McNamara hails Vainikolo

He need not have bothered. In scoring his 149th try for the Bulls, Vainikolo, who opened the scoring, answered for himself any questions about why Gloucester lured him to rugby union on a lucrative three-year contract.

McNamara said: "It was a fantastic effort from Les and he's one in a million. We'll miss him and he'll miss us. It was a great way to start the game and it got us on the front foot."

The giant Tongan, who moves to Kingsholm next week after five-and-a-half years at Odsal, produced a brilliant ninth-minute touchdown to open the scoring before the Bulls went on to heap serious humiliation on Leeds at a packed Headingley.

McNamara added: "I'm really pleased for him that he got that try and it was top-drawer and worthy of what he does on the wing. Long may that continue in rugby union."

Vainikolo's terrorising runs down Bradford's left flank, intimidating and inspiring in equal measure, will go down in rugby league folklore.

But, such is the divide between rugby league and union that McNamara admits he finds it hard to understand how well Vainikolo's departure has been received.

"I find it astounding the send-off that this bloke has got," he said. "At any other club, if a player has left half-way through the season to say he was joining rugby union, then he would have been hung, drawn and quartered him in some places.

"But I think the respect he's got the fans shows and I find it amazing."