Bradford storm
past 12-man Hull

Bradford and their blockbusting winger Lesley Vainikolo re-wrote the record books with a 12-try 71-0 thrashing of 12-man Hull to book a trip to St Helens for the Super League elimination final.

On this form few would bet against the rampant Bulls next Friday setting up a repeat of last year?s Grand Final against reigning champions Leeds at Old Trafford on October 15.

Vainikolo followed up his Super League record six tries against Hull five weeks ago by becoming the first player to touch down four times in a play-off tie, in the process taking his tally for the season to 33 and his Bradford career total to 111 in just 103 appearances.

Scrum-half Paul Deacon kicked a play-off record 10 goals, and Bradford topped the previous highest score of 54 points in play-off football set by St Helens five years ago as they made Hull pay for the seventh-minute dismissal of Stephen Kearney.

The visitors were already trailing 6-0 when the departing 33-year-old New Zealand international was shown the red card by referee Steve Ganson for a high tackle on Bradford?s Great Britain front rower Stuart Fielden.

It was a sad way for the veteran Kiwi to end his brief Super League career and a telling factor as Hull found themselves 22-0 behind after 21 minutes, just five weeks after they went down 49-6 in a league match at Odsal.

Bradford were restored to full strength with the return of full-back Michael Withers from a two-match absence with a rib injury, and he was among the try-scorers while Hull coach John Kear favoured short-term overseas recruit Sione Faumuina over scrum-half Danny Brough.

But Faumuina, who missed his side?s fabulous 40-6 win at Warrington last week with a shoulder injury, hardly got in the game as the Bulls - aiming for a 10th straight win - dominated from the kick-off.

Bradford captain Jamie Peacock, one of at least three players making their final appearances at Odsal in a Bulls jersey, set the ball rolling with a rampaging run which established the position from which highly-impressive hooker Ian Henderson forced his way over after only three minutes.

If the ease with which Peacock opened the visitors? defence was not ominous enough Hull?s mission became impossible when Kearney was dismissed for his reckless challenge on Fielden.

Leon Pryce got his captain stretching over for second try on 13 minutes, and man of the match Henderson made a break for Withers to touch down.

In the one-way traffic, it was only a matter of time before Vainikolo got in on the act. He shrugged off the tackle of Nathan Blacklock with contemptuous ease on 21 minutes and added a second just before the interval after a break out of defence by substitute Jamie Langley.

In between the Volcano?s first two tries, Henderson nipped over for his second following a defensive blunder by Hull full-back Tom Saxton - and Deacon made the running for a try for second rower Paul Johnson.

It hardly seemed necessary, but Iestyn Harris supplemented the scoring with a drop goal as Bradford led 41-0 by half-time.

It took Vainikolo just 33 seconds of the second half to complete his hat-trick - and he then turned try-maker, palming the ball back from Harris? kick for his centre partner Shontayne Hape to touch down.

The `Volcano? erupted once more to grab his fourth try and help Bradford set that new record points total in play-off rugby before racing 60 metres to set up the position for Harris to score.

Prop Fielden crashed over for Bradford?s 12th and final try - and long-serving half-back Robbie Paul, on what is likely to have been his final match at Odsal, was given the task of completing the scoring with the conversion.

Bradford: Withers, L. Pryce, B. Harris, Hape, Vainikolo, I. Harris, Deacon, Peacock, Henderson, Fielden, Johnson, Meyers, Radford. Replacements: Vagana, Morley, Paul, Langley.

Hull: Saxton, Blacklock, Yeaman, Whiting, Raynor, Faumuina, R. Horne, Dowes, Swain, Carvell, McMenemy, Kearney, Cooke. Replacements: Tony, King, Thackray, Chester.

Bradford: (41) 71. Tries: Henderson 2, Peacock, Withers, Vainikolo 4, Johnson, Hape, I. Harris, Fielden. Goals: Deacon 10, Paul. Drop Goals: I. Harris.

Hull: (0) 0.

Referee: Steve Ganson (St Helens) Att: 13,148

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Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this report.