Hape’s hat-trick sparks run which takes Bulls to Grand Final glory

Few people would have dared suggest Bradford would eventually emerge as Super League victors ahead of their visit to Leeds six years ago.

By the end of that August evening, though, after Shontayne Hape had scored a hat-trick and helped terrorise the defending champions in ominous style, people started to whisper it quietly.

There was a manner to Bradford’s style which suggested they were a team gathering confidence and pace in equal measure.

The commanding victory was the club’s fifth in a row after a dire start to the year and it lifted them up to third.

They would become the first team to go on and win a Grand Final from outside the top two. Leaders Leeds, meanwhile, were left ragged and in a mess just a week before their Challenge Cup final with both Danny McGuire and Keith Senior departing injured. Senior played in the subsequent defeat to Hull but was clearly not fit, having rushed his return.

On this night, it was a former Leeds favourite – Iestyn Harris – who orchestrated their downfall.

Still embroiled in a legal row with the Rhinos, the Great Brtiain stand-off was in peerless form as he unpicked the opposition defence time and again.

Leeds had the best defence in Super League but leaked 30 unanswered points in the second half as ruthless Bradford powered clear following a tense and tight first period.

Jamie Peacock was colossal up front, well-aided by the energetic Paul Johnson, and Bradford’s mid-season signings of Ben Harris and Ian Henderson were good value. Their arrival had helped give struggling Bradford the boost required to go on a winning run which would stretch all the way to that Old Trafford triumph over the Rhinos.

Teenager Lee Smith, only playing due to 31-try Mark Calderwood’s dead leg, gave the hosts a quality start in the sixth minute, gathering Kevin Sinfield’s chip and then rounding Lesley Vainikolo.

Hape – back from a serious knee injury – got over for the first of his treble on 26 minutes before Senior and McGuire departed with those injuries.

Leon Pryce broke clear to set up Andy Lynch but Leeds responded through captain Sinfield, his conversion leaving them just 12-10 down at the break and in no real panic.

That materialised, though, during a horrendous 11-minute spell in the second half when they conceded four tries in quick succession, Hape, Paul Deacon, Harris and Robbie Paul all benefiting from Leeds errors.

Bradford were on their way.