Ahead of this weekend’s latest full-match replay, featuring a classic match against Bradford Bulls, we look back at five of our most memorable victories over the West Yorkshire side.
1983 – Hull 18-7 Bradford Northern (Yorkshire Cup Final)
The Black & Whites, in the middle of one of their most successful periods in the club’s history, began three successive Yorkshire Cup triumphs with victory over Bradford Northern at Elland Road back in 1983.
Having already knocked out Huddersfield, Leeds and Keighley, Hull went into the final as big favourites.
Back-rower Paul Rose, who had recently moved across the city from Hull KR for a fee of around £30,000 opened the scoring diving over from close range, before some superb quick hands saw Paul Prendiville go over on the left edge to put Hull in control in the first-half.
Keith Whiteman would score Bradford’s only try with a breakaway effort before half-time, but thanks to the accurate boot of Dean Carroll including two drop-goals, the scores stood at just 8-7 in Hull’s favour with 15 minutes on the clock.
However, a second for Rose would push Hull into a comfortable lead, and Steve Evans sealed the triumph with a score in the closing stages to bring the Yorkshire Cup back to the East of the county.
2004 – Bradford Bulls 18-26 Hull FC (Super League)
Hull claimed their first away at Bradford in a decade back in April 2004 with a 26-18 victory over the Bulls at Odsal.
Full-back Shaun Briscoe was the start of the show scoring all four of Hull’s tries against the eventual second-placed side and Super League Grand Final runners-up, as well as being the current title holders who fell to only their second defeat of the season.
The Bulls started the stronger side though, and although not taking several of their opening chances, it was Shontayne Hape who could Hull’s right edge napping for the opening score.
FC pegged the opposition back with two Paul Cooke penalties, while Paul Deacon added one of his own, before Briscoe’s first of the evening made the scores level 8-8 at the break.
Bradford hit the front through Deacon’s early second-half try, but the lead was short lived as Briscoe finished a 60-metre move starting from a defence-splitting run from Gareth Raynor.
Briscoe had a hat-trick when he supported Chirs Chester’s break from his own half to race away and finish, and got his fourth two minutes from time collecting Deacon’s chip over the top and weaving 70 metres to touch down and secure victory a memorable evening.
2005 – Hull FC 26-24 Bradford Bulls (Challenge Cup Round 5)
Bradford alomost pulled off one of their greatest comebacks in their history back in 2005, but Hull had just too much in the tank at the KCOM Stadium to secure their place in the 2005 Challenge Cup quarter-finals, on their way to lifting the trophy in Cardiff.
The hosts ran into a quick 20-0 lead, with scores from Nathan Blacklock, Paul Cooke, Richard Whiting and Chris Chester seeing FC lead comfortably at the break without Bradford touching the scoresheet.
Bradford hit back through Jamie Peacock after the break, but Motu Tony would respond with Hull’s fifth to end any sort of chance of a comeback, with the home side leading 26-6 going into the final 20 minutes.
However, the Bulls found their second wind, and a brace from Lesley Vainikolo, a score from Karl Pryce and four goals from Deacon brought them within two points of Hull, but time ran out, and FC survived to progress.
2006 – Hull FC 19-12 Bradford Bulls (Super League Play-Off Semi-Final)
Hull reached their first Super League Grand Final with one of the KCOM Stadium’s most memorable nights back in 2006 as they defeated the Bulls on home soil 19-12.
FC has a dream start when Paul Deacon’s error allowed Danny Washbrook to pick up and send in Richard Horne to score after just 46 seconds.
But it would be Bradford who dominated much of the rest of the first-half, denied three times by the video referee in quick succession.
Hull eventually got out of their own half, with Cooke making the scores 8-0 after Sam Burgess was penalised, and FC’s second try would come before half-time with a brilliantly executed scrum move, with Horne kicking behind Bradford’s flat defence for Motu Tony to dive over in the corner, and although Cooke’s conversion drifted wide he took out the insurance of a drop-goal four minutes before the break to go in 13-0.
A converted Brett Ferress try not long after the restart cut the deficit to seven for the Bulls, but Hull’s lead would be 13 once more as Kirk Yeaman finished off a superb team move in the corner, followed by Cooke’s goal.
Bradford were not finished as Terry Newton set up Jamie Langley to score with the clock ticking down, but FC held on for their first trip to Old Trafford since the 1991 Premiership Final.
2012 – Bradford Bulls 6-70 Hull FC
On what was supposed to be a night of celebration for Bradford having recently confirmed their take-over, Hull spolied the party with a 13-try rout at Odsal to confirm a home play-off fixture.
Bradford started brightly enough, opening the scoring with a Jason Crookes try. But the Bulls then lost their Australian half-back Ben Jeffries to the sin bin, and Hull seized the initiative. Willie Manu scored two of five first-half tries that established a 28-6 lead, and the rout continued with another six after the break, the outstanding England wing Tom Briscoe claiming a hat-trick.
Jamie Foster bagged a brace alongside Aaron Heremaia, while Ben Crooks, Danny Houghton, Andy Lynch and Joe Westerman all got their names on the scoresheet, with Foster earning a personal points tally of 26 on the night helped by kicking nine goals.
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