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| Odsal Top: Geoff Toovey's strip-cam career was short-lived |
Way back in snowy February, Hornets produced a powerhouse performance to beat Bradford 22-14 and stay top of the Championship for a second amazing week. What a journey it’s been since then - for us and for Bradford.
Not too long ago you’d have got ridiculous odds on a season ending with Hornets secure in the Championship and Bradford en-route to the game’s third tier. But here we are…
And if that seems like the punchline to a particularly surreal Rugby League joke, you have to admire Lee Smith’s sense of humour. The Bradford winger sees Sunday as an opportunity to sign off Bradford's relegation season with a home win as a ‘reward’ to their fans. But his recall of this season’s other two games against Hornets is decidedly flaky.
"Rochdale have got us a couple of times…” he said this week in an interview with the Bradford Telegraph and Argus’ relentless Bulls propaganda machine. “… I missed the first game because it was full of snow! They nicked that one and did it again when we were over there a few weeks ago. We probably should have won that day."
We suggest he goes back and watches the videos. Bradford were a distant second best on both occasions - particularly in the Spotland game where two-try Jo Taira ran riot, leaving the Bulls laundry staff with the unpleasant problem of working out how to remove stains from the inside of shorts: Hornets eventually doubling the Bulls tally by 28-14.
Lovers of irony will appreciate that Bradford have run into some (too) late form - winning four of their six shield games thus far and have plenty of positive momentum to carry them into their preparations for life in League 1.
To counter the bad news, the T&A’s hype machine has been in overdrive this week, continuing the trumpet the Bulls in a blatant attempt to sugar-coat the drop. Our favourite from a wave of excitable newspeak is: “The Bulls, who have won ten of their 29 games, have picked up three more points than Sunday's final opponents Rochdale – and would also have finished above Swinton and Oldham without the penalty.”
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| Exciting times: The Bradford derby with Keighley is ON! |
For me, though, one reader comment on Smith’s Argus article sums up Bradford’s situation better
than any we’ve seen. Reader ‘Wolford6’ wrote: “We were once the best team in Britain and World Club Champions. Now we are the 12th best team in Yorkshire…”
In the dugout - and definitely not eyeing up the NSW Origin job - Geoff Toovey says it would be good for his side to end a tough season on a high. Again in the T&A: “It's been well documented how tough this season has been for everyone and to go out on a high would be good.”
Yeah - not if we have anything to do with it, Geoff.
I doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to suspect that, since being mentioned in the Media as a possible candidate to try and mop up the mess left behind by Laurie Daley (the Blues have won only one series since 2006 - and only six games from 15 under Daley’s tenure), Toovey’s had an eye on the door.
Speaking to ‘The Papers’, Toovey said last week: “It is a wonderful endorsement that the papers are talking about that but there is nothing official at this stage. It is a great job, a big challenge, and something that I would be interested in – but at the moment it is just in the papers." … er… BECAUSE YOU’RE TALKING TO THE PAPERS GEOFF! The Australian footy press are also heavily touting Toovey as potential coach of Gold Coast Titans next year. Either way, it’s gotta be better than going to Coventry…
Last week, Toovey’s distinctly un-Origin-standard Bulls scraped a win at Dewsbury by 16 points to 12. Against a Dewsbury side missing gun half-back Gareth Moore and which also had five-eighth maestro Paul Sykes sin-binned, Bradford did just enough to edge a scrappy game three tries to two - one of which came from sizeable unit Ross Peltier who has been Bradford’s best forward in the two games against Hornets this season.
While Bradford fans are busy Googling directions to Hemel, Llanelli and Haringey this winter, Hornets fans can look forward to another season in next year’s Championship (and trips to Toronto, Toulouse and - possibly - Perpignan).
A heartbreakingly narrow defeat at Wake-… er… Sheffield on the back of a performance of poise and swashbuckling bravado showed what Alan Kilshaw’s side is really capable of - and whetted the appetite for further adventures in this competition next year.
With key players already committing to 2018 and, we imagine, some strategic additions to add some extra punch and nous - the prospect of proving people wrong yet again is a delicious one to contemplate.
Back in the present, though, Hornets travel to Odsal seeking an unprecedented triple over Bradford. Missing Gaz Middlehurst, Jono Smith, Ben Moores, Rob Massam and Ant Walker, it has the feel of an awkward outing. But, as we’ve already said, proving people wrong is something this side is very good at. With nothing to lose the shackles are off, and another bold performance would be a fitting way to celebrate the accomplishment of 2017’s mission.
The end of season party starts Sunday - most likely on the popular side opposite the main stand (weather permitting). Let’s hope it won’t be snowing: see you there.
