Weasels Ripped My Flesh
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Bulls take Super League crown
SATURDAY - 15th October 2005
Jamie Peacock signed off his Bradford career in fairytale fashion by leading the Bulls to an historic fourth engage Super League title against his new club by 15-6.
Peacock, who will officially take up a four-year contract with the Rhinos next month, helped Bradford avenge last years 16-8 defeat in a tense Grand Final played in front of a third successive capacity crowd of 65,537 crowd at Old Trafford.
The Bulls defended magnificently to wrest the trophy from their arch rivals, who have now lost both major finals this year, and become the first club to win the Grand Final from third place.
They did it courtesy of a 12th successive win on a night of raw emotion, with nine players wearing their club colours for the last time.
Lee Radford, man of the match Leon Pryce and long-serving club captain Robbie Paul also ended their Bradford careers on a high while it in ended in tears for veteran Leeds prop Barrie McDermott, who brought the curtain down on his 15-year club career on a losing note.
There was disappointment, too, for Andrew Dunemann, Chris McKenna, Marcus Bai and Mark Calderwood, although the consolation for McKenna, who is joining Bradford, is that he will get the chance to make his debut in Februarys World Club Challenge against Australian champions Wests Tigers.
It was one of the men staying at Odsal, prop Stuart Fielden, who provided the Bulls with much-needed inspiration when Leeds threatened to unlock their tenuous grip on the absorbing game, which followed a similar pattern to last years showpiece, with both defences working overtime in the face of some sustained attack.
Despite the long, cut-out passes of former Leeds skipper Iestyn Harris, the Bulls were only fitfully able to bring danger man Lesley Vainikolo into play, though he did manage to score his 34th try of the season.
Leeds repeated last years successful tactic of targeting the Kiwi juggernaut but he was up to the task this time and set the crowd alight with his barnstorming runs out of defence.
Leeds stand-off Danny McGuire, who grabbed the match-winning try a year ago, scored the first this time, timing his run to perfection as he chased a deft kick from Andrew Dunemann and finishing decisively after 22 minutes.
Skipper Kevin Sinfield surprisingly missed the conversion but made amends with a penalty six minutes before half-time after ex-Leeds favourite Adrian Morley had been punished for use of the elbow.
Morley had earlier been the victim of a tackle around the throat by his former team-mate McDermott, who had been on the pitch only two minutes before producing his first indiscretion.
Paul Deacon kicked the penalty and added a second to level the scores at 4-4 when Dunemann was pulled up for interference at the play-the-ball.
Bradford went in front on 29 minutes when the departing Pryce, chosen on the wing but given licence to roam, popped up in the full-back role and accelerated through a gap, evading the attempted tackle of Sinfield, to score a superb solo 40-metre try.
The Bulls thought they had extended their lead four minutes into the second half when Shontayne Hape touched down only to have it disallowed for obstruction by his partner Vainikolo, although video referee Dave Campbell needed to study slow-motion replays for more than two minutes before coming up with the decision.
Six minutes later it was the Rhinos turn to lose out to modern technology when slow-motion replays indicated that centre Chev Walker had lost control of the ball as he touched down.
That near-miss, which followed the belated introduction of hooker Matt Diskin, proved to be the pivotal moment of the match, with Bradford immediately working their way upfield and scoring their second try.
Half-breaks by Peacock and substitute Jamie Langley took them close and Vainikolo was simply unstoppable as he gathered the ball from dummy half and threw his 18st frame at the line for his 20th try in his last 10 matches.
Deacons third successful goal opened up a crucial eight-point cushion before missing with a second penalty attempt and Iestyn Harris had the final say against his old club with a drop goal six minutes from the end.
Leeds (6) 6.
Tries: McGuire. Goals: Sinfield.
Bradford (8) 15.
Tries: L. Pryce, Vainikolo. Goals: Deacon 3. Drop Goals: I. Harris.
Leeds: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, McKenna, Bai, McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, Dunemann, Ward, Ellis, Poching, Sinfield.
Replacements: Lauitiiti, Diskin, Jones-Buchanan, McDermott.
Bradford: Withers, L. Pryce, B. Harris, Hape, Vainikolo, I. Harris, Deacon, Fielden, Henderson, Peacock, Johnson, Meyers, Radford.
Replacements: Paul, Morley, Vagana, Langley.
