: Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:57 pm  

Bradford Badger wrote:

Ignoring the highs we've experienced since SL, ultimate moments that will always stay with me are the 2 games that cost us the league title prior to SL (93-94 if my memory is correct).

Losing to Leigh at home when Dave Watson tried to commit murder, and the draw against Hull when Deryk Fox missed what seemed like 100 kicks at goal.

Didn't Gerald get four that days as well? Real opportunity to make history missed, that year. Wonder how the end of season WCC against Brisbane would have gone though? Wendall Sailor vs Roger Simpson, anyone?

BTW Foxy kicked one goal out of 7 IIRC though they were all out wide. Think Eastwood only got a couple. Northern 30 Hull FC 32, ugh.

That makes me think of another idea for the club - re-release Bradford Northern, Quest for Glory on DVD. Maybe they could digitally remaster it so one more of the kicks goes over.

: Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:02 pm  

I just remember leaving those games absolutely drained. It was the season of so near yet so far. I think we also lost against Cas in the Regal Trophy in the Semi final on New Years day. Lee Crookes nutted Newlove and got away with it and after that Newlove went hiding.

That day was definitely the quietest I've had at Odsal. A fair few hangovers in the crowd!!!

: Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:09 pm  

af wrote:

Wendall Sailor vs Roger Simpson, anyone?

Wendall would have cried off.

: Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:14 pm  

Bradford Badger wrote:

I think we also lost against Cas in the Regal Trophy in the Semi final on New Years day...

Who went and stuffed Wigan. We should have had one Regal Trophy in the early 90s at least. People bang on about Burnden Park, but forget that the year after we had two armwrestles with Wigan at Elland Road, in the RT Final and the CC semi, ending 15-8 and 15-6 respectively. That Northern side got as close to breaking Wigan's dominance as any did.

: Thu Apr 17, 2008 10:27 pm  

af wrote:

Wonder how the end of season WCC against Brisbane would have gone though? Wendall Sailor vs Roger Simpson, anyone?

It would have been great to see. Even though we'd have got battered!

: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:02 pm  

I remember going across to Central Park for the first round of the challenge cup in the early eighties. The match was played in an absolute mud bath. We got beat either 4-2 or 2-0 after a dubious penalty was given against Keith Mumby of all people. Big Brendan Hill played a blinder and we deserved a replay at the very least.

Wigan went on to win the cup that year and thus began their period of dominance. I have often wondered whether a sighted referee and a bit of luck might have changed the history of the game.

: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:52 pm  

Honourabull wrote:

Can't remember exactly which year, but Leon scoring the winning try at Headingley with two mins to go when the game looked beyond us comes close.

2002.

: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:59 pm  

af wrote:

Which brings us to another point - our treble was so much better than Saints' treble.

Your treble was a very fine line.

in 06 it was total domination for saints, it was unanimous, thrashings in both finals, finishing 8 points clear etc.

In 03 the bulls were involved in about 3 games with leeds that really could have gone either way. If they had gone leeds way leeds owuld have won the cc and fnished top.

The bulsl won the treble in 03, they lost the same amount of games as they did in 02 when they won nothing.

Just pointing out what a fine line there was between success and failure for the bulls in 03, there was no such line for saints in 06.

Re: Great Bradford Games : Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:46 am  

Mick Gledhill wrote:

Who remembers the big 1997 Sky Super League kick off on a cold Friday night at Odsal v Warrington

Round One
Friday 14th March 1997
Kick Off 19:30
Bradford 58 Warrington 20

Bradford Bulls: Spruce, Scales, Peacock, Bradley, Loughlin, Paul, Tomlinson, McDermott, Lowes, Nickle, Donougher, Dwyer, McNamara
Subs: Jowitt, Reihana, Cook, Medley

Tries: Paul 3, Scales, Spruce 2, McDermott, McNamara, Lowes, Pecock
Goals: McNamara 9/10

Warrington Wolves: Vagana, Mafi, Kohe-Love, Roper, Foster, Shelford, Swann, Finau, Dermott, hambers, Holden, Tatupu, Davies
Subs: Rudd, Currier, Stevens, Mann

Tries: Vagana, Rudd, Tatupu, Currier
Goals: Roper 2/4

Referee: David Campbell (Widnes)
Penalty Count: 8-4
Attendance: 15,017

yeah i remember that and remember them handing out free super league milk.

also remember warrington making some big signings at the start of the season and everyone thinking it would be their year...

including Martin Dermott who didn't play in another super league game

: Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:10 am  

Snake Eater wrote:

Your treble was a very fine line.

in 06 it was total domination for saints, it was unanimous, thrashings in both finals, finishing 8 points clear etc.

In 03 the bulls were involved in about 3 games with leeds that really could have gone either way. If they had gone leeds way leeds owuld have won the cc and fnished top.

The bulsl won the treble in 03, they lost the same amount of games as they did in 02 when they won nothing.

Just pointing out what a fine line there was between success and failure for the bulls in 03, there was no such line for saints in 06.

In both treble years, the main threat was Leeds, who with similar squads to the previous year went on to take the following season's title on each occasion.

In the case of Bradford in 2003, they had to defeat Leeds at Cardiff to secure the cup, at Headingley then Odsal to claim the hubcap and in the play-offs en route to Old Trafford. You say they could have gone either way. This suggests the result was, like a coin toss, determined by chance. But the Leeds-Bradford coin was tossed five times in 2003 and it came down Bradford-side-up five times. The chances of that occuring by chance are 1/32, or 3% I'd say it probably did not occur by chance.

In the case of Saints, Leeds hit the auto-destruct in the CC semis and the first round of the play-offs, so Saints faced Hull and Huddersfield in the two finals of that year.

Saints may have been further ahead of the rest in 06 than Bulls were in 03. However, I'd argue that coming through each of a series of battles with your nearest challengers to record the perfect season is more aesthetically pleasing than an uneventful cruise laid on for you by the failings of others.

af wrote:

Our treble was so much better than Saints' treble.

Yup.