeson with a hamstring strain, are a side who feed on opponents’ mistakes and the hosts simply made too many in that errant first half.

They were not aided by some of Phil Bentham’s refereeing but much of the damage was self-inflicted.

Second-row Whitehead – the hat-trick star of last weekend’s near-miss against Leeds – twice lost possession in the opening 40 minutes and both times the swarming visitors capitalised.

When he spilled on his own 20, Amos Roberts profited although there was a touch of good fortune as the Wigan winger picked up the pieces following Paul Sykes and Ah Van’s crunching tackle on George Carmont.

Roberts later ripped the ball from Whitehead in a one-on-one tackle and soon after Thomas Leuluai stepped too easily through the Bulls’ defence before doing likewise to full-back Brett Kearney.

In between, Roberts was held up brilliantly by Ah Van and Gareth Raynor after the latter had coughed up possession but Harrison Hansen was gifted a try when Chev Walker failed to deal with Paul Deacon’s high kick behind his own line.

Bradford – the only team to beat Wigan on their travels last season – had limited opportunities and when they did gain field position failed to execute with the precision of their far slicker opponents.

That is understandable, though, given Potter has nine new players in his squad and there is no doubt this group will improve as the campaign develops.

Kearney, their most dangerous attacker, slid through but was just denied by the excellent Tomkins and then the Australian fumbled while trying to gain a quick play the ball.

They did get over the line twice off Kearney’s kicks, Shad Royston in the second minute and Walker shortly before the break, but both were pulled back due to an offside and knock-on respectively.

Thomas Leuluai’s lovely inside pass sent Tomkins haring clear for Liam Farrell to score as Bradford’s middle was cut open and, when Ian Sibbit was put on report for a challenge on Joel Tomkins moments before the break, Wigan ruthlessly made them pay for their indiscretions once more.

Sam Tomkins was again the link, creating space out wide for Farrell to feed England winger Darrell Goulding.

Bradford struck first after the re-start though having won possession back when Sykes’s kick-off struck the crossbar.

Diskin’s smart grubber slid through and Whitehead pounced for his fourth try in two games, all of them originating from similar kicks.

Ah Van converted and then he out-jumped Goulding to collect Sykes’s deft chip and further eat into Wigan’s lead, adding to his interception try against Leeds Rhinos.

However, the robust Bulls wing spilled a kick at the other end to allow Roberts to saunter in for his second on the hour mark, former Bradford captain Deacon slotting the conversion from out wide and Carmont scrambled through some tiring defence with five minutes to go.

It was left to the inspirational Sam Tomkins to round things off with a glorious individual effort at the finish, Deacon improving once more, but there was still plenty in a hugely encouraging crowd of 15,348 for Bradford to savour.

Given Australian scrum-half Marc Herbert is yet to make his debut and Briggs’s varied kicking game can also be called upon while Langley’s industry will solidify the middle, Potter knows better times are ahead. And this is a very good Wigan team even if some people do not approve of their approach.

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Bradford: Royston; Ah Van, Platt, Walker, Raynor; Sykes, Kearney; Scruton, L’Estrange, Lynch, Elima, Whitehead, Hargreaves. Substitutes: Diskin, Kopczak, Sibbit, Olbison.

Wigan: S Tomkins; Goulding, Gleeson, Carmont, Roberts; Deacon, Leuluai; Prescott, McIlorum, Fielden, Hoffman, Hansen, O’Loughlin. Substitutes: Coley, J Tomkins, Mossop, Farrell.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).