[Bullseye]

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:15 am  

Basically I think we lost this because we lack any impact off the bench whereas Saints had tons of it. We did well for the first 25 mins but when Puletua, Faasavalu and Roby came on Saints grabbed the momentum and went from being behind to getting three tries before half time.

When those players went off we managed to get a grip again but when they returned for a second spell the scoreline blew out again.

We had no answer to the Saints go-forward at all, it was like watching the Bulls of old with the Saints playing the biff-ball power-game thanks to some big kiwis up the middle.

Our bench, though willing enough didn't have the same "impact".

We also seemed to get our tackling technique wrong versus the big kiwi lads, everyone went upstairs and got bumped off, someone needs to go low too.

Our brainless errors didn't help and we got punished everytime. Burgess and Menzies runs into touch were totally needless and you could see the danger well in advance. Langley ought to be shot for that stupid pass on the 20m line to nobody.

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:18 am  

rugbyreddog wrote:

More interested in asking why a team can be continually pulled for high tackles and no further action taken. It's much easier to defend when you know you can get away with murder.

Now that's daft. I agree we did some high shots (though I find it hard to imagine someone of Eastmond's height could do a high shot to your bloke, though I suppose it's possible). We deserved the penalties against us that we were given. In fact, although almost every Saints fan around was worried about our discipline (ball and behaviour) under Potter (given his rep with Catalans), I was somewhat ashamed by our discipline at Odsal on Sunday (both ball and behaviour). I thought we were cr@p in the discipline department and I was waiting for a yellow, especially when I saw Cunningham called over following Eastmond's tackle. Had we been given a yellow, we would have deserved it. I hope Potter decides to take action but I'm not holding my breath since he isn't Daniel Anderson (unfortunately) and doesn't take that same honest approach to the game.

But besides the very real disciplinary problem we clearly had on Sunday, where I think Bradford and Saints differed was that our scrambling/goal line defence was better than yours and your guys were knackered towards the end of each half, hence our purple patches at the end of each half. Fas did his job very well, I thought, as did Tony P (unlike James, who played rubbish on Sunday, which is rare for him), and they along with Bryn and Paul Clough (fab season he is having) wore your forwards down.

Had Bradford been able to hold their line at the back end of each half then the score would have been a lot closer and could have gone either way. We both played total tosh for the first 20 of the second half. I've rarely seen such awful rugby in a Superleague game! But other than that I think we both undermined each other in different ways but we had the advantage of your guys tiring first and our scrambling/goal line defence being that bit better.

That was my first ever visit to Odsal and I really enjoyed the day. I had a great pre-match chat with a couple of Bulls fans in a local pub and I thought a lot of effort was put into the pre-match and half time entertainment. What a shoddy job we do by comparison! God, it was embarrassing to think of!! But I think Odsal is a great place; pity it couldn't be improved as is (like a roof on the terracing) rather than rebuilt in the way that is being planned as it's unique and has a real atmosphere. Still, I haven't had to sit/stand there in the pouring rain! So what do I know!

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:50 am  

I thought we lost because they have better players than us.

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:15 am  

AaronBull wrote:

Right then, lets have a bash at this one.

The one thing that was the key factor was Fa'asavalu's (I'm not even going to attempt to spell his name correctly, that'll do) spells, which turned the game to a certain extent. He was magnificent, a joy to watch even from a Bulls perspective!

However, I think the Bulls had a couple of good chances to put that game to bed. I certainly didn't agree with taking the 2, we had all the momentum and Saints were on the back foot. Also, Deacon's "try", of which I'm not sure why it was disallowed (haven't read the previous posts on here), but that could have certainly done some damage psychologically to be that far in front.

Saints had two very good spells, and justified for me why they're the best team in the comp. I personally aren't too downhearted from that, and look forward to Leeds on Friday. Kudos to Scruton, who had his best game for the Bulls I thought. Non-Kudos to Deacon, who again looked lost, and justified our need to sign Wing, or any other 7 that looks capable of leading a line and backing up the work our ever consistent players like Lynch and Menzies do week in, week out.

Keep the faith!

P.S - Eastwood's much criticized hit on Jeffries was perfectly legal in my opinion

It must have been a right hit from Sydney.

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:20 am  

Cibaman wrote:

I thought we lost because they have better players than us.

Don't be ridiculous... some of our players are as good as theirs, some are nearly as good and some aren't anywhere near as good

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:34 am  

cunnie6 wrote:

You... forget to mention the swinging of that thug Newton, followed by the Halley shot on Maurie. Amazingly, Thaler did not do anything, because, Maurie did not do a swan dive and rollover pretending to be injured, he got up and played the ball.

Unlike following the Ryan Bailey legitimate tackle?

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:53 am  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

That could be a nasty one. Not something he can play through the pain with.

depends. can be excrutiating but depends. A couple of weeks rest can fix it

Your ribcage 'rippling' whilst driving though is perhaps one of the scariest things I've experienced

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:01 pm  

Magic Superbeetle wrote:

both teams got away with a few cheeky shots ... it happens in rugby, its not tiddly winks!

I think Saints should have had at least a warning though with next offence going in the bin. But I suspect they know how far to push with a specific referee and then ease off at that threshold.

Would that have made a difference?...maybe but probably not. Faasavalu and Puletua were immense and changed the momentum and in the end the class showed. Pity as we looked really good for the first 20

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:14 pm  

ex Bull Dog wrote:

depends. can be excrutiating but depends. A couple of weeks rest can fix it

Your ribcage 'rippling' whilst driving though is perhaps one of the scariest things I've experienced

Mine always does that, unless its my stomach of course...

: Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:06 pm  

Perhaps I was watching a different tackle but the shot by Eastmond seemed really bad, like he was really trying to knock someones head off. I stand to be corrected if I see the incident again on video but at the time I thought it was a 100% red card.

Oh, hi by the way.