Pryce leads rampage

Bradford 48 Hull 24

Bradford warmed up for the Challenge Cup Final with a commanding second-half display against Hull last night that consolidated their second place in the Super League.

But the Bulls' coach, Brian Noble, was left with worries for Cardiff over two forwards, Stuart Fielden, who went off with a knee injury, and Richard Moore, who was placed on report for lifting his knee in the tackle in an incident which injured Hull's Chris Chester.

Hull took advantage of Bradford's slow start with Richie Barnett stepping through for a brilliant try and Steve Prescott landing two goals. Bradford were in more trouble when Fielden went off, but Hull let them back into the game. After Paul Deacon landed a penalty, Robbie Paul's cleverly weighted kick set up Vita Vikona to touch down and Deacon added the equalising conversion.

Prescott's penalty after the Moore incident put Hull back in front, but Leon Pryce's intricate footwork and lunge for the line, gave the Bulls a half-time lead and they never looked back.

Shontayne Happe and Lesley Vainikolo smuggled the ball between them six minutes into the second half, with Happe touching down to make it a 10-point lead. After Prescott's penalty for Hull, Karl Pratt twice, Vikona, James Lowes and Pryce, underlined Bradford's dominance, to which Hull could make only token replies.

Bradford: Paul; Vaikona, Naylor, Hape, Vainikolo; Pryce, Deacon; Anderson, Lowes, Fielden, Radford, Gilmour, Forshaw. Substitutes: Pratt, Langley, Parker, Moore.

Hull: R Horne; Prescott, Barnett, Yeaman, Best; Cooke, J Smith; Greenhill, Last, King, Maher, Ryan, Chester. Substitutes: Carvell, Fletcher, Craven, G Horne.

Referee: I Smith (Oldham).