Bradford Bulls bounced back with an exhilarating 44-38 triumph over Swinton Lions at Odsal Stadium, resuming their winning form. A rapid start and a familiar partnership propelled Bradford to an early advantage. Kieran Gill grounded the ball after Dec Patton’s deft grubber kick, tallying his eighth try this season.
Inspired by the early score, the home team persistently threatened the Lions’ defence, and Brad England, who had been absent due to injury, glided past a Swinton player to dive over, 11 minutes into his return.
Patton’s kicking prowess increased Bradford’s lead, but Swinton responded swiftly as Jayden Hatton intercepted a flowing move and sprinted the length of the field.
Nonetheless, the Bulls remained undeterred, and Nathan Mason promptly restored Bradford’s advantage by seizing a short pass from Jordan Lilley.
David Foggin-Johnston joined the scoring spree, grounding Patton’s perfectly executed grubber kick.
A penalty just before the half-time whistle reduced Bradford’s lead to three scores. The visitors emerged with great energy at the beginning of the second half.
Benefitting from an error and a penalty, Amir Bourouh manoeuvred his way through the defence from the dummy-half position, followed by Rhodri Lloyd’s block and subsequent dash to score after collecting the loose ball.
Swinton then equalized the game, but Bradford retaliated with three rapid-fire tries of their own.
Jack Walker’s grubber kick allowed DFJ to secure his second try, and Keven Appo’s powerful run set up Mason for his second try.
Appo transitioned from provider to scorer as his unstoppable run couldn’t be halted before Swinton mounted a comeback in the closing stages.
Wesley Bruines collected a high kick and crossed the try line, and Andrew Badrock’s contribution in the final two minutes injected tension into the match.
However, the Bulls capitalized on an error to maintain their lead, clinching their sixth victory of the season, and their fifth win out of six matches at Odsal Stadium.
