Is anyone confident we have a better team for next season? Lulia, Purtell, Gale, Sammut, Kear so far in the signings department..... Can we really compete? or do we need more out and better quality?

our backline has been strengthened for sure. hopefully our pack won't fall away too much (if at all) to give them the chance they need to points on the board.

Ever hopeful. Can't be as bad as last season, or the season before that, or the season before that etc. Or can we ? If we are we will be looking for a new coach. Either way it should be interesting, even if not pretty.

Backs look better. Need an addition or two in forwards IMO. Barring another bad run of injuries can't see why a lower playoff spot isn't a realistic aim.

I am looking forward to:
the players that missed half of 2011 with injury coming back fit and sharp and in effect being new recruits
Hargreaves and Scruton back to previous form
Koppy and Tom continuing to develop as they did last season
replacement prop
the burden on the forwards being lifted by a better kicking game from Gale over Herbert
fewer mistakes so more completed sets
all resulting in the pack dominating a bit more than last season because they are not knackered so have the energy to win the collisions

a captain on the pitch that calls the plays
a bit of pace and zip from Sammut
good breaks from Lulia
the preceding resulting in bag loads of tries for the backs and in particular Ainscough and Kear
a much better defence in centre from Purtell (and Lulia)

fewer injuries all round
Bateman Obrien Crossley etc all getting games and developing - but not too many otherwise too many injuries again
generally better defence
beating sides around us not just getting pumped up for teams that we have no chance of overtaking

all resulting in:
a top 8 finish however low

Well, it's another year and another new backline as well as more new half back combinations.

However, this year we don't have a question mark over the return of a player hamstringing our recruitment. The players we've signed are of a better quality than last year.

But I'd have to say 8th spot is the bare minimum the club must achieve. We showed last year that we DID have the ability to run with the big boys (Leeds away, beating the Giants at home, the draw against Saints, pushing Wigan close in the cup).

Still, the club are making noises about another signing to replace Lynch. Hopefully it'll be a strong, solid player and the team next year can find some consistency.

There's a lot of Ifs and Buts. But I'm quietly optimistic.

Heath's return should see us win a few more games alone.

Eighth spot is ridiculously acheivable for this squad next year, and with the addition of a prop the calibre that the club have been touting, we could look higher.

What is imperative is that Kyle Briggs gets his chance, he impressed at the back end of this year and looked the part, IMO.

Hope springs eternal doesn't it?

I always look forward to the next season. The problem comes when I'm looking forward to next season in April or May

But at this time of year, surely we are all looking forward to next season?

Oooo Oooo! I love this thread! Well I think the rhinos will kick on big time! Our 3/4 backline of bjb hardaker Watkins hall is gonna tear SL a new one for about a decade if they can stay fit there is 80 trys a season in that 3/4 line! Our pack has youth and experience with massive depth!

I also think for the first time in a long time the bulls if you can keep fit could, with some luck make the 8!

Good luck bulls! All the best!

I can't help looking forward to every season. I think the biggest thing though is whether we now have a group of players that are tight knit, and will sweat blood for each other, whatever the circumstances. If we have cured the disease of non-triers.

If we have, and especially if we can get off to a decent start to restore at least a bit of confidence, then we certainly have both the coach and the personnel to considerably trouble the scorers.

I look forward to every season then after the first few games i tend to think "oh no not again"

But................. the signings made have improved the backs which is what we needed and we just need the forwards to step up and be counted.

I believe we will finsih the seaosn in a comfortable 3rd position









Just joking dont want to be getting shot down, i think with a decent run with no injuries we could easily make it up to 5th/6th but anything in the 8 is an improvement

"I'll see what I can do"
Yours as always, Mr S. Claus

That usually means a present from Rudolph!

I'm looking forward to next year to see how Potter uses the old team and the new guys he's brought in. Its the first time that it is his first selection team
Who will be the half back pairing and whats their role- who drives the team about the field- who does the in-field kicking what are we seeking to achieve. where and when and how does he use Kearney. Who is going to organise the defensive line?
Whats the game plan in attack. Will we sling the ball wide from to wingers capable of finishing or will we play a game with tight control .

The sort of forward game we must play in defence is obvious but the forward attacking game might not solely be about always bashing into opposition and dying with the ball for little gain.

So. Yes. Next Year = Look forward with confidence as to what Potter can do. If we have any sort of identifiable game plan(s) next year They will be the first since 2005.

In answer to the OP, Yes I'm looking forward to next season. I argued that we sign Pryce and/or Waterhouse and hoped we would sign one of Cuthbertson or Kite on the grounds we lacked leadership in the forwards and in the halves. Despite none of these coming to pass and some poor performances last year I feel Potter has assessed the weaknesses in the squad correctly. We'll start next season with some passable combination of fit SL half backs for the first time in years which no matter how ordinary cannot fail but to be a significant improvement. If Potter has signed Lulia, Purtell and possibly Manase ? partly on grounds of size I'm broadly supportive as we've been not big/strong/aggressive enough since Nobby left. I'd hoped we'd sign a prop of 'marquee' status but if we don't I'm prepared to trust Potter with the funds at his disposal, which we keep hearing are unremarkable compared to other clubs.

On the specifics, Lulia will be the find of the season, Walker will return to his former self in the 2nd row and we won't miss Lynch at all. If some combo of Gale/Sammut/Briggs comes together we'll run OK and fight for 6/7/8th.

I'm always excited by the new season, I think this one will be the best SL ever.
Bulls look stronger on paper, but the teams you will be competing with have better players &/or coaches. You will be competing with HKR & Cas for 8th, 9th & 10th. 1-6 as last season + Hull to make up the first 7.

still think huddersfield will be as strong? had a poor end to this season.

I think top 5 almost definitely same as last season. The only unknown is Hull who I feel could break in, depending obviously on final recruitment.

I'm not sure. I reckon Huddersfield aren't nailed on to finish there after their slump in the second part of this season. All the top teams seem to be having some significant departures, and it will be interesting to see how it affects them - e.g. James Graham, Danny Buderus, Michael Maguire, Paul Deacon etc

8th is the best we're capable of managing I reckon.

Tend to agree with squad as it stands. But big unknown is injuries both to us and the teams around us. As we know to our cost injuries to a couple of key players can have a big impact on a season. Plus we've got a decent number of players who are young and still improving.

I think we will finish 5th next season.
There you are - I am am always accused of being negative.

A pint of what you're on please.

For me there are 3 legs to the season (apologies for the Phil Clarke-esque analysis):

1. Pre-Easter - when games are on the whole low-scoring, and many of the 'lesser' teams are able to maintain positions towards the top of the table.

2. Post-Easter - for some reason, be it injuries or the weather being more suitable to attacking RL, this is when the likes of Warrington and Wigan really begin to separate themselves from say Bradford and Cas. We start to see blow-out scorelines and the final league table takes shape.

3. The play-offs. Often follow patterns of phase 2 but this doesn't have to be the case, as proven this year.

Bradford have often fallen away in phase 2 due to a lack of good defence and flair players capable of scoring back-to-back tries as the top teams have. Other teams like Warrington seem to do very well in phase 2 but have lacked the experience, mental toughness or killer instinct to do much in phase 3, whereas teams making up the numbers in 5-8 often get spanked at this stage.

If Bradford are to go one better than the 'Orford season' they need to mix it with the top teams after Easter as well as starting reasonably well. Perhaps this is why Potter has brought in two experienced NRL backs, Gale and Sammut?