A lack of discipline with the ball was again the downfall of Bradford Bulls, as they were unable to defeat Catalans Dragons.
The Bulls lost 34-24 to the Perpignan outfit, and did well to cope with the French heat, something Castleford Tigers couldn’t quite do last time out.
However, much like their defeat to Leigh Leopards last week, their poor completion rate played a huge part in their loss, with the side unable to consistently post pressure near the Dragons’ line.
They showed they could score points, but plenty of opportunities went begging, and it was those moments they needed to ice in order to win these types of games.
Assessing his side’s performance post-match, Haggerty said to Sky Sports: “It’s really disappointing. We put a big focus on coming over to Catalans to get our first away win.
“I thought the game was like a game of tick and pass. Both teams were very loose with the ball but us in particular, I think we completed around 70-75%.
“There’s no doubt this team could score points, but ultimately we made too many errors, and you’re going to concede tries at this level.
Bradford actually completed at a rate of 69%, which is only slightly higher than the 62% they had in the loss to Leigh.
The boss said in mid-week that they needed to complete at a rate of 80% or better, and you’d expect that had they done that, they would have potentially won the contest
Asked how they can fix that up, Haggerty replied: “It’s just consistency of your skill, repetition and making sure you concentrate in the moment. It’s pretty simple.
Bradford now have a mixed bag of upcoming fixtures, with the schedule putting them against Leeds twice, St Helens, Huddersfield and Wakefield in the next few weeks.
“They’re really exciting games,” he said looking ahead. “We don’t look at it with fear. They’re really exciting.
“We’ll start with St Helens next week back at Odsal. It’s a massive game, and we’re prepped to win every game, and we’re excited about every game.”
Next week will see Haggerty re-unite with former Salford head coach Paul Rowley. Sky pundit Dave Woods labelled it the ‘Haggerty-Rowley derby’, to which the Bulls man said: “I think it’s the Bradford v St Helens derby, not me versus ‘Rowls’, but it will be nice to see him, nice to have a coffee with him after the game and may the best team win.”
