Burgess Beats Bug to Bedevil Wilting Hull

Sam Burgess defied a violent stomach bug to lead Bradford to second in the Super League table and leave Hull's coach, Peter Sharp, with a queasy feeling that is becoming all too familiar.

With his team languishing in the bottom two, Sharp had admitted this week that they had to win this match and at Castleford next Friday to start their climb towards the top-six finish that was a minimum expectation at the start of the season.

But after a bright start they were clearly second best in the second half, with Bradford's young substitute Matt Cook making his first significant impact of a frustrating personal season to break an 8-8 deadlock in the 65th minute before Burgess made one try for Semi Tadulala and scored another himself to lift the Bulls above Warrington and Wigan on points difference.

"What Sam did in the last quarter was outstanding when you think he shouldn't really have played, he was so ill beforehand," said Bradford's coach, Steve McNamara. "That was an outstanding win for us because it's only a matter of time before Hull FC turn their season around. Peter Sharp is a super bloke and a super coach, and I really feel for him."

"We did a host of good things but at the moment we can't sustain it for long enough," said Sharp. "We just need to get through this patch and stick our nose out the other side." The likeable Australian retains strong support from the players and the confidence of Hull's directors, but admitted: "We need to win a game pretty soon."

Hull were near full strength last night, with Adam Dykes, Matt Sing and Garreth Carvell the only significant absentees, whereas the late withdrawal of David Solomona with a calf strain left Bradford without the four senior members of their first-choice pack plus a couple of backs.

The home side were good value for a 6-0 advantage earned by a close-range effort from their tough Australian hooker Shaun Berrigan, but seemed to be disrupted by the loss to injuries of Richard Horne and Lee Radford midway through the first half. In contrast Bradford grew stronger as the game progressed, and it was no surprise when they pulled level in first-half stoppage-time, Chris Nero plucking a clever kick from Ben Jeffries out of mid-air to cross on the left for a try which Paul Deacon converted.

Deacon nudged the Bulls ahead for the first time five minutes into the second half when Hull were caught offside in front of their posts. Hull equalized through a Danny Tickle penalty five minutes later, but only after being denied a second try by a touch judge who spotted a knock-on in the build-up to Todd Byrne beating Tadulala to cross in the corner.

However, Hull continued to put themselves under pressure by pushing unnecessary passes inside their own half and one such error, from Byrne, handed Bradford the position for Cook to struggle over on the right. Tadulala's score, which was superbly converted from near the touchline by Deacon, killed them off - and ensured another difficult week for Sharp.

His unrelated namesake Jon also had a bad night, as his Huddersfield Giants team were beaten 20-16 by the in-form Catalans Dragons at the Galpharm Stadium.

Hull FC Tony; Byrne, G Horne, Yeaman, Raynor; R Horne, Lee; Dowes, Berrigan, Cusack, Radford, Manu, Tickle.

Interchange Washbrook, Wheeldon, Houghton, Thackray.

Bradford Bulls Halley; Evans, Sykes, Hape, Tadulala; Jeffries, Deacon; Burgess, Godwin, Lynch, Nero, Finnigan, Langley.

Interchange Harris, Feather, Cook, Kopczak.

Referee B Thaler (Wakefield).