Bradford Bulls 54 Saints 8 "WE prepared to fight George Foreman and got George Formby", was Bradford coach, Brian Noble's opening reflection after his side had dished out an 11-try whipping to severely depleted Saints.

The light-hearted comment brought a welcome touch of humour to a tense post-match press conference. Noble, despite his side's comfortable win, was clearly disappointed that one of Super League's supposed heavyweight clashes had been diluted into a mismatch by the visitors' massively under-strength line-up.

A fired-up Saints coach Ian Millward though vehemently defended his team selection. The volatile Aussie was adamant that all the absentees were ruled out with injury, a consequence, he claimed, of the battle with Wigan two days earlier and a tough opening to the season that has seen Saints play Super League opposition every week so far.

He also pointed to the early dismissal of Jon Wilkin as a factor in the lop-sided nature of the game.

Whatever, the reasons, though, there was clearly disappointment among both sets of supporters. Bradford fans, like Noble and his players, had wanted to square up to full-strength Saints; while the customary sizeable following from Knowsley Road had given up a Bank Holiday to travel to Odsal and witness an almost unrecognisable side take a pasting.

Unfortunately, the storm surrounding Millward's controversial line-up is also likely to detract from the encouraging debuts made by five of Saints' academy youngsters. With 11 missing from the side that faced Wigan, the teenagers were called into action along with four others, plus Maurie Fa'asavalu, who only have a handful of games between them. Martin Gleeson and Tim Jonkers also started following injury lay-offs.

Amazingly, Saints got off to a flying start with Gleeson taking a pass from James Roby and skipping past his opposite number, Shontayne Hape to score a try in only the third minute.

Bulls quickly replied with Radford striding through for a try converted by Paul Deacon. Shortly after that though the homesters' Great Britain scrum-half was felled by Wilkin and was carried off on a stretcher. Wilkin was shown the red card and 12-man Saints were left with mission impossible.

Not surprisingly, the Bulls cut free, using their big men to exploit spaces down either flank with further first-half tries following at regular intervals from Tevita Vaikona (2), Lesley Vainikolo, Hape, and Jamie Langley.

There was no shortage of commitment from the young Saints but the Bulls' enormous physical advantage was such that at times they literally trampled over the visitors. Vainikolo's finish for his first - swatting off the promising Ian Hardman - was typical of the problems Saints faced.

It was a tough afternoon for Hardman, often in the firing line of the rampaging Bulls, but he acquitted himself well, several times pulling off last-ditch tackles, while his break in the opening minutes showed he's got plenty of pace.

Bradford ran in five more second-half tries, with Hape completing a hat-trick, Vainikolo grabbing a second and Michael Withers claiming a brace.

To their credit, Saints kept plugging away and they were rewarded with a late consolation try by hard-working winger Dom Feaunati after good work by fellow Samoan Fa'asavalu.

By then though many of the 15,000-plus crowd had long since lost interest, one disgruntled fan's comment of: "Fifteen pounds to watch a Super League side play virtually an A-team", no doubt summing up the feelings of many.

Bradford Bulls: Withers, Vaikona, Johnson, Hape, Vainikolo, Pryce, Deacon, Vagana, Paul, Fielden, Radford, Peacock, Swann Subs: Reardon, Parker, Langley, Anderson.

Saints: Hardman, Gardner, Gleeson, Wilkin, Feaunati, James Roby, Phil Anderton, Bibey, Bostock, Mason, Joynt, Jonkers, Fa'asavalu. Subs: Kenny, Graham, Mike Roby, Cook.

Bradford: Tries - Radford, Vaikona (2), Vainikolo (2), Hape (3) Langley, Withers (2). Goals - Deacon, Paul (2) Withers (2)

Saints: Tries - Gleeson, Feaunati.

Half-time: 30-4. Attendance: 15,623. Referee: Richard Silverwood. Saints Starman: Ian Hardman.