Just listening to Sky Sports, where they have reported that the Bradford Bulls will announce their new coach on Monday.

That was quick!

They have had someone ready for a while now.

Noble or FC?

Personally would like to see if Brian McDermott has a future at rhinos, if not think he would be good for us

It'll be Francis Cummins I'm always right on these things as you all know.

I think it's very noble of them to not keep us waiting too long.

Ha cheeky word play i like it!



I am personally glad the announcement will be cummin soon!

Hope it's noble
Fran cummins has nil experience as head coach, is unproven
And is going to have to work a bloody miracle to get us off 14th place with the players bulls are rumoured to be keeping

Its John Kear, a good choice as he's got got a good backs to the wall track record, would be the right choice for the Bulls for the next 2 seasons, Franny may have the credentials as an up and coming Coach, but the Club need a steady old hand at the tiller!

FC deserves a shot after the loyalty he shown to the Bulls and MP over the last few months. The club now needs some stability to consolidate on this probationary license with a view to stepping on with a good financial plan. Just like Wakey I think if your owner is sensible and and open with the fans (as Mr Glover said it was a business and that it would take a few years to build and he is well on with it now). You have had some glory years and its forever in your history now is the time to re-group rally round and support your team. Through Thick and THIN!

Hopefully we can move on now and try and keep the remaining players who are off contract and get the club back to where it should be, we have the fan base and with the correct people being placed in senior roles within the club hopefully we can back to the top (Kate Hardcastle).

The T&A reported that Potter leaving opens the door for Francis Cummings to be named as head coach on Monday

I expect Cummins to be named on Monday, surely it's too short a timeframe to have interviewed anyone else about the job?

Like I previously posted you may have to consilidate live with the fact you are rebuilding dont have the expectation you will be at full cap challenging for everything, its not a god given right it will come if the business is run correctly.

Maybe not a god given right, but we are a big club with better potential than most clubs in Rugby League and as such will one day hopefully soon be challenging where we should be challenging at the top.

The choice of coach surely needs to be made in the context of a weak squad that may well struggle. You really need a cracking man-manager to galvanise what will probably be a blend of kids and 1st teamers to perform at the top of their game.

We do though need to get to a decent level of onfield performance for the next licencing period. I don't know why but I feel we make get marked down on the financials!

Whoever get's the job will have a hell of a project on their hands for the next 12 months at the very least. It is difficult to see where the right calibre of player will come from at this stage to plug the gaps filled by the likes of BJ, Elima, Burgess, Hargreaves, Kopczak, Crookes departing. Looks like we will be relying on some of the youngsters and people like Donaldson to finally take that step up.

Doubt we'll be challenging for much in the near future mate, though Omar Kahn is quoted in the T&A as saying we'll have the full cap to spend. In truth I'll be ecstatic if we're challenging for eighth next season.

TBH, I'd be happy with a younthful squad, some decent half backs and a few experienced forwards. I dont think any we have lost are irreplaceable.
Maybe we should look to a few loan signings? The Evans centre at Wolves or Ian Thornley at Wigan maybe? Dunno how much they are valued or likley to play for their clubs next season.

Given he's unproven as a head coach and our past record with "up and coming coaches" if Cummins IS getting the job, then I'd hope it's just for our probationary year in SL with an option for a longer deal should he show that he is indeed up for the job.

Given the likely 2013 squad I agree that we need a good manager with contacts. My dream team would be Brian Noble, francis Cummings as assistant coach, and ryan sheridan of featherstone as defence coach. Further if sammut is not in the squad I would play kearney at stand-off and bring in ian hardman of featherstone, the best defensive fullback out of the superleague.

Let me start that I was never a fan of Cummins being in the assistant's job, wished we had someone like our old boys keen to coach eg (of course) Menzies, McDermott, Anderson or maybe Jimmy Lowes even.

I don't know FC so can only judge on what little I've seen of him on the box, superficially don't immediately see either a steely man manager or an inspirational character.

That said, I ask myself, does he deserve a chance, and surprisingly have convinced myself that the clear answer is a resounding "Yes". Some factors:

1. Potter stuck with him. Potter would have been unlikely to have done so with a mug or a useless appendage
2. What does an assistant coach actually do? I suppose it varies club to club, but you need one, a coach can't do everything on his own, and you'd have to say that we have seen a very steady and very big improvement as the months have rolled by, to th extent that of late, while we could still have a 'mare, we were far more consistent, and genuinely back to a situation where nobody would relish playing us. We had been built into quite a formidable force, certainly compared to wher we started from. Therefore indisputably, FC must have been an integral part of achieving that.
3. We would not be picking a beginner. He is a man who now has 7 (?) years experience working under some very able coaches, watching and learning from their methods. He has therefore served a decent apprenticeship.
4. If you can promote from within, then to me that's the best way. Dynasty building and all that. The players presumably know and trust him, and he knows them. He also knows inside out the methods that have achieved such an improvement to date.
5. We certainly can't afford a top dollar Aussie coach
6. Potter has gone out of his way to recommend him.

In a nutshell therefore, I like his work, he's served his time, and if he's thrown his hat into the ring, he must feel he's ready, so bring it on.

Even if we do have the full cap available I would rather we didn't try to spend up to the full cap immediately. With the lack of quality players available to sign at this stage the only way we could get near the full cap is to pay over the odds on wages to sign very average players, which would be disastrous in the long run.

You could have him today if it was down to the fans He's useless to be honest Leeds fans where warned by broncos fans when we appointed him about his strange tactics, use of subs, or not, non rotation of forwards giving old players new contracts etc etc etc

Wish Mr Heatherington had took notice

Somebody mentioned John Kear think you would do well with him he's a quality coach thats got a proven track record of coaching a side in adversity dont think you could any worse than him. good luck for next year it will be good to see if you can surprise the doubters and get into the play offs. SL is stronger with Bradfords Bulls

Yet you won the league under McDermott? So he can't be all bad?