Bradford Bulls Reserves 4 Leeds Rhinos 22

By Guy Harvey

The Rhinos, under the tutelage of Chev Walker - looked to maintain their unbeaten start to their 2025 season as they made the short trip to face Bradford Bulls. Having started the season with impressive victories over Leigh Leopards and Huddersfield Giants before demolishing St. Helens without conceding a point, they arrived at Odsal Stadium with plenty of confidence.

But with tries from Presley Cassell, Jacob Stead, Joe Diskin and Harley Thomas Leeds would prevail victorious however it would take a young Rhinos side to dig deep and play beyond their years which impressed the coaching staff.

The game started in a ferocious fashion, as you would expect from a Leeds Bradford game with both forward packs setting the bar with neither taking a backward step. It wasn’t until the fifteenth minute that Leeds almost scored when Presley Cassell crashed over from close range only to be called back for a knock on. 
This is where the game really sparked into action, Bradford heading straight up to the other end of the field looking to score, only to be held up in the try area on the last tackle but with Leeds bringing the ball away, the Bulls forced the knock on putting Bradford back in possession, but great defence from Leeds again kept the game scoreless forcing the Bradford winger in touch.

It took until the half hour mark however, in the first half before points were put on the board in the shape of Presley Cassell finding a gap in the Bradford defensive line to score under the posts untouched, Harley Thomas adding the extras.

With the clock ticking down Leeds found themselves deep in the Bradford half after a delicate kick from Fergus McCormack left the Bradford full back no option than to put the ball out of touch giving Leeds a full set in the Bradford ten. With the ball heading to the left edge a great line from Jacob Stead back against the grain left the Bradford unable to stop the second row forward.

Leeds came out of the blocks quickest in the second half however after a half break form Jacob Stead put the Rhinos on the front foot, both forwards looking to crash over from close range but it was dummy half Joe Diskin scooting over beside the posts to score the try, Thomas adding the extras. 
Bradford hit back however after the grubber kick through from Ackroyd saw Jacob Bateman win the race to touch down for the try, it didn’t go without the cals from the Rhinos that he’d gone in touch but with the conversion missed the scores read 16-4.

Leeds added to their lead minutes later when a break on halfway from Shane Tuohey saw the Rhinos go on the front foot before offloading to Cassell for more yards then the ball was shifted left finding winger Harley Thomas who squeezed over in the corner, but he couldn’t add the extras to his own try, Leeds looked to score but after a high shot on Shane Tuohey as he skipped across the line they took the two points on offer to extend their advantage to 18 points.

Bradford Bulls Reserves
1. Harvey Duckworth
2. Zack Clayton
3. Uili Liu
4. Lewis Hagan
5. Baily Fitzgibbon
6. Benjamin Grindley-Roberts
7. Samuel Ackroyd
8. Cameron Bate
9. Mason Corbett
10. Ebon Scurr
11. Jacob Bateman
12. Conlan Mawson
13. Emmanuel Wayne
14. Lewis Owens
15. Jamie Gill
16. Alfie Leake
17. Joshua Kerr
18. George McKinley 
Leeds Rhinos Reserves
1. Alfie Edgell
2. Callum Webster
3. Jacob Hardy
4. Jack Smith
5. Harley Thomas
6. Fergus McCormack
7. Harry Smith
8. Lore Jones-Buchanan
9. Joseph Diskin
10. Presley Cassell
11. Oliver Smart
12. Jacob Stead
13. Noah Whittingham
14. Shane Tuohey
15. Dacx Jones-Buchanan
16. Dax Millington
17. Daniel Stelfox
18. George Brown