Blake Scores Twice As Bradford Beat Catalans
20 February 2026
Bradford (24) 28
Tries: Ackers, Blake (2 ), Aekins Goals: Milnes (6 )
Catalans (0) 10
Tries: Faataape, Sexton Goals: Sexton
Bradford Bulls marked their first Super League home match for 12 years with an emphatic 28-10 win over Catalans Dragons.
Converted attempts from Andy Ackers, Waqa Blake and Caleb Aekins were contributed to by three penalty goals by Rowan Milnes for a 24-0 lead at half-time.
Quickfire scores from Solomona Faataape and Toby Sexton threatened a spectacular Dragons comeback in the second half.
But Blake scored again to secure a famous win for the Bulls at Odsal Stadium.
Bradford took an early lead through Ackers, who weaved previously powering over the line from close quarters after Joe Mellor kept the move alive.
Milnes kicked two charges from under the sticks inside 22 minutes, punishing a string of errors by the Dragons.
The visitors were denied by a no-try call when Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui believed he had scored on the line, however the video referee maintained the decision, ruling that he had actually not touched the ball down.
It proved to be a crucial moment as Milnes included a third charge goal before Blake raced away after a quick team move from right to left to score the Bulls' second try.
Aekins then darted through a gap left by the Catalans' front row for a 3rd shot.
Three minutes after the break, the Dragons were offered a gift when Ethan Ryan's loose pass was attacked on by Faataape, who could not believe his luck as he ran in to score.
The momentum was with the visitors, and another Bradford mistake, this time from Aekins, was as Sexton went over, however his conversion effort went broad to leave the deficit at 14 points.
Ryan practically made amends for his mistake by catching a long Milnes kick inside the Catalans' half before setting Esan Marsters away, however the video referee prohibited the try, ruling that Ryan had been taken on throughout the play.
Blake included his second shot moments later after Ryan combined with Milnes to top an excellent success.
Bradford progress pleases Haggerty - response
Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty informed BBC Radio Leeds:
"I actually enjoyed the first half. I really delighted in parts of the second half, especially defensively.
"We were actually sloppy with the ball in the 2nd half, but I liked how we turned Catalans away. We revealed how fit we are ... and how far we have actually come in a short space of time.
"The belief of the group is actually important, we have actually got another hard video game [meeting Toulouse], it's week to week this. You can't just peak because we've got a great crowd at Odsal.
"We'll certainly won't more than happy, we'll deal with the 2nd half, we'll repair it."
Bradford: Aekins; Wynne, Marsters, Blake, Ryan; Hooley, Milnes; Sutton, Ackers, Lewis, Chamberlain, Fulton, Mellor.
Interchanges: Souter, Scurr, Doro, Peposhi.
Catalans: Staines; Makinson, Cotric, Faataape, Simm; Sexton, Dodd; Satae, Da Costa, Navarrete, Lipowicz, Condon, Leeming.
Interchanges: Fa'asuamaleaui, Allen, Lis, Chan.
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