Brave Bulls buckle

HoW much longer can Bradford cling on? The Bulls gave Leeds a genuine test at headingley but their future continues to hang in the balance after the revelation that there has not yet been a formal offer for the club.

on Thursday, administrator Brendan Guilfoyle claimed that the aBC Consortium, made up of Bradford businessmen, had ‘made an offer’ on condition that the club retained super League status. But after meeting Guilfoyle yesterday, the rFL were forced to admit otherwise.

To their credit, Bradford’s players put aside off- field concerns as they went in level at 6-6 at half-time.

The Bulls carved open Leeds’ rearguard inside the first five minutes. heath L’Estrange and Luke Gale started a sweeping 60-metre move that saw Elliott Whitehead touch down.

Leeds responded when stevie Ward’s broke and rob Burrow, Kevin sinfield and Zak hardaker combined to work Kallum Watkins clear.

Bradford could have led at the break had Karl pryce’s pass to Jarrod sammut not been judged forward, and Leeds then lost Brett Delaney with a thumb injury. however, the rhinos clicked into gear with two tries in three minutes early in the second half.

Watkins claimed his second following more good work from sinfield and hardaker before shaun Lunt’s 100th career try took the hosts out of reach.

Watkins was first to react when hardaker’s spiraling kick beat sammut and pryce, and he fed Lunt to give Leeds some breathing space before sinfield was sin- binned for a professional foul.

hardaker, Danny mcGuire and sinfield added further Leeds tries while olivier Elima and pryce replied for Bradford.