So, off to Odsal this Sunday for the Yorkshire cup. I'm going for a Fax win by 8.

I’ll go for Bulls by 10. Think you may struggle with lack of experienced halves. But it gives a chance for your younger ones to get a game. Hopefully it will be a good game!

We don't know the teams, or even the rules we'll be playing to, so impossible to predict. From a Fax point of view we need the lads to have a good run out and stay fit. After that, build up to the Widnes game and hopefully get the season off to a good start.

Bit of a dilemma for me this one I have no enthusiasm to go to Odsal in Jan however I do keep a Total of consecutive League & Cup Games attended.
As HS says we don't know the Rules esp Interchanges do points scored count towards Players Records etc.
My view is they are glorified Friendlies so i probably wont bother

This interview by RM in the Courier https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/sport/ ... -1-9519872

This interview by RM in the Courier https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/sport/ ... -1-9519872

I know how you feel Bentleyman but I prefer these 'friendlies' as the teams have a something to play for and just a run out. I hope our game, indeed all of them' are well attended

Definitely a friendly BM so your attendance sequences are intact. We won't be be at Odslum, preferring to save the brass for the Widnes match.

Been Bradford's second game I think they will put a decent team out where as for us it will be a good opportunity to give our fringe players some game time. It will be interesting to see who takes the second half back place along with White with the other obvious candidates all out injured. Im going for a Bradford win and them thinking they have set down a marker.

We will probably field our international players in this fixture as they missed out on Boxing Day. Kear did say this week would be a different team to the York game. Should be a good game.

Should be a decent turn out and game apart from freezing our buttocks off.

Regarding the rules, I don't agree with the reduced interchanges.

Player welfare should be paramount and having fewer options from the bench may only lead to more chance of picking up injuries and having to play longer minutes with them.

I’m predicting a typical pre season game. A decent-ish start with a few dropped balls followed by an increased lack of cohesion as both sides make a raft of substitutions.

There’ll be a couple of players on each side that show up well and a couple that look a bit short of fitness. At least one kid/unknown will have a couple of good moments.

Not really bothered about the result so long as nobody gets injured and it helps blow the cobwebs away.

Regarding the rules, I don't agree with the reduced interchanges.

But we don't know if the New Interchange Rules apply in Pre Season Games

Yes I know that had been said.
I was just commenting for when they do come in.

white not in the squad, adam brook in halves with ?

I think the squad for Sunday looks good. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DwFSyOFXcAI2PBm.jpg:large

I think the squad for Sunday looks good. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DwFSyOFXcAI2PBm.jpg:large

DIsappointing neither White or the ex Leeds lad are at halves.

Chapman-Smith is injured. No idea about White and surprised Brook is included as it looked like he was off out loan.

If you cant get to the match I have just copies this from the Bulls page. It a link for match commentary. mixlr.com/bradford-bulls-live/

If you cant get to the match I have just copies this from the Bulls page. It a link for match commentary. mixlr.com/bradford-bulls-live/

Spot on mate.our halves were awful and we got what we deserved.

Typical pre-season friendly really. Fans lose it because we lost a game, fans and players lose it because other fans have stated an opinion, Grix calls the performance "ordinary" and everyone seems to fail to pick up on it.

I thought Bradford looked ahead of us at this stage of the season but that was to be expected with them been mainly full time and it been their second game. Fitness wise I thought they had a few players blowing which may be a worry with the reduction in subs but again its still pre-season. They looked way better than us in attack.

For us we defended well at times and showed enough to say that our pack is going to be up there with the best once we get a couple more players back in. Fitness wise I thought we looked decent for where we are in pre-season. Attack was non existent, I think JWH will make a better centre than a half anyway and Brook's level is probably mid table League 1. Going in to a game without recognised half backs is always going to be a problem and there is no way to change our attacking structure in the off season if both are injured which is a worry as we can probably expect another low scoring season.

whites registration had not come through hence not playing. the difference was lilly and keyes in the halfs

Aye. When I saw your squad I thought it might happen. I thought we might have struggled in the middle with no Crossley or Peltier but luckily we didn’t. Us having Keyes and Lilley as recognised halves also helped us get around the pitch and gave us a few attacking options.

You lacked ideas without a halfback as you already know. But Murrel and Johnston will make a huge difference. Will be a different game next time around.

Best side won on the day.
Plenty effort from Fax with 2 or 3 having decent games but Bulls looked that bit further down the road as a unit and it showed with hardly any errors especially in the first half and a completion rate over 90%.
Still plenty more to come from both clubs.
Year in year out over last few seasons the Champ comp gets better and better to watch, certainly the case this time round as the season unfolds.

We often lacked ideas on attack when Muzza and Jonno were playing but as you say not quite as bad as yesterday.

Having said that yesterdays 6 and 7 have never played there together so can't be too critical up against decent opposition and RM can only find out what the answer is in the halves by trying combinations and asking the questions.

First blow out for the rest of the lads and they will be better for it.

How did our new lads go on?