Arabic version: برادفورد بولز ينهي سلسلة الهزائم أمام كاسلفورد

According to BBC News, Bradford Bulls ended a seven-match losing run with a 32-22 West Yorkshire derby win over Castleford Tigers at Odsal Stadium. The result also stopped Bradford’s sequence of five straight home defeats and left Castleford without a head coach after a sixth loss in seven games since their July victory over league leaders Leeds Rhinos.

Bottom-of-the-table Bradford led 26-4 at half-time after tries from Riley Dean, Connor Wynne, Caleb Aekins, Dan Russell and Waqa Blake. Chris Atkin kicked four goals and played a major role for the Bulls against his former club, while Louis Senior scored Castleford’s only first-half try.

Castleford improved after the break, with Krystian Mapapalangi scoring twice and Alex Mellor also crossing. But Ebon Scurr’s try 12 minutes into the second half maintained Bradford’s advantage. The Bulls are now level on points with York Knights, Huddersfield Giants and Hull FC with one match remaining, and face second-bottom York next Thursday.

Bradford coach Kurt Haggerty praised his side’s defence and resilience, saying they had carried momentum from their previous match in Toulouse into the derby. Castleford interim coach Luke Robinson said his team were lacking confidence and highlighted their defensive record, saying analysts had told him they were conceding an average of 34 points per game.