Bulls can build on Rhinos display – Orford

Bradford entertain the Crusaders at Odsal this afternoon, having edged up to seventh after a frustrating 20-20 draw against bitter rivals Leeds Rhinos on Thursday evening.

With bustling scrum-half Orford directing play, they had impressively built a 20-6 lead against the champions, producing the sort of slick football which they had threatened but rarely delivered this season.

The ex-Manly ace forged a creative link with stand-off Paul Sykes while hooker Heath L'Estrange proved a constant danger and fellow Australian Brett Kearney was a revelation at full-back with his pace and dynamism.

Having largely struggled to find their rhythm in 2010, Steve McNamara's men looked a genuine force until they collapsed in the latter stages and came away with only a point.

They are desperate to make sure they take double that against the Welsh club, who will be well-rested after their Thursday fixture with Harlequins was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

"They get a break don't they?" said Orford, as Bradford bid for a fourth successive home victory.

"The Crusaders will be a very tough task and it's short turnaround for us.

"They'll come here with some fresh legs and looking to upset us but we've got some pride in our home ground and hopefully we'll get a really good crowd.

"If we can turn up with the same attitude as we did for the first 60 minutes at Leeds then we'll be a hard team to beat."

The highly-decorated former NRL star, who led Manly to glory in the 2008 Grand Final, was signed during the off-season to bring Bradford some cutting edge and organisational skills.

Orford, 31, dictated for much of the Headingley encounter, his kicking game particularly impressive, and he admitted: "We did control it.

"We really stuck to our guns and the game plan and did everything right.

"Our ball control that first 40 minutes was above 90 per cent so it goes to show against a good team, if you execute all your plays as you train, you're going to do well.

"There was a lot of positives but we need to learn the lesson that against quality sides they are always going to come back.

"They are not going to give up a fight, definitely in front of their home crowd, and Leeds showed that.

"If we'd have got a 50-50 call with the Dave Halley try which was ruled out, things might have been different.

"But when you give a team so much ball and let them play as fast as they did in that second half – they were going 100 metres each set – they can be very dangerous and we need to react better."

A commanding Orford had orchestrated a brilliant Bradford fightback to stun leaders Wigan last month, battling back from 20-0 down to become the only side to beat Michael Maguire's team this season.

But it was Leeds who did the same to them at Headingley and he conceded: "I'm disappointed we let ourselves slip out of that game.

"We should have gone on with it.

"It's tough and my first experience of that here but we haven't dwelled on it too much.

"We've taken the positives because we've got this game on Monday.

"We showed against Leeds we can be a dangerous side if we hold onto the ball and execute right.

"Everything gelled. If we're more consistent on that, people will see some more tries like those we produced the other night.

"That's what we're capable of and the aim is to do it for 80 minutes against Crusaders."

McNamara goes up against his predecessor today with Brian Noble in charge of the new-look Crusaders.

They also have former Bulls captain Iestyn Harris in their ranks as assistant coach and it will be his first return to Odsal since leaving to join Featherstone Rovers as player-coach at the end of 2008.

Crusaders have already equalled their return of last year by picking up three victories so far and are set to hand a debut to former New South Wales State of Origin full-back Clinton Schifcofske who signed from Ulster rugby union last week.

McNamara – who has a doubt over England international Sykes following an ankle injury he picked up at Headingley – said: "Every coach I've spoken to who has played against them has said how competitive Crusaders are.

"We're fully aware of that and obviously they've not had an Easter game yet either.

"But we took a lot of positives from Leeds. There was some obvious disappointment but if we concentrate it shows what we can do."

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