Bradford Bulls boss Kurt Haggerty has implored his side to improve defensively after a 50-16 defeat to Leeds Rhinos.
The Bulls suffered their second defeat to the Rhinos in 2026, after they also came out second best over the Easter period at Odsal.
Haggerty’s quest for an away win as Bulls boss lives on, with that being their kryptonite during the 2026 season so far.
Reflecting on the defeat, the boss said to Sky Sports:Â “We faced a very good team.
“We were down to our last 18 within training this week, so we’ve done it tough for some bodies now. We had lads out of position everywhere.
“Ultimately, first half very poor, second half we showed resilience, but we’ve got to get better.
Bradford Bulls winger hailed after scoring 100th club try
There was a brief period in the second half that the Bulls took the ascendancy, and that allowed Ethan Ryan to cross for two tries, which turned out to be his 99th and 100th in Bulls colours.
“[The effort] is never in doubt with this group,” Haggerty said. “Every week you turn up, but ultimately, if you don’t value working off the ball, you’ll lose games at this level, especially against a team who play such a good style of rugby.
“Leeds, full credit [to them], they were by far the better team today.”
On Ryan’s double, he added: “There’s no doubt this team can attack and play rugby. We’ve just got to be a little bit more resilient defensively, and Ethan Ryan’s been fantastic all season for us.
“So, that will continue. We’ll keep going, and we’ll be ready for the next.”