Referee: Ashley Klein (London)
Att: 65,536
Jamie Peacock signed off his Bradford career in fairytale fashion by leading the Bulls to an historic fourth engage Super League title against his new club by 15-6.
Peacock, who will officially take up a four-year contract with the Rhinos next month, helped Bradford avenge last years 16-8 defeat in a tense Grand Final played in front of a third successive capacity crowd of 65,537 crowd at Old Trafford.
The Bulls defended magnificently to wrest the trophy from their arch rivals, who have now lost both major finals this year, and become the first club to win the Grand Final from third place.
They did it courtesy of a 12th successive win on a night of raw emotion, with nine players wearing their club colours for the last time.
Lee Radford, man of the match Leon Pryce and long-serving club captain Robbie Paul also ended their Bradford careers on a high while it in ended in tears for veteran Leeds prop Barrie McDermott, who brought the curtain down on his 15-year club career on a losing note.
There was disappointment, too, for Andrew Dunemann, Chris McKenna, Marcus Bai and Mark Calderwood, although the consolation for McKenna, who is joining Bradford, is that he will get the chance to make his debut in Februarys World Club Challenge against Australian champions Wests Tigers.
It was one of the men staying at Odsal, prop Stuart Fielden, who provided the Bulls with much-needed inspiration when Leeds threatened to unlock their tenuous grip on the absorbing game, which followed a similar pattern to last years showpiece, with both defences working overtime in the face of some sustained attack.
Despite the long, cut-out passes of former Leeds skipper Iestyn Harris, the Bulls were only fitfully able to bring danger man Lesley Vainikolo into play, though he did manage to score his 34th try of the season.
Leeds repeated last years successful tactic of targeting the Kiwi juggernaut but he was up to the task this time and set the crowd alight with his barnstorming runs out of defence.
Leeds stand-off Danny McGuire, who grabbed the match-winning try a year ago, scored the first this time, timing his run to perfection as he chased a deft kick from Andrew Dunemann and finishing decisively after 22 minutes.
Skipper Kevin Sinfield surprisingly missed the conversion but made amends with a penalty six minutes before half-time after ex-Leeds favourite Adrian Morley had been punished for use of the elbow.
Morley had earlier been the victim of a tackle around the throat by his former team-mate McDermott, who had been on the pitch only two minutes before producing his first indiscretion.
Paul Deacon kicked the penalty and added a second to level the scores at 4-4 when Dunemann was pulled up for interference at the play-the-ball.
Bradford went in front on 29 minutes when the departing Pryce, chosen on the wing but given licence to roam, popped up in the full-back role and accelerated through a gap, evading the attempted tackle of Sinfield, to score a superb solo 40-metre try.
The Bulls thought they had extended their lead four minutes into the second half when Shontayne Hape touched down only to have it disallowed for obstruction by his partner Vainikolo, although video referee Dave Campbell needed to study slow-motion replays for more than two minutes before coming up with the decision.
Six minutes later it was the Rhinos turn to lose out to modern technology when slow-motion replays indicated that centre Chev Walker had lost control of the ball as he touched down.
That near-miss, which followed the belated introduction of hooker Matt Diskin, proved to be the pivotal moment of the match, with Bradford immediately working their way upfield and scoring their second try.
Half-breaks by Peacock and substitute Jamie Langley took them close and Vainikolo was simply unstoppable as he gathered the ball from dummy half and threw his 18st frame at the line for his 20th try in his last 10 matches.
Deacons third successful goal opened up a crucial eight-point cushion before missing with a second penalty attempt and Iestyn Harris had the final say against his old club with a drop goal six minutes from the end.
Leeds (6) 6.
Tries: McGuire. Goals: Sinfield.
Bradford (8) 15.
Tries: L. Pryce, Vainikolo. Goals: Deacon 3. Drop Goals: I. Harris.
Leeds: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, McKenna, Bai, McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, Dunemann, Ward, Ellis, Poching, Sinfield.
Replacements: Lauitiiti, Diskin, Jones-Buchanan, McDermott.
Bradford: Withers, L. Pryce, B. Harris, Hape, Vainikolo, I. Harris, Deacon, Fielden, Henderson, Peacock, Johnson, Meyers, Radford.
Replacements: Paul, Morley, Vagana, Langley.
Referee: Ashley Klein (London)
Att: 65,536
