Super League: Bradford Bulls upset odds against Wigan Warriors

Relegated Bradford handed head coach James Lowes his first win since taking charge as they upset reigning champions Wigan 16-8 at the Provident Stadium.

Tries from Danny Williams, Joe Arundel and Matty Blythe finally gave the Bulls' beleagured fans something to celebrate, as they had not triumphed since the beginning of June.

Bradford were confirmed as the second team to go down to the Championship, along with the London Broncos, after defeat to Huddersfield in the previous round of fixtures.

Dom Manfredi crossed twice in a losing cause for the Warriors, but their fifth defeat in West Yorkshire this season means they now trail leaders St Helens by four points with just four rounds of the regular season remaining.

Wigan even led after 10 minutes and were in complete control of the contest in the early stages, though that was about as good as it got for Shaune Wane's side all afternoon in terms of performance.

A smart pass from Matty Bowen put winger Manfredi away and he was simply too quick for the scrambling Bulls defence as he went over in the corner to break the deadlock.

From then on though, the rest of the first 40 minutes saw the Bulls battle back to take the lead by the break.

Slick move

Despite losing full-back Brett Kearney to injury in an incident that saw Wigan skipper Sean O'Loughlin placed on report, they nudged in front when a slick passing move set up winger Williams to score his first try since joining from Salford. 

Luke Gale's conversion edged Bradford into the lead and they moved further clear before the interval, Adam O'Brien producing an outstanding offload for Arundel, who flew in under the posts. 

Wigan looked certain to hit back at the start of the second half when Josh Charnley found himself in acres of space after seizing on a loose ball, only for Lee Gaskell to produce an incredible tackle that not only denied the score but also led to a turnover.

Despite having to defend for long periods, the Bulls took a rare chance to put further daylight between themselves and the Warriors when Blythe finished excellently in the corner.

With time rapidly running out, the Warriors needed a quick response and six minutes later, Manfredi squeezed in for his second of the afternoon.

Matty Smith was unable to add the extras though, and an eight-point gap allowed Bradford to hold on and record just their fifth Super League win of a difficult campaign, both on and off the field.