It may not have been the result that many were expecting, but it showed that the Bradford Bulls mean serious business this year, as they demolished the Wakefield Wildcats 40-6 – with coach Francis Cummins expecting more of the same in their upcoming games.
Following last year’s scare with liquidation, it was an off-season full of testing times for the club and rebuilding for the future – with this win, the perfect start to their season and a testament to their overall steely resolve.
We’ve got to do this all year. To starve Wakefield of the ball was really pleasing. We earned the right to play,” said Cummins.
“I was able to enjoy it after the start we made. I’m really pleased for the boys.”
It was a former Penrith Panthers utility in Jarrod Sammut that won the man of the match award, scoring two tries and setting up others, on the back of solid work from the Bradford forwards throughout the game, with Cummins heaping praise on a few players.
“Jarrod Sammut is an exciting talent, but the front rowers allowed him and Brett Kearney to run off the back of their hard work,” he said.
“Jamie Foster stepped up again from the friendly against Leeds. He’s got skills and he’s definitely got a rugby league brain to play at full-back. He reads the game really well and he’s quick.”
His praises were in stark contrast to that of Wakefield coach Richard Agar, who launched a scathing sting on his players, particularly his forwards, labelling their performance as “disgraceful”.
“I probably didn’t see it coming but, if you are not in a physical contest, things can get a bit messy,” said Agar.
“Our contact was nowhere near up to scratch, in fact it was disgraceful. I lay the blame firmly at the door of our forwards.”