Although the Bradford coach, James Lowes, refused to be drawn on the important of points difference after this crushing defeat to Widnes, the 42-0 second-half scoreline could turn out to be fatal for their hopes of getting back into Super League next season.
It looked anything like a game that would be won so comprehensively at the interval though; Bradford, trailing only by two points after an Omari Caro score right on the hooter, looked more than capable of claiming another Super League scalp in the Super 8s after beating Salford Red Devils so convincingly two weeks ago.
But Widnes stepped up their intensity and their speed in the second half to such a degree that Bradford found it impossible to stay with them. As impressive as the 42 points Widnes ran in after the break was, the fact that Bradford failed to trouble the scorers themselves – the Vikings have now conceded just 36 points in the first four games of the qualifiers – is even more noteworthy.
Their points difference of 90 effectively acts as an extra competition point for them with three rounds to go – while the loss for Bradford sent their points difference plummeting into the negative.
“The shutout in the second half is especially pleasing,” the Widnes coach, Denis Betts, said. “We spoke to the players at half-time about how we’d dealt with what Bradford threw at us, and we’ve only been conceding eight points a game on average. It was a very impressive effort from us in that regard.”
Just like they had against Salford two weeks earlier, Bradford started well but, after Adrian Purtell’s early try broke the deadlock, Widnes hit back to establish a lead they would never lose. Two tries from Joe Mellor either side of a good finish from Patrick Ah Van put them in control – but, as Widnes pressed for more points with half-time approaching, Caro plucked a Kevin Brown pass out of the air and raced the length of the field – to make the gap just a meagre two points at the interval.
That could have been the catalyst for Bradford to surge forward and claim another success but, instead, Widnes clicked up a gear. Charly Runciman continued his impressive form by extending Widnes’ lead after a pass from Danny Galea, before Mellor completed his hat-trick after regaining his own kick.
Bradford were struggling to live with the pace of Widnes and after scores from Hep Cahill, Ah Van and Rhys Hanbury sealed the win the Vikings put the icing on the cake with a try for Brown and Ah Van’s hat-trick score right on the hooter.
“I’m not bothered about the points difference, I’m annoyed about the loss,” Lowes said. “We’re still in a decent position to go up though and I’m certainly not going to throw in the towel – the cue isn’t going on the rack just yet.”
Bradford Clare; Caro, Nielsen, Purtell, Williams; Addy, Mullaney; Clough, O’Brien, Sidlow, Ferguson, Olbison, Pitts.
Interchange Blythe, Mellor, Lauaki, Crossley.
Tries Purtell, Caro. Goals Addy 2.
Widnes Hanbury; Flynn, Dean, Runciman, Ah Van; Brown, Mellor; Gerrard, White, Dudson, Tickle, Galea, Cahill.
Interchange Manuokafoa, Clarkson, Whitley, Heremaia.
Tries Mellor 3, Ah Van 3, Runciman, Cahill, Hanbury, Brown. Goals White 2, Tickle 6.
Referee J Cobb. Att 6,881.
