North Wales Crusaders were compressively beaten 50-12 by Bradford Bulls in their latest League One clash.

The Bulls – relegated from the Championship last season after a financial crisis saw them start the campaign with a 12-point deduction – are the favourites to go straight back up and proved too strong for Anthony Murray’s side at Odsal.

The four-time Super League champions got the opening try as Dane Chisholm ran over in just their second attack, before skipper Lee Smith claimed a first-half brace, the three-time Grand Final winning centre sprinting clear to score in the corner before accepting Ethan Ryan’s hand-off to make it three.

Cru were unlucky moments later as Alex Thompson played in Gav Conroy, but his try was ruled out for offside.

Bradford were dominant with Cru unable to get a grip on the match, with Chisholm offloading to Brandon Pickersgill to score a fourth try.

Ryan bagged a fifth try for Bulls just prior to half-time as Cru trudged off 28-0 behind.

Man-of-the-match Matt Garside then grabbed the first of his two tries, supporting Smith’s break to place the ball in the corner, before Joe Keyes came off the bench to score his fourth try of the season so far.

Murray’s men kept going to their immense credit and ran in two scores, the coming via Dale Bloomfield who found space out wide and crossed in the corner. Kenny Baker converted to make the scoreline 40-6.

On 63 minutes the Cru got another try, this time Simon Atherton collecting a high kick forward and bursting through a gap in the defence to reduce the deficit. Baker again kicked the extras.

Unfortunately the full-time hosts weren’t done though and roared back with two more tries of their own. Ryan got his second before Garside added his second try and kicked the points to extend Bradford’s lead at the top of the table.

Bradford Bulls: Pickersgill, Grant, Gibson, Smith, Ryan, Keyes, Chisholm, Crossley, Hallas, Kirk, Garside, Laithwaite, Minchella; Interchanges: McNally, Wood, Peltier, Halafihi.

Goals: Chisholm 7/9

Tries: Chisholm (9’), Smith (15’, 18’), Pickersgill (26’), Ryan (39’, 67), Garside (41’, 74’), Keyes (45’)

North Wales Crusaders: Smith, Conroy, Thompson, Trumper, Bloomfield, Roper, Lyons, Walker, Dandy, Bate, Houghton, Atherton, Baker; Interchanges: Moore, Hulme, Brennan, Albert.

Goals: Baker 2/2

Tries: Bloomfield (60’), Atherton (63’).