Bradford Bulls boss Kurt Haggerty called his side’s Challenge Cup win over London Broncos ‘really scrappy’ but he showered one signing in praise.
The Bulls overturned an 8-4 half-time deficit to win 26-8, no doubt helped by the fact that London were out of interchanges midway through the first half and then played the final 30 minutes with just 12 men after they suffered a fifth injury.
Speaking post-match to the BBC, that was something Haggerty noted as he paid credit to London for how they pushed Bradford early on before eventually succumbing.
Haggerty said: “I thought the first half was really close and then obviously London had all the injuries, I’d have liked to see us play in full health 13 v 13 to give a real true reflection of where we really are.
“Overall, I thought the game was messy, really scrappy. I thought we showed moments of class but overall just happy to get the win.”
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Bradford Bulls boss hails Joe Mellor impact
One man who was key in Bradford finding control and a true foothold in the game was former Salford player Joe Mellor, who on his debut for Bradford, was named Man of the Match with the Bulls’ loose forward running the show in the second half.
On the decision to play Mellor at 13 in 2026, Haggerty said: “Some people would say it’s a calculated risk, Joe going from being a pivot, to a hooker and being a very good hooker, to being a thirteen and he’s walked into it fantastically.
“The team have warmed into the way that we want to play with Joe at 13 and that’s his first game back, he’s a pretty incredible athlete especially at the age he’s at.
“He’s somebody who is really important to the team, he’s somebody who is really important to me and he’s a fantastic man and player.”
As for the actual match, Haggerty admitted that the Bulls learned plenty with London even helping them prepare for their round one Super League clash against Hull FC.
He said: “Yeah we did (learn plenty) because the way London play off the backfield is very similar to Hull, albeit a slightly different scale but certainly they carry strong and real aggressive. I thought we handed that really well so we’ll fix that when we go into Hull. They gave us a really good test and a lot of good video from them.”
They’ll head into that game against Hull FC in generally good health after coming through unscathed bar Ethan Ryan who took a bang to the ribs. The Bulls will learn their fourth round opponent in Monday night’s draw, something Haggerty is looking forward to more than the analysis of his side’s performance.
He quipped: “I look forward to watching the draw, I won’t look forward to watching the game back.”
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