Bradford Bulls end Halifax Panthers’ perfect start in pulsating West Yorkshire derby

Fax looked on course to make it seven league victories from their opening seven games after a Louis Jouffret penalty, try and conversion gave them an 8-0 lead.

But converted tries from James Meadows and Luke Hooley either side of half-time enabled the Bulls to claim the local bragging rights.

Despite the 12-8 defeat, Kyle Eastmond’s men remain top of the table by two points.

Eastmond, who has worked wonders in his short time as Fax head coach, made some tweaks to the side which beat Hunslet last Friday evening which made it six wins from six Championship games with Tom Whitehead making his debut from the bench after signing on a one-month loan from Warrington Wolves, Charlie Graham returning from injury, captain Ben Crooks coming back into the side and Tom Inman and Owen McCarron replacing Jack Hansen and Ronan Dixon.

It was a compelling first half, which Fax dominated for large periods before they were pegged back just before the hooter.

An early Jouffret grubber applied pressure straightaway with Guy Armitage taking no chances and conceding a goal-line drop-out.

Inman and Graham were next to try their chances but they were both held up on the line. At the other end, Fax were producing a rugged defensive performance worthy of a side top of the table by three points.

The first points of the afternoon, deservedly, arrived for the home side in the 11th minute when Jouffret slotted over a penalty after Crooks was taken out.

However, the Panthers were dealt a challenge when Jacob Fairbank was sent to the sin bin for a late hit on former team-mate Joe Keyes, who, along with Matty Gee, was returning to The Shay for the first time since their move to Odsal at the end of last season.

But it was a challenge Eastmond’s men passed with flying colours as the Bulls failed to make inroads into Fax territory.

All the action, despite the temporary numerical advantage, was at the other end as James Woodburn-Hall found Inman but the Bulls did well to deny Fax the opening try.

Hooley then had to be alert to thwart an enticing Inman grubber kick.

The pressure finally told when the Bulls had 13 men to defend against again. Zack McComb, on his 100th appearance for the club, kicked forward to Inman, who in turn kicked it further towards the posts. And when it appeared destined Inman would score himself, he was crudely taken out off the ball.

Jouffret, however, was on the scene to touch down by the posts, before the full-back converted his own try.

Fax were in cruise control at 8-0 as the seconds motored towards the half-time hooter but the Bulls were handed a lifeline after Meadows escaped and detached from inside his own half and slipped past Jouffret, who was the last man, to easily go between the sticks.

The Bulls completed the comeback within 15 minutes of the restart when Hooley received a suspiciously forward pass from Ronan Michael before the former Batley Bulldogs star converted his own try.

The last time these two met was towards the end of last season here at The Shay, with Fax winning a dramatic affair 14-10.

And there was drama here when former Fax star Eribe Doro denied Inman after a great back-handed offload from Graham.

Fax had one more chance to maintain their perfect start when Jouffret’s long ball out wide found Ben Tibbs but he could not get over.

Halifax: Jouffret, Tibbs, Graham, Crooks, Saltonstall, Inman, Woodburn-Hall, Douglas, O’Brien, McCarron, McComb, Tangata, Fairbank

Interchanges: Davies, Graham, Calcott, Whitehead

Tries: Jouffret

Conversions: Jouffret

Penalties: Jouffret

Bradford: Hooley, Okunbor, Blake, Liu, Armitage, Keyes, Meadows, Lawrence, Souter, Scurr, Fulton, Gee, Donaldson

Interchanges: Lilley, Michael, Doro, Pele

Tries: Meadows, Hooley

Conversions: Hooley (2)

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas

Attendance: 4,887