ESL Round 15 Reports -
Friday/Saturday Games

Anderson makes winning start, and Bulls gain revenge over Hull.

- - - - -

Anderson makes winning start

St Helens gave new coach Daniel Anderson a dream start to his career at Knowsley Road with a magnificent 38-24 victory over Leeds Rhinos that breathes new life into the engage Super League leadership race.

Leeds had no answer to the attacking brilliance of Saints, who shattered the visitors? eight-match winning run and closed the gap on the leaders to just two points.

Rhinos forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan scored a hat-trick of tries but two of them came in the last 15 minutes when the contest had already been decided.

Leeds were the last away team to win at Knowsley Road and they sensed a repeat when winger Marcus Bai gave them the lead with a third-minute try.

Former Bradford and Great Britain prop Paul Anderson, who has enjoyed a new lease of life since his close-season move to Knowsley Road, drew the scores level when he crashed over after seven minutes, taking three defenders over the line with him.

Sean Long kicked the first of seven goals from as many attempts to put Saints in front and that was the signal for them to cut loose with a sparkling attacking play.

Darren Albert finished off a dangerous break from dummy-half by Keiron Cunningham, Long stepped inside prop Ryan Bailey for a solo try and second-rower Vinnie Anderson was given the benefit of the doubt by video referee David Campbell when he stretched out for the line on 29 minutes.

The champions, beaten only once so far this year, looked a shadow of their former selves and even the introduction of substitute Danny McGuire after 21 minutes failed to pick them up.

They broke with tradition by kicking for goal when awarded a penalty in front of the posts on 15 minutes and they had to wait until first-half stoppage time before claiming their second try.

The Rhinos regained possession from the re-start and skipper Kevin Sinfield broke clear to send Jones-Buchanan over by the posts for his first try, with Sinfield kicking his second goal.

St Helens? 20-point advantage was restored within three minutes of the second half when teenage full-back Ian Hardman, a more-than-useful deputy for the injured Paul Wellens, ran onto a pass from Long to claim his side?s fifth try.

Saints, clearly on a roll, received another boost after 47 minutes when skipper Paul Sculthorpe returned to the action after recovering from a knock and he got on the scoresheet virtually straight away, taking Vinnie Anderson?s superb pass to touch down.

Leeds were well beaten but they restored some pride when Jones-Buchanan collected Mark Calderwood?s lofted kick for his second try before completing his hat-trick 10 minutes from the end after a break by McGuire.

With Sinfield off the pitch, Rob Burrow took over the goalkicking and landed both his conversions to add further consolation.

St Helens: Hardman, Gardner, Lyon, Talau, Albert, Hooper, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, P. Anderson, Gilmour, V. Anderson, Sculthorpe. Replacements: Bennett, Fa?asavalu, Graham, Roby.

Leeds: Mathers, Calderwood, McKenna, Senior, Bai, Sinfield, Burrow, Bailey, Dunemann, Ward, Jones-Buchanan, Poching, Ellis. Replacements: McGuire, McDermott, Lauitiiti, Botham.

St Helens: (26) 38. Tries: P. Anderson, Albert, Long, V. Anderson, Hardman, Sculthorpe. Goals: Long 7.

Leeds: (12) 24. Tries: Bai, Jones-Buchanan 3. Goals: Sinfield 2, Burrow 2.

Referee: Karl Kirkpatrick (Warrington) Att: 13,236

- - - - -

Bulls gain revenge over Hull

Bradford gained sweet revenge for their Powergen Challenge Cup defeat at the KC Stadium earlier this month with a crushing 42-24 win in Saturday night?s engage Super League clash.

The versatile Paul Deacon was the star of the show, laying on three of his side?s six tries and kicking nine goals from 10 attempts as the Bulls moved to within a point of third-placed Hull.

Hull had set their sights on a top-two finish after putting together an impressive three-match winning run but they may have to revise their target after suffering their heaviest defeat of the season.

