Bradford Bulls won for the second week running in Super League as they dispatched Toulouse Olympique 18-6 at Odsal.
Toulouse had the best of Bradford in the 2025 Championship as they won all three meetings but it was the Bulls who came out on top today as they won four tries to one with Ethan Ryan scoring a hat-trick.
A Rowan Milnes penalty put Bradford 2-0 up and that would be his only points of the day with Milnes missing all four conversions from out wide in the wind.
Toulouse did take the lead through Anthony Marion but centre Waqa Blake leveled the scores up before an Ethan Ryan try on the eve of half-time sent the home side into shed with a 10-6 lead.
Ryan would bag two more in the second-half, completing his hat-trick on the hour mark with Bradford then seeing out the final 20 minutes with relative ease as they secured the two points to move fourth in Super League.
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Bradford Bulls versus Toulouse Olympique talking points
Bull-mania is back
The promoted teams have all answered questions and all sit with two wins from three games, however, it’s Bradford who have got the largest existing fan base and that is something that can really carry them forward.
A crowd of 8,777 watched them this week whilst eight fans shy of 10,000 turned out last week with both those crowds unaided by away support given the fact they hosted French sides.
They’ll only keep on building in the coming weeks and if they can take momentum into the Easter clash against Leeds Rhinos then you genuinely get a sense that they could smash the 10,000 attendance mark.
Technology troubles for the refs
For what feels like the umpteenth time this round, the referee communication systems failed yet again and on multiple occasions.
The game was only 2 minutes and 18 seconds old when a lengthy delay occurred because Scott Mikalauskas couldn’t hear his fellow officials. The matter was resolved but then reoccurred in the second-half with the referee unable to consult his fellow officials when a melee broke out.
For top level sport to be hindered so much and also slowed down so much by technology is an embarrassing look for Super League. Once can be forgiven but it’s been a constant across the competition this round and all it does it drain fatigue from the game and create a worse product.
Disallowed try causes confusion
Bradford went into the sheds at half-time with a 10-6 lead but there’s a good argument that they should have been 14-6 up with a kick to come as Ethan Ryan touched the ball down in the corner to end the half.
The half-time hooter sounded as Bradford were on the attack but with the ball still live Joe Mellor launched a pass out wide that centre Waqa Blake tipped on. Ethan Ryan caught the ball and started to evade defenders but referee Scott Mikalauskas blew his whistle, claiming that Blake had knocked the ball on.
Ryan did his part and grounded the ball then insisted his captain to challenge the decision, however, Mikalauskas would not allow that to happen as he instead took the ball away and ushered the players into the sheds. Toulouse had stopped defending after his whistle but the bigger question is probably whether that whistle should have been blown at all. Allowing the play to develop would have let Toulouse defend it properly with the video referee then able to adjudicate if a knock-on had happened.
On report incident
There could well be disciplinary action coming for both sides after a large melee was placed on report, partly as a result of the aforementioned communication problems.
After Toulouse gave a little bit too much attention to Joe Mellor, Esan Marsters steamed in with a shove to protect his captain with the result being a large scuffle. Waqa Blake and Tyler Dupree were among those at the heart of it.
The incident as a whole was placed on report but the likes of Marsters, Blake and Dupree will be those most fearful of any repercussions.
Tyler Dupree injury concern
Tyler Dupree was on the field for that scuffle but it looked like his afternoon was over just 15 minutes in when the prop limped off with an ankle injury.
He’d suffered it two minutes earlier but managed to stay on the field, however, he eventually accepted the medical treatment and limped off with the early signs being concerning.
Somehow, he made an impressive recovery to play the final 30 minutes but it will certainly be one to watch in the ensuing injury reports.
Waqa Blake
Another of those involved in that scuffle was Waqa Blake, the former St Helens man who looks transformed under Kurt Haggerty. Blake impressed in the Championship last year but he’s been dominant on his return to Super League.
Saints fans will be wondering why they didn’t get this version of the Fijian with the centre scoring his fourth try in just three games. He’s one of several who are shining at Bradford with Ethan Ryan and Luke Hooley two other examples, the latter assisting the former with an incredible flick pass in the first half.
A strong showing from @OfficialBullsRL 🐮💪#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/NnCvXt1EbQ
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 1, 2026
