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 very first Super League home match for 12 years with an emphatic 28-10 win over Catalans Dragons.


Converted tries from Andy Ackers, Waqa Blake and Caleb Aekins were added to by three charge objectives by Rowan Milnes for a 24-0 lead at half-time.


Quickfire scores from Solomona Faataape and Toby Sexton threatened a sensational Dragons comeback in the 2nd half.


But Blake scored again to protect a famous win for the Bulls at Odsal Stadium.


Bradford took an early lead through Ackers, who twisted and turned in the past powering over the line from close quarters after Joe Mellor kept the relocation alive.


Milnes kicked two charges from under the sticks inside 22 minutes, punishing a string of errors by the Dragons.


The visitors were rejected by a no-try call when Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui thought he had actually 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 key minute as Milnes included a third charge goal before Blake raced away after a swift team relocation from right to left to score the Bulls' second try.


Aekins then darted through a space left by the Catalans' front row for a 3rd shot.


Three minutes after the break, the Dragons were given a gift when Ethan Ryan's loose pass was caught by Faataape, who could not believe his luck as he ran in to score.


The momentum was with the visitors, and another Bradford error, this time from Aekins, was punished as Sexton went over, however his conversion effort went large to leave the deficit at 14 points.


Ryan almost apologized for his error by catching a long Milnes kick inside the Catalans' half before setting Esan Marsters away, however the disallowed the try, ruling that Ryan had been taken on throughout the play.


Blake included his 2nd try minutes later on after Ryan combined with Milnes to top an impressive triumph.


Bradford progress pleases Haggerty - response


Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty told BBC Radio Leeds:


"I actually delighted in the first half. I truly delighted in parts of the second half, especially defensively.


"We were really careless with the ball in the second half, however I liked how we turned Catalans away. We demonstrated how fit we are ... and how far we have actually come in a short space of time.


"The belief of the group is truly crucial, we have actually got another difficult video game [meeting Toulouse], it's week to week this. You can't simply peak due to the fact that we've got a good crowd at Odsal.


"We'll certainly will not more than happy, we'll attend to the second 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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20 February