Bygones: Memories of World success leave Bulls supporters yearning for their glory days

Thursday will mark the 10th anniversary of their World Club Challenge win over Penrith Panthers when Brian Noble’s all-conquering side were hailed the finest across the globe for the second time in only three years.

Yet, by the time that milestone can be ‘celebrated’ this week, the famous West Yorkshire club could be docked as many as six points before their new Super League season has even started – a penalty that might well see them eventually relegated to the Championship.

The fall in the intervening decade, since a team captained by Jamie Peacock vanquished the Australian premiers, has been spectacular.

It started, essentially, after their 2005 Super League title success as, having then played in five consecutive Grand Finals, they have not featured at Old Trafford since.

Indeed, Bradford have failed to even qualify for the play-offs in any of the last five years, the 2006 World Club Challenge triumph over Wests Tigers proving their last piece of silverware.

Their demise has been well-documented, a combination of catastrophic mismanagement at the top, a failure to secure a major investor, dwindling attendances and poor player recruitment, all having a role in their sorry tale.

While once they were seen as the vanguard of the competition, they are now constantly battling for at least parity and can only watch on with envious eyes as Wigan Warriors, instead, become the first team in 20 years to head Down Under to contend the WCC.

There were no signs of the trouble to come when Bradford faced Penrith at Huddersfield’s McAlpine Stadium in 2004.

Noble’s side came into that fixture on the back of a brilliant treble-winning year where they had finished top, beaten Leeds Rhinos at Cardiff to lift the Challenge Cup and rounded off with another Old Trafford success against Wigan in what was the legendary Jimmy Lowes’s final game before retirement.

They followed up with an impressive 22-4 success against Penrith, the NRL champions who – in the shape of Craig Gower, Paul Whatuira, Tony Puletua and Joel Clinton – had players who would later become household names in Super League.

Peacock and Stuart Fielden were towering presences up front for the English side who shrugged off the loss through injury of first-choice half-backs Robbie Paul and Paul Deacon.

Leon Pryce and Karl Pratt took over those duties while youngster Aaron Smith came in at hooker to try filling the sizeable boots of Lowes.

In fairness, Bradford struggled to find a suitable nine for the next 18 months until a little-known Aussie called Ian Henderson arrived to add some zip.

There was also a welcome return for the likeable Australian full-back Mick Withers who missed much of the 2003 campaign with a groin injury.

Penrith had shocked Sydney Roosters – who play Wigan in the 2014 final a week on Saturday – to secure their own Grand Final victory and arrived intent on adding this silverware to their collection. Newcastle Knights had been disappointing when tackling Bradford at Huddersfield in 2002 in a one-sided final but Penrith started well to show Bradford there would be no such capitulation this time around.

Indeed, Noble’s side – which featured current Huddersfield and Hull FC head coaches Paul Anderson and Lee Radford in its pack – had to ride their luck at points before taking command with a blistering spell of three tries in 12 minutes.

The hulking Lesley Vainikolo crossed first, bustling past Rhys Wesser to latch onto Pratt’s clever kick before Pryce produced a stunning solo run to get their second.

Withers collected another Pratt kick to furnish Logan Swann with their third and, with Withers adding a conversion and penalty, they led 16-0 at half-time.

He added another penalty early in the second half before the Australians at last earned some reward for their efforts.

Preston Campbell’s hanging kick took a wicked bounce when it returned to the ground and Luke Priddis pounced, the video referee ruling benefit of the doubt.

That was it for the NRL premiers, though, despite some sustained and heavy pressure on Bradford’s line.

Eventually, the Super League champions emerged unscathed and it was left to replacement Rob Parker to round off victory with their fourth try of a grimy, but hugely successful, night in Huddersfield.

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Match stats

Bradford Bulls: Withers; Vaikona, Johnson, Hape, Vainikolo; Pryce, Pratt; Anderson, Smith, Fielden, Radford, Peacock, Swann. Replacements: Vagana, Reardon, Langley, Parker.

Penrith Panthers: Wesser; Howland, Lewis, Whatuira, Rooney; Campbell, Gower; Clinton, Priddis, Lang, Galuvao, Puletua, Waterhouse. Replacements: Ross, Rodney, Ward, Swain.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).
Score: Bradford Bulls 22, Penrith Panthers 4.