As Mick is on sabbatical as it were, and I couldn't find one, thought I'd better start a pre match thread

Presumably Sammut in for Sykes, Ollie to sit out one game.

Now the crowd seems to have found it's voice, can the Bulls win two in a row at home?

Sorry, missed out the most important bit:

The RFL has appointed Castleford based official Ben Thaler to Referee the game against Salford City Reds on Sunday.

Mr Thaler will be assisted by Touch Judges Robert Webb and Paul Grundhill. The Match Commissioner is David Asquith.

Well, I'd imagine the return of Sammut would give us an extra spark in attack.

No offence to Salford, but this is a game we should be winning and the form of both teams kind of backs up that assumption.

Amazingly it appears to me to be the most clear cut result* of the weekend, I wouldn't have thought it possible a month ago.
[size=50*as well as Hull's humiliation of Cas.[/size

Nothing is clear cut, look at last year and the games we thought we should have won

if we go in thinking we have got this one in the bag it will bite us in the

however if we put in performances like we have for the past few games we should do it.

A win in this game is vital. All the good work of the previous three games will be for nothing if we lose this one. Lets hope the coaching staff are pushing home the "no complaceny, nothing for granted" message. We the speccies are on a roll, lets keep it that way.

agreed. Salford have started well this year and certainly arent an easy beat. We need to put in a performance like last couple of weeks to get the points. In a way this game and next weeks are more important than the saints one. Effectively there both 4 pointers as not only do we gain 2 points by winning but we also deny 2 points to teams that are likely to be in competition with us at end of year for a playoff spot. Not bothered if its an ugly scrappy win as long as its a win.

I am the king of prediction. Bulls by 14.

If I wasn't still smarting from missing out on a large amount of money from Melly's last minute try I'd put a bet on that...

Need to be taking points of Salford and Hull if we want to make the play offs. Confidence should be high and the work ethic is so much more improved than last season I can't imagine them taking the game lightly.

That will be my new sig, if we win!

We are definatly jekyll & hyde this season, our results show that. We can't seem to put in an eighty minute performance, even the games we have won we had 15-20 spells where we just stop doing what we have been doing well

I do expect Bradford to win although, don't be surprised if we pull off a win, I think it will depend who is back, hopefully Broughton, Moon, Williams will be fit

If you stop Patten, Moon, Smith & holdsworth playing well I think we will win. Never look forward to going odsal, even now. Anyway good look on sunday

Not fair, the crowd and the team are a partnership, the noise and support level goes up as the effort put in by the team goes up. You roar your approval. But not if there's not much to approve.


He will? Well, first time for everything, I s'pose.

Patten wasn't a threat the last time he was at Odsal, I was surprised at how average he was.

Fingers crossed for the win, this game makes me slightly nervous in that it's the first game for a few weeks we've expected to win rather than requiring to show the effort. If we don't win this weekend, the result against Saints will mean nothing.

Yes, Phil Salford at home is the first fixture of the season where we won the corresponding game last year. It's also the first fixture of the season where we are favourites to win. Hoping that doesn't put the kiss o death on us.

I'm guessing Sammut for Sykes and Joseph for Elima. Should have a bit more in the backline and a lot less in the pack as Elima was huge. Bulls 10 after a very tough game.

With injuries and stupid suspensions the Team are still evolving and have this season developed a much needed tougher mental attitude, this has seen them now get on a roll and I don't think for one minute the Squad or the Coaching Staff will be taking their collective feet off the gas for this match or the rest of the season! I don't mean the Bulls are going win every match but will win more than 50% and any losses will be reasonably close! They just need to play a smarter brand of rugby more consistenly and play as Team which also allows for individuals to make game changing plays in a positive way

We've hit a bit of a blip in the last couple of weeks losing heavily to both Catalan in France and Leeds at home last week, but the 3 games prior to that against the teams around us we were playing some really good stuff and scoring some great try's. Then we had a few injuries to key players: Moon, Broughton, Williams, Anderson, Gledhill, Gibson and now Nero as well as Godwin who's been out since the start of the season. So we've had no wingers or centres playing in the last couple weeks and have been getting exposed badly out wide, hopefully with Gibson, Williams, Moon and Broughton back we should be a bit more sturdy out wide, with plenty of pace for finishing.

On the whole I'm expecting a Bradford win, but if we can put the 2 previous games to the back of our minds then we should be targeting a win on Sunday, Our record at Odsal suggests otherwise though!!!

It's a game we should win. But if the players go into the game thinking that Salford will turn us over. They have to be up for it like th Saints game.

I have been impressed with Salford this year, they have played some great rugby and have some outstanding players in Smith, Moon & Broughton.

Hopefully should be a Bulls win.

You'd bring Joseph back into 17 ahead of Langley?

If we show Salford the right respect and keep playing with the attitude we've shown so far we should win. We certainly owe them one for the horrendous thrashing they gave us at the Willows last year in probably the worst performance I ever saw from a Bradford side.

Salford are dangerous, they have started the season well. They were atrocious last week against Leeds as I had the pleasure of attending even though I'm a rhino's hater!
We can't give Salford any opportunities to humiliate us like last year. They will have fire in their belly's after last week.
No silly penalties, dropped balls or missed opportunities or they will have us!

[url=http://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/5771/SAINTS%20BULLS%20EYESalford Bulls Eye[/url

Leigh St Hilaire ???

Is Langley fit?

He just missed out last week so in theory he should be ok for this weekend.

I'd obviously prefer him to Joseph.

Two changes for me, Sammut for Sykes and Langley for Elima.

was in 19 last week so presumably wa able to play if needed. think decision was made to give him a week off to allow ribs a chance to recover given elima was available. Will be surprised if Langley isnt back this week. Don't think we'll see Joseph in first team until his off field issues are fully resolved.

I quite like his hair, in a blokey way.

Joseph played about 50 minutes last night in the under 20s. That is either a warm up for Sunday, or an indication he won't feature.
We'll know more once the squads are announced this afternoon.

Oh right, I thought I heard Langley was out for 2 weeks. The T and A also mentions Joseph whilst not mentioning the return of Langley. I hope he is back as we're looking light up front.