Deacon wins the plaudits
8:00am Monday 18th August 2008
Steve McNamara expressed his delight at seeing influential skipper Paul Deacon ripping up opponents again.
The Bulls scrum half returned after his latest hamstring problems to instantly inspire them to a 42-14 win over Hull FC yesterday.
Man-of-the-match Deacon was a constant thorn in the Challenge Cup finalists with his field kicking and clever distribution.
He bagged a personal haul of 18 points, from a fantastic solo try and seven goals, as well as creating further scores for Matt Cook and James Evans.
“Paul Deacon was really good for us,” said McNa-mara.
“He’s missed a lot of the season and was desperate to get back in there.
“He was really excited about playing, and that showed in his performance.
“That try will be good for his confidence and I’m really pleased Deacs has managed to get back playing before the end of the season.”
The success – only their second victory in six games – strengthens Bradford’s hold on sixth spot.
However, Hull KR produced a sensational 36-34 win at Warrington to leave them three points behind with two rounds to go.
McNamara said: “I never expected us to be clear after this and it will make for a good game now on Bank Holiday Monday when we play Rovers here on TV.”