Bradford Bulls 22 Leeds Rhinos 30: Bulls infuriated yet again by Rhinos’ narrow victory

THE quality might not be what it once was but Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos still know how to produce drama of the highest order.

Clubs who have provided eight Super League titles between them last night renewed hostilities but this time merely with the hope of securing a much-needed win and adding some impetus to their stumbling campaigns.

As it was, Leeds got the points but not without the customary controversy.

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Aggrieved Bradford had lost on the opening day against their arch-rivals in Cardiff due to a dubious late decision and here they will point to some more refereeing inaccuracies as a reason behind a third straight defeat.

Leading 10-6 at the end of the first half, the visitors got a foothold back into the game when Jamie Jones-Buchanan eased over off Brent Webb’s blatantly forward pass.

With the game level again at 22-22 with just 13 minutes remaining, Thierry Alibert infuriated them further when deeming Patrick Ah Van obstructed Jones-Buchanan as the Leeds player challenged a high kick.

The penalty – which Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield kicked for a lead they would not lose – could easily have gone the other way as Jones-Buchanan headed directly for Bradford full-back Brett Kearney.

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Exiles captain Danny Buderus then used all his experience to squirt over from dummy-half in the 78th minute, Sinfield adding his fifth goal, to produce a scoreline that betrayed the closeness of a gritty game played out in front of one of Odsal’s biggest crowds in recent years – 19,275.

Both sides showed vastly improved defence on their recent performances but Bradford – who have now defeated Leeds at Odsal just once since 2004 – will rue not making their initial dominance pay.

They started the first half in solid fashion and built up an early 10-0 lead inside as many minutes.

They should have profited more from their simple, controlled football as, when the mistakes inevitably did come, Leeds pulled back.

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After Luke Burgess went high on Craig Kopczak, the rangy prop from nearby Ecclesshill, who has really improved this season, Ah Van showed great agility to leap above Ryan Hall and juggle Marc Herbert’s crossfield kick before touching down on seven minutes.

They added their second try immediately after when more ill-discipline cost Leeds, this time Jones-Buchanan holding down Heath L’Estrange to concede position.

Meagre defence was their real downfall though, the eager Burgess rushing off his line only to see L’Estrange’s fired pass leave him stranded as Andy Lynch got on the outside to power over between the posts.

Ah Van improved the captain’s score and, with Leeds making more of the increasingly customary errors, the hosts will have realised they should have advanced further.

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Bradford, with Tom Burgess a force off the bench, thought they had added a third try when Michael Platt touched down another lofted Herbert kick but Elliott Whitehead had knocked forward while challenging in the air and Alibert immediately ruled it out.

Barely 60 seconds later, their rivals were on the scoreboard, Paul McShane burrowing over to undo previously impressive defence in the 27th minute. Sinfield missed the conversion attempt but a couple of needless mistakes allowed Leeds more chance to respond through that controversial Jones-Buchanan effort.

Bradford made sweeping changes to the backline that was cut open so easily by Salford last week, Ah Van, Shad Royston and Platt back and Brett Kearney restored to half-back, which paid instant dividends.

The Australian provided a far more measured approach than the promising but naive Kyle Briggs, who was dropped along with England centre Paul Sykes and winger Sean Ainscough.

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Leeds had Burgess in for the banned Ryan Bailey while Carl Ablett bolstered their middle on his own return from suspension.

Bradford scored the first try of the second period, France captain Olivier Elima powering in after 47 minutes, but Leeds responded within five minutes after L’Estrange had high tackled Rob Burrow.

Keith Senior eased over with a typical finish, Platt for once making the wrong defensive decision as Brent Webb sucked him in.

Sinfield levelled from wide out and delivered the decisive pass as Hall put Leeds ahead for the first time in the re-start set.

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Ablett was the instigator with a charging run and off-load which saw Webb speeding down the middle.

Kearney did brilliantly to deny the Kiwi with a little help from Platt but Sinfield showed great vision to find Hall with a long pass to the corner from the play-the-ball and the England winger grabbed his eighth of the season.

His captain again curled in a touchline conversion but Elima hit back with his second try, leaving Jones-Buchanan delivering a combination of punches on the post pads in sheer frustration, and Ah Van equalised with the conversion only for his moment of indiscretion to come.

Bradford Bulls: Royston; Raynor, Platt, Walker, Ah Van; Kearney, Herbert; Lynch, L’Estrange, Kopczak, Elima, Whitehead, Donaldson. Substitutes: Diskin, Hargreaves, Olbison, T Burgess.

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Leeds Rhinos: Webb; Watkins, Delaney, Senior, Hall; Sinfield, Burrow; L Burgess, Buderus, Leuluai, Jones-Buchanan, Clarkson, Ablett. Substitutes: Cross, Kirke, Hauraki, McShane.

Referee: Thierry Alibert (Toulouse).