The first half was in complete contrast to the cup tie, in which the Bulls found themselves trailing 20-0 before mounting a brave, if ultimately unsuccessful, second-half fightback.

Bradford coach Brian Noble, who was this week handed a new two-year contract, rang the changes following last week?s surprise home defeat by Warrington and they paid off handsomely.

He gave a full debut to new signing Ben Harris, the former Canterbury Bulldogs centre, and restored Deacon to his natural scrum-half role, with Robbie Paul relegated to the bench.

The Bulls were forced into a late change due to the withdrawal of previous ever-present forward Rob Parker following the birth of his first child, while former Castleford prop Andy Lynch made his first start for the club.

Hull started the game badly and never really got going against a superbly-drilled Bradford outfit.

Richard Whiting put the ball out on the full from the kick-off and prop Jamie Thackray, chosen by Noble in the initial Great Britain squad, conceded two penalties in the first 10 minutes to give Deacon the chance to kick the visitors into a 4-0 lead.

Bradford were indebted to winger Stuart Reardon for tracking back and tackling Hull full-back Shaun Briscoe in full flight for the line and, after a period of sustained pressure, would have been quietly relieved to concede just two points through a Paul Cooke penalty after 15 minutes.

At the other end, Briscoe pulled off a crunching tackle to deny Bulls winger Karl Pryce following a neat break by hooker Karl Pratt.

But the match?s first try quickly followed, with second-rower Brad Meyers running on to a superb pass from Deacon to cross the line unopposed.

Deacon added the conversion to stretch his side?s lead to 10-2 and things went from bad to worse for Hull after 29 minutes when Bradford scored their second try.

Deacon was once more instrumental in the build-up, taking a return pass from Leon Pryce, to get 19-year-old substitute Brett Ferres over for his first Super League try with his first touch of the ball.

Bradford, clearly on a roll, maintained the pressure and scored a third try a minute from the break when Leon Pryce raced 75 metres to touch down following a break by Paul.

The immaculate Deacon kicked his fifth goal from as many attempts to put the Bulls firmly in control at 22-2 by half-time.

Having let slip a 24-8 lead against Warrington, the Bradford fans would have started to become uneasy when Hull prop Garreth Carvell went through a gap in the visitors? defence for a try within three minutes of the re-start.

Cooke?s second goal made it 22-8 and Hull thought they had scored again when centre Richard Whiting went over at the corner only to be recalled for a forward pass.

Deacon kicked a third penalty to ease his side?s nerves and they clinched the win with two more tries in four minutes.

Reardon leapt up for Deacon?s high kick for the first and Karl Pryce scored the second - his 14th of the season - after a pass from brother Leon ricocheted into his arms off a defender.

At 34-8, Hull were heading for a rout but they produced a late rally which brought two tries for left winger Gareth Raynor, both the result of clever work from stand-off Cooke, who kicked his third goal.

But Leon Pryce scored his second try, courtesy of a defensive blunder, before Hull winger Nathan Blacklock grabbed a consolation try, goaled by Danny Brough.

Hull: Briscoe, Blacklock, Whiting, Yeaman, Raynor, Cooke, R. Horne, Dowes, King, Thackray, Chester, Kearney, McMenemy. Replacements: Saxton, Carvell, Brough, McNicholas

Bradford: Withers, Reardon, B. Harris, L. Pryce, K. Pryce, I. Harris, Deacon, Lynch, Pratt, Fielden, Peacock, Meyers, Radford. Replacements: Paul, Vagana, Cook, Ferres.

Hull: (2) 24. Tries: Carvell, Raynor 2, Blacklock. Goals: Cooke 3, Brough.

Bradford: (22) 42. Tries: Meyers, Ferres, L. Pryce 2, Reardon, K. Pryce. Goals: Deacon 9.

Referee: Ashley Klein (London) Att: 11,563

- - - - -

Thanks to http://www.superleague.co.uk/ for more great articles.