Monaghan’s hat-trick denies Bulls as Warrington eye Wembley return

Warrington struck a purple patch either side of half-time to secure a safe passage into the last eight.

Bradford were clinging to a 6-4 lead four minutes before half-time but the Wolves, back-to-back Wembley winners in 2009 and 2010, found their scoring touch to run in four tries in 14 minutes and establish an unassailable 26-6 lead.

Australian Joel Monaghan scored two of them on his way to completing a hat-trick to settle a fifth-round tie which will be best remembered for the whistle-happy display of referee James Child.

Bradford finished a well-beaten side, but they had the better of the first half, with former London Broncos half-back Luke Gale having a big influence on his return from two months out with an ankle injury.

Centre Adrian Purtell was denied an early try when video referee Steve Ganson ruled a knock-on over the line.

But he made amends on 12 minutes when picking up a loose ball to race over from 20 metres out for the opening score following an audacious ball steal by co-centre Keith Lulia.

Wolves replied with Monaghan’s try, before two swift tries from full-back Brett Hodgson and winger Chris Filey turned a 6-4 deficit into a 16-6 lead for the hosts.

And the game slipped beyond them when they conceded two further tries within 10 minutes of the re-start.

Monaghan grabbed his second, touching down Hodgson’s grubber kick, and former Bradford centre Ryan Atkins scored straight from a scrum, awarded after a knock-on by prop Tom Burgess.

Hodgson kicked his third goal to make it 26-6, but the Bulls responded with the best try of the match from Lulia, who finished off a six-man handling move.

Bradford continued to play with spirit and might have got back into contention had Heath L’Estrange and Craig Kopczak been able to ground the ball but both were held up over the line.

The Wolves were reduced to 12 men on 65 minutes when prop Chris Hill was sin-binned for interference, just moments after Child had issued a general warning to the home side, and the Bulls took advantage by scoring a try through Oliver Elima.

Gale kicked his second goal but Warrington had the final say when Monaghan crossed at the corner, with Hodgson taking his goal tally to four from seven attempts.

“We were in that game,” said Bulls coach Mick Potter. “They got the better of us just before half-time and we had a mountain to climb in the second half. When you make errors against Warrington they can burn you.”

Warrington: Hodgson, Riley, C. Bridge, Atkins, J Monaghan, Briers, O’Brien, Hill, Higham, Wood, Waterhouse, Westwood, McCarthy. Substitutes: Harrison, Grix, Carvell, Cooper.

Bradford: Pryce, Purtell, Whitehead, Lulia, Ainscough, Jeffries, Gale, Hargreaves, Diskin, Kopczak, Elima, Bateman, Langley. Substitutes: L’Estrange, Addy, Manuokafoa, Burgess.

Referee: J Child (Dewsbury).