The Bankstown City Bulls have marched into Sunday's ANZ Stadium Grand Final against Balmain with a comprehensive 40-14 slapping of State Cup premiers, Wentworthville, in what proved a one sided Preliminary Final last Sunday. 

 

Behind 4-nil after sixty seconds of play, the Bulls regained their composure to roll the Magpies with ruthless superiority across the park during a windy Leicharrdt Oval encounter.

 

Enjoying the return of late season NRL organiser, Daniel Holdsworth, the Bulls were able to utilise solid platforms from props Fred Briggs, John Kite and Charlie Leaeno to soften the Wenty line before allowing their outside men, in particular, dynamic Bulls winger, Nick Taylor, to run riot in a five star flanker display.

 

In the thirtieth minute Bankstown's pint sized number five scored a classic try down the left line to eventually twist through the fullback to score. On the other side of halftime he was again in the thick of the action, skirting seventy metres to scorch the Pies into likely submission.

 

Whilst completion rates suffered in the blustery conditions, the Bulls maintained their attacking posture, producing a couple of opportunistic tries to Bankstown try-wiz, Ben Barba, who was pushed to five-eight following the return of Holdsworth who scored a clever double of his own.

 

Down 32-4 and looking down the barrel of a shellacking, Wenty's Etu Vaisela, surged through some unfocused defenders to invigorate his side, which was followed sixty seconds later by a crash over try to prop Hauraki.

 

But 32-14 was as close as Wenty were going to get as the two Bulls halves put on a late try apiece to push the Bankstown score line over the forty point mark. 

 

 

Bulls' Coach Terry Lamb wasn't getting carried away by the performance but was delighted by many aspects of the win. "I thought Nick [Taylor] was a standout. It's not often a winger has such a big impact on a game but his contribution was outstanding".

 

The former Bulldogs Champion was also full of praise for his forwards who were ferocious in all aspects of their game.

 

"I thought our back rowers, Brad Morrin and Danny Williams gave everything out there. Both of them have had big seasons and we just hope they can keep going", Lamb commented.

  

The Bankstown side go into the State Cup warm favourites after a year where Terry lamb's men have consistently set the standard.

 

The game can be viewed on Sunday, Channel 9 at 12:10 pm in its entirety.

 

Bankstown Bulls 40 (N.Taylor 2, B. Barba 2, D. Holdsworth 2, J. Kite, L. TeMari tries; B. Crisp 4 goals)
dft

Wentworthville 14 ( J. Horo, E. Vaisela, W Hauraki tries; J. Horo goal)