Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:39 am  

Bullseye wrote:

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/14220245.Promotion_looks_a_harder_task_second_time_round_for_Bradford_Bulls/

Jeez Ross is a miserable git these days isn't he?

The club will be ecstatic about that article I'm sure!

It's pretty much the same thing I've been saying on here for a while to be honest. In fact I had to check that I wasn't Ross when I read that this morning. Turns out I'm not though.

I for one am glad he's not just the club's PR department though. He's a local reporter and if something bad needs saying or a less than "we're amazing" opinion needs offering, that's what he should do IMO. I don't disagree with anything he says in that article really.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:46 am  

I agree that we are significantly stronger in most parts of the team. We have unloaded the unnecessary fringe players and recruited players that Lowes knows a bit more about and probably rates more highly. I felt that good players became deskilled over the course of the season and often played at less than their capability and I see that being an issue for any good player moving down a level.
Leigh have recruited players with experience of playing at a higher level........We already had a team full of such players. However for the first 23 matches that's a bit like a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
There is still little opportunity to gain neither the intensity nor the momentum required to hit the middle eights at the required level and that is the real challenge for Lowes and Rowley.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:03 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/14220245.Promotion_looks_a_harder_task_second_time_round_for_Bradford_Bulls/

Jeez Ross is a miserable git these days isn't he?

The club will be ecstatic about that article I'm sure!

He got plenty from Jimmy last season - deserved or not.Assume he should be allowed to express opinions sometimes! Plus he is surely correct about scrum half.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:35 pm  

With the exception of threequarters and props, have we actually improved anywhere else? We're arguably worse off at fullback. At least until Jacks signs and until we see him play, we're worse off in the halves. The hooking situation is exactly as it was last year, except without Conroy, so arguably worse. We may have brought a couple of extra back rowers in, but they're not likely to play when we're at full strength anyway, as there's nothing wrong with the existing combo of Olbi, Fergie, Addy & Pitts.

Wingers are better than we started off last season with, and Welham improved the centres. Much better options at prop after Sidlow & Clough. But other than that, I don't think we're stronger anywhere else. And we're either weaker or no different in the spine of the team which we struggled in last season too.

I'm not writing off this season by any stretch. I still think we may be there or thereabouts. But I do think the squad we have is no better than it was last year, whereas rival teams (Leigh and Wakefield especially) are stronger.

Not being miserable or anything, it's just being realistic. Which is what I think Ross is being in that article.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:48 pm  

Pacific wrote:

As an outsider looking in it seems to me that although you ended last season very well you have managed to fall further behind Leigh this off-season.

Whilst they have strengthened with some impressive signings your club has attracted publicity for the wrong reasons with James Lowes rant at the end of the million pound game and now Marc Greens allegations about Salfords salary cap.

Comparing the team of Leigh to your Bradford team do the majority of you see promotion as unrealistic?

As you say as an outsider, an out of touch one at that, just how have Bradford fallen behind Leigh when the season hasn't yet started and whose to say their recruitment has ended.
Not sure how Marc Greens or James Lowes comments have anything to do with the forthcoming season, as for how Leigh's apparent high profile signings' fair, we can only wait and see, I seem to remember Leigh finish top last season only to make a spectacular embarrassment of themselves in the play off, so even if Bradford finish 20pts behind so long as they finish behind Leigh and get 4 home games then their attempt on SL will be on a par with Leigh's that's assuming the bottom 4 SL clubs don't get a say in it regarding promotion for one of them.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:11 pm  

I think the most worrying part of the article is where he points out the low season ticket sales. Yes, some will be sold in the next 17 days but not thousands of them. I do think it is vital we go up this year or we may be stuck here for years - or until the RFL devise a new way to get some relegation and promotion actually working. What could do it with the RFL is if they see a few years where the same SL teams struggle and give nothing to their league and someone says "why not give Leigh and Bulls a go". Then, they may come up with a new plan. But until then we must show we are good enough for a return and not allow ourselves to dwindle into just another championship team.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:10 pm  

All this talk there is probably more chance of Fax catching Bradford than there is of Bradford catching Leigh.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:20 pm  

Greg Florimos Boots wrote:

All this talk there is probably more chance of Fax catching Bradford than there is of Bradford catching Leigh.

Bradford catching Leigh? Could have sworn it was us who were in the MPG game

[Bullseye]

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:21 pm  

For me we're only weaker at fullback. Siejka was so bad we played better when he wasn't in the team.

Wakefield are going to be stronger under Smith. Leigh look stronger on paper but that means nothing. We did better than them when it matters last year.

Glass half full me.

Re: Promotion? No chance! : Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:38 pm  

Greg Florimos Boots wrote:

All this talk there is probably more chance of Fax catching Bradford than there is of Bradford catching Leigh.

Leigh have to catch Bradford. We played Wakefield in the MPG I know because I was there.

The championship season and trophy is meaningless. It's a qualifier and practice for the big boys league.