When the powers that be picked the fixtures for the Summer Bash they must have thought that Bradford Bulls versus Hull KR would be a mouthwatering top of the table clash with both sides fighting for a top four spot and a tilt at Super League in the middle eights.

Instead, after the Bulls latest instalment of their seemingly never-ending financial problems, it turns out to be the Championships run away leaders against the team still on negative points as they try to overhaul their twelve point deduction and the exodus of players ahead of the season starting.

There was only ever going to be one winner of this and the Robins fans had travelled in their thousands to cheer on their side to victory. There were plenty of Bulls fans too, but they were somewhat less optimistic about their chances.
 
It was a sensational start for the Bulls when two minutes in, and after a repeat set, James Bentley got a hand on a grubber kick to open the scoring. Oscar Thomas kicked the conversion and the rank underdogs were 6-0 ahead.

After laying siege to the Bulls line, the KR attack finally broke the line on eighteen when Andrew Hefernan took a Jamie Ellis pass to crash over. Ellis kicked the extras and the scores were all level.

This was a real battle between two eager sides in a raucous atmosphere. Both teams were giving it everything that they had.

On thirty-five Dane Chisholm kicked a twenty metre drop goal to edge his side a point ahead, a clear indication of the closeness of the game.

In the dying seconds Scott Moore held down in the tackle and Hull KR accepted the invitation for Ellis to kick the penalty goal to take the Robins into the interval with a one point lead at 8-7.

On fifty-two the Bulls held on for too long in the tackle and Ellis kicked the penalty for 10-7, there was very little in the game.

The Bulls were back in the lead on fifty-five when Chisholm picked up a Blair offload and went eighty metres down the wing to dive in in the left corner. Thomas added the extra two from wide for a 13-10 lead to the Bulls.

On fifty-eight the lead changed hands for the third time. An offside decision close to the Bulls line enabled KR to build and with the ball moved left to right Nick Scruton offloaded to Hefernan to go over for his second. Ellis failed to convert, and the lead was just a single point.

As the weather further deteriorated the two sides were still serving up a gourmet feast of rugby.

On seventy-three Jordan Abdull somehow managed to find his way to the line, spinning out of two tackles, to grab a crucial try. Ellis's conversion made it 20-13 .

But two minutes later Jordan Lilley put in the grubber which was collected and grounded by Ethan Ryan. Thomas added the conversion and with just under five minutes on the clock there was just a single point separating the two sides.

This was fantastic game which silenced the pundits and made a mockery of the form book. It was an heroic effort by the Bulls who looked like a side who should be challenging for a top four spot, rather than to fight out the rest of the season in the bottom half of the table. Hull KR will want to forget about this game, and how close they came to losing to the league's bottom side.

Superb entertainment to wrap up the opening day of the Summer Bash.

Bulls: Thomas (3G), Macani, Ryan (T), Bentley (T), Campbell, Lilley, Chisholm (T, DG), Magrin, Hallas, Kirk, Smith, Roche, Peltier.  Subs: Oledzki, Moore, Keyes, Davies.
 
KR: Cockayne, Moss, Butler-Fleming, Hefernan (2T), Shaw, Abdull (T), Ellis (3G), Scruton, Lunt, Johnson, Blair, Addy, Kavanagh.  Subs: Mulhern, Salter, Dockar-Clay, Cator.
 
Referee: Tom Grant.
 
Half-Time: 7-8.
 
Full-Time: 19-20.
 
Attendance: 11,500+.