Coach Potter hails Bradford spirit

Bradford coach Mick Potter was close to tears after celebrating his team’s 44-12 Super League win over London Broncos at Odsal.

The normally unflappable Australian, who agreed to return to work without pay in the run-up to today’s game after being made redundant at the start of the week, joined the players on an emotional lap of honour and heard his name sung by the club’s 10,000 fans.

“It was touching,” he said. “I’m not a guy that breaks out in tears very quickly but I reckon I came close at one stage.

“You can see from the fans’ reaction why they have to be in Super League and why the club needs to continue because you just don’t get that at too many places.”

The popular Potter was also given a guard of honour by the players as he left the field at the end but he was quick to remove any hint it represented an act of finality.

“I said to them ‘it’s not all over yet’,” he told the post-match press conference. “The fat lady hasn’t sung yet, although she’s warming up.”

Brendan Guilfoyle, the administrator who made the swingeing cuts, has given himself until Tuesday to find a buyer for the ailing club and Potter admits he is still in the dark over the immediate future.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “No one is talking to me. I don’t want to predict it. It’s way out of our hands.

“If you can get a positive from this situation, it’s that the players are playing at their best. It was on show today and it was there last week.”

Fullback Brett Kearney grabbed four of his side’s eight tries and former London halfback Luke Gale contributed 16 points as the Bulls followed up their stunning victory at Wigan with another impressive win.

A third straight success has lifted Bradford up to sixth in the table and maintained their play-off hopes ahead of an inevitable points deduction for going into administration.

“I can’t be happier with the players under the circumstances,” added Potter. “They’ve been phenomenal all the way through.

“They’re not letting anything affect what they do on the field. They’ve been great.

“We got a bit loose late in the game but it was well and truly over by then. The scoreline probably flattered us a little bit.”

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