Wigan fans turned the Stobart Stadium red and white to inspire their team to an opening play-off victory over Bradford for the second successive year.

The Warriors were forced to switch their elimination tie away from the JJB Stadium because of a fixture clash with Wigan Athletic - the football team play on Saturday - but it proved to be of little inconvenience as they powered their way through to the semi-finals in impressive fashion.

They came from 8-0 down to set up a showdown next Saturday with either Catalans Dragons or Warrington, with second-rower Gareth Hock grabbing the match-clinching try on his return from a five-match ban.

Bradford started brightly but the loss of captain Paul Deacon with a leg injury at half-time was a setback from which they never recovered.

The outcome marked a sad ending for Bulls prop Joe Vagana, the veteran New Zealander whose distinguished career came to an abrupt end, while Iestyn Harris, too, brought the curtain down on his Bradford career.

The game began at a fast and furious pace, with Bradford dominating the early exchanges, and Deacon opened the scoring on four minutes with a penalty after Wigan centre George Carmont had been pulled up for a ball steal.

The visitors also thought they had scored the first try when winger Semi Tadulala palmed Deacon's kick back for Chris Nero to touch down, but video referee Richard Silverwood ruled a knock-on.

It looked a harsh call but Bradford got their reward after 22 minutes when prop forward Andy Lynch, who had a terrific opening quarter, handed off second-rower Harrison Hansen to stroll over for an easy score.

Deacon added the conversion to make it 8-0 but the introduction of Hock helped inject more vigour into the Wigan side and they struck back 10 minutes before half-time when scrum-half Thomas Leuluai stretched out of a three-man tackle to plant the ball on the line.

Pat Richards' conversion cut the Bulls' lead to just two points and that gave Wigan just the encouragement they needed.

Captain Trent Barrett was held up on his back but, after Vagana spilled possession in front of his own posts, their growing pressure paid off just before half-time when Hansen took Leuluai's bullet-like pass to go through a gaping hole in the Bradford defence.

Bradford suffered a body blow when Deacon, who had struggled with a leg injury for much of the first half, failed to re-appear for the second, although Harris was a useful replacement goalkicker and half-back.

The momentum was clearly with Wigan and it was no surprise when they extended their lead with a third try.

The position was set up by a break from the impressive Leuluai, who was put into a gap by former Bradford favourite Stuart Fielden, and Barrett's kick into space enabled winger Mark Calderwood to touch down with inches to spare.

Richards' third goal made it 18-8 but Bradford's response was impressive and immediate.

Lynch got over the line only to be brought back for a forward pass, but there was no denying second-rower Simon Finnigan on 52 minutes when he took Terry Newton's short pass to go in for his side's second try.

Harris added the goal to cut the deficit to just four points but there was no way back for Bradford when loose forward Joel Tomkins took Calderwood's pass to cross for his side's fourth try on 67 minutes.

Hock put the seal on a superb comeback when he beat five defenders on a jinking run to score Wigan's fifth try, with Richards taking his goal tally to five.

The game was held up for five minutes to enable Wigan centre Cameron Phelps to have on-field treatment for a head knock before being carried off on a stretcher.