What an interesting day at Silver Royd! It’s not often the first game of the season draws such a big crowd, but today was an exception. It was great to see familiar faces from Bradford Salem, and it was also a pleasure catching up with Bob Hood, who remains as dedicated and enthusiastic about rugby as ever.
The win went to Bradford, who were particularly strong in certain positions, thanks in part to five or six powerful and talented professional rugby league players. Interestingly, we were told by the opposition that many of these players will be playing again tomorrow for their professional clubs, which makes for an intriguing setup.
Despite the loss, Scarborough played exceptionally well, with the four 17-year-old debutants especially standing out. Scabs displayed real cohesion, creating plenty of opportunities and scoring some great tries, which could have been enough to win the match on another day. However, today, the sheer power and individual brilliance of a few Bradford players made the difference.
If Bradford can keep this team together, they’ll undoubtedly be strong contenders for promotion. However, it seems like many of these players are temporary, so it’s unclear how long they’ll be around. On a perfectly flat pitch on such a beautiful day at Silver Royd, perhaps this wasn’t the ideal day to face them!
For those watching Bradford Bulls or Doncaster tomorrow, keep an eye on these players:
Morgan Mirzaali
Suaia Matagi
Pauli Pauli (not from The Sopranos!)
Adrea Vasuitoga
Watisoni Radaubale
In the end, it was a well-deserved victory for Bradford, but there’s no shame for Scarborough, who played very well.
The referee had a very challenging game to manage, but he handled it extremely well.