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 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 ratings from Solomona Faataape and Toby Sexton threatened a sensational 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 in the past powering over the line from close quarters after Joe Mellor kept the move alive.
Milnes kicked 2 penalties 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 believed he had actually scored on the line, however the video referee supported the choice, ruling that he had actually not touched the ball down.
It showed to be an essential moment as Milnes included a third penalty objective before Blake raced away after a speedy group move from right to delegated score the Bulls' 2nd shot.
Aekins then darted through a space left by the Catalans' front row for a third try.
Three minutes after the break, the Dragons were offered a present 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 reviewed, but his conversion attempt went wide to leave the deficit at 14 points.
Ryan practically apologized for his error by capturing a long Milnes kick inside the Catalans' half before setting Esan Marsters away, but the video referee disallowed the try, ruling that Ryan had actually been taken on throughout the play.
Blake added his second shot moments later on after Ryan combined with Milnes to cap a remarkable triumph.
Bradford progress pleases Haggerty - response
Bradford Bulls head coach Kurt Haggerty informed BBC Radio Leeds:
"I truly enjoyed the very first half. I really enjoyed parts of the second half, especially defensively.
"We were really careless with the ball in the second half, but I liked how we turned Catalans away. We showed how fit we are ... and how far we have been available in a brief area of time.
"The belief of the group is really essential, we've got another difficult game [meeting Toulouse], it's week to week this. You can't simply peak due to the fact that we've got an excellent crowd at Odsal.
"We'll certainly will not more than happy, we'll address 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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