Wakefield 24, Bulls 16

DEVASTATION. Complete and utter devastation.

For Jimmy Lowes, for his players and for over 2,500 Bulls supporters who marched on Belle Vue with almost religious zeal.

Home-grown hooker Adam O'Brien, who symbolises everything that is good about the club, was in tears on the pitch at the end.

He was not the only one.

Chairman Marc Green, dressed in a dark three-quarter length overcoat, looked ready for a funeral.

An apt appearance, considering his club's hopes and dreams of making an immediate return to Super League had just died.

The mood was sombre, with players and staff consoling each other with hugs and handshakes.

Green is a bullish character and rarely short of a smile, but there was no disguising his pain at Saturday teatime.

Whatever Green's intentions for taking ownership of the Bulls in March 2014, this was surely not it.

So far he has presided over the club's administration, relegation last season and failure to bounce back at the first attempt.

Yes, Green's tenure has brought much-needed stability off the field and that is to be applauded.

But as the dust settles, Bradford Bulls, the dominant force in Super League not so long ago, will now spend another season locked out of the shop.

They are staring at the dismal prospect of a second year of trips to places such as Workington, Whitehaven, Dewsbury and Oldham.

I wrote last season that the damage caused by last season's shambolic ownership saga could reverberate for years.

It led to administration, the loss of players, a six-point penalty and ultimately relegation.

Nobody could say with any certainty how the new structure would work and, as it has turned out, no Championship side has proved capable of going up.

An emotionally fraught Lowes savaged the middle-eight concept in his post-match press conference, saying: "If this is the future of rugby league, then I won't be in it.

"I just don't think it's the way forward for the game and I've got 17 blokes down there who could potentially lose their job on one game when they have worked so hard all year to put themselves in a good position.

"I'm not being bitter because of this game but I said it right from the very start and this just confirms it to me. Tell me how putting two teams under so much pressure helps when there is no need to do that.

"I'll take somebody from the RFL downstairs as I tell someone they won't be with us next year because 'I've got to cut you, I can't afford to keep you'."

It will not get any easier next year. Leigh will be stronger, as will Halifax, while Sheffield Eagles are going full-time.

Lowes confirmed there will be cost-cutting and even suggested the Bulls could be forced to go part-time.

That will not happen but the marquee signings that supporters might have hoped for in Super League will now not materialise.

As Lowes and Green both admitted, the Bulls will have to cut their cloth accordingly for a second season in a largely part-time league.

Green said last week that promotion would have been worth up to £2.5million to the Bulls next year, in central monies from the RFL, season-ticket sales and sponsorship.

Had they beaten Wakefield, Bradford would have received £1.7million in central distribution next year. Instead, they will get £900,000 as a Championship club.

Perhaps the bitterest pill to swallow is that Wakefield, who had won just six times all year, were there for the taking.

Star men Tim Smith and Kevin Locke were thrown out of the club last week following disciplinary issues and key prop Scott Anderson was missing through injury.

Former Leeds Rhinos star Lee Smith, once one of the brightest prospects in the game and now being strongly linked with a move to Bradford, was also left out of the side.

Despite the absence of the aforementioned quartet, Wakefield had that little bit too much for the Bulls.

It was some scrap, though, and right in the balance until the end before Scott Moore's try made sure of victory for Brian Smith's men.

The Bulls enjoyed most of the early play, with Paul Clough held up over the line and Matty Blythe losing the ball as he attempted to ground in the right corner under pressure from Tom Johnstone.

Bradford had a handful of sets deep in Wakefield territory but Lee Gaskell and Harry Siejka simply could not unlock the home defence.

The Wildcats led in the 15th minute when skipper Danny Kirmond strode through the visitors' defence unopposed after neat passing from half-backs Jacob Miller and Pita Godinet.

Jamie Jones-Buchanan, commentating for local radio, likened the try and defending from the Bulls to under-tens rugby league.

Joe Arundel added the conversion and crossed the line himself shortly afterwards, only to be brought back for a forward pass as Wakefield began to dominate.

Danny Addy had a try disallowed after the ball came off his shoulder during a rare foray into the home side's 20-metre area and, as stalemate set in, Arundel was wide with a penalty kick at goal and Miller failed with a drop-goal attempt.

Imposing prop Anthony Mullally, who had a spell on loan with Bradford in 2014, then collected Moore's pass and charged through a gap for Wakefield's second try three minutes into the second half.

The game then looked to be heading towards a predictable conclusion, especially when Jordan Tansey converted to make it 12-0. Yet the match sprung to life as the Bulls hit a purple patch to score twice in five minutes.

A superb pass around his back by Bulls captain Adrian Purtell got Danny Williams over at the left corner, before Blythe profited from a ricochet to touch down on the right.

Green, full of nervous energy, squeezed Robbie Hunter-Paul from his position in the stands and it was very much game on.

After Tansey turned defence into attack, Danny Washbrook took Miller's pass to glide over for a third try.

But it was a two-point game once more when Purtell crashed over for the visitors from close range and Addy's goal made it 18-16.

Jake Mullaney kept the Bulls in it with nine minutes left when he made an outstanding last-ditch tackle on Chris Annakin. Then Moore was held up over the line on the next play.

Addy had a chance to level the scores three minutes from the end when Wakefield were caught not square.

From the drop-out, Dale Ferguson lost the ball in Godinet's tackle and Wakefield countered for Moore to scamper clear on the final play, with Tansey adding the extras after the hooter.

Game over, season over and all hopes of a return to Super League over, for another 12 months at least.

Attendance: 7,246