Wakefield Trinity were made to work hard to defeat Bradford Bulls as they moved second in Super League.
Trinity won 26-12 but the scoreline doesn’t reflect how close the game was for long periods, despite Bradford having a horror start and being under the pump for much of the first half.
It wasn’t until Harvey Smith’s 75th minute try that the game was truly beyond the reach of the Bulls, who were without star forward Eribe Doro on account of a calf issue whilst Wakefield handed a first start to Myles Lawford after his impressive performance off the bench against Hull KR last week.
Tom Johnstone gave Trin the lead inside two minutes but they were only 10-6 up at the half, though Jay Pitts’ 44th minute try make it 16-6, however, Bradford didn’t go away.
Chris Atkin pulled one back before Josh Rourke and Harvey Smith’s tries in the final 15 minutes extended the lead to 26-12, a score that reflected Wakefield’s dominance but perhaps didn’t showcase how close Bradford were in the game.
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Bradford Bulls and Wakefield Trinity talking points
Horror start for Bulls
If Bradford were to beat an in-form Wakefield then they needed plenty to go right and even before kick-off, things were going wrong for the Bulls.
Loghan Lewis pulled out injured in the warm-up meaning Bradford were down of their starting props as their interchanges were thrown out of sync.
Jayden Nikorima then knocked on at the kick-off to offer Wakefield a set on the Bulls’ line, from which Tom Johnstone would score after some smart hands by Will Tate.
In fact, Bradford wouldn’t even touch the ball until Ethan Ryan carried into his in goal on the five-minute mark and that near-100% possession rate would continue until the seventh minute.
Wakefield go second after showing their grit
Early doors, it looked like Wakefield would run away with an easy victory as their pressure and dominance was absolute but the Bulls made them work and whilst Daryl Powell won’t be pleased his side released the pressure valve, he’ll be delighted at the grit to come through and win.
These two points, the wins that are expected, are the ones that are so easily dropped when the going gets tough and it certainly got tough for Wakefield. If they’re to be a champion side then wins such as last week over Hull KR are vital, but so are these games and the art of winning when you’re far from your best. Another box ticked for Trinity who are hitting new heights.
Credit to Bradford
Whilst perhaps not a talking point, it’s wrong not to mention just how good Bradford were at times. It’s also worth noting just how bad they were at times, with the first 15 minutes not pretty at all, but their ability to go deep into the game and be within touching distance is testament to their effort and philosophy.
They’re short on bodies and playing one of the best packs in Super League yet the Bulls found new ways to challenge Wakefield with Ebon Scurr exceptional off the bench, Caleb Aekins and Jayden Nikorima electric in attack, and Ethan Ryan always causing problems on the wing.
Their season may well take a turn now given the fixtures but next year after a full pre-season, the Bulls are going to be an incredible side to watch.
Ethan Ryan, hero to zero
Despite a Wakefield onslaught for the first 20 minutes, much of it brought on by Bradford’s ill-discipline, the Bulls found some incredible ruck speed to march down the field.
A high Chris Atkin kick was claimed in the air by Ethan Ryan as the winger picked the pocket of Lachlan Walmsley to score and draw the Bulls level on the 21st minute, however, he was in the sin bin by the 23rd minute.
After another Atkin spiral kick, Ryan took chase but he arrived early and got his judgement wrong as he cleaned out Josh Rourke, resulting in him being sin binned. The ensuing ten minutes resulted in a second Wakefield try.
Captain’s Challenge nonsense
What started off as a brilliant idea is now just a blight on the sport and today was a prime example why. Wakefield Trinity challenged in the first half after it was ruled Caleb Hamlin-Uele had knocked on. Trinity were successful in that challenge, however, the review showed that Chris Atkin stripped the Wakefield man one-on-one, meaning Bradford got the ball.
In essence, a successful challenge still led to Bradford keeping the ball, though at least the right decision was made, unlike in the second challenge of the game.
Bradford challenged claiming that Josh Rourke had knocked on and despite the footage appearing to suggest that was the case, Chris Kendall ruled the challenge to be inconclusive, meaning Wakefield kept the ball. From the very next set they’d scored when they simply should not have had the ball.
The game would also last well over two hours because of how many there were and how long they took, so until better cameras and more angles can be provided, the captain’s challenge is more hindrance than help.
Bulls’ tough run
Today’s game was bruising for the Bulls, who did well to be as close as they were at half time given how little of the ball they’d had. However, it’s only set to get tougher from here.
This was the first of six games in a row against the current top six with next week the toughest game of the lot, away to top-of-the-table Leeds Rhinos. Next up is an away trip to face Hull KR before home games against Warrington and Wigan.
Their six-game streak will end with an away trip to Leigh and even after that spate of games against play-off sides, the Bulls then have to head to Toulouse in late August where it will likely be searing heat.
Wakefield keep their winning run going! ⏩ pic.twitter.com/rXRlCgLpjY
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) July 16, 2026
