I think this game comes exactly at the right time, coming as it does with a probable Lowes ringing in the player's ears.

Sheffield are surely finishing in the top 4 this year and to put in context, if they win by 42 points they will go second.

Big game this given the way we're defending at the moment.

Absolutely. My thoughts on Defence is old news

. A big and clear statement has to be made in this one. The team has shown it can find its way to the line. Defence ... Defence ... Defence. Work at it and produce the quality in this area of the game.

It would be a good game to put down a marker, that is a fact. Sheffield are looking to be the best of the semi-pro sides and likely to be in the mix at the end of the season, so it should be a game the lads can concentrate on and put them back in their box...as it were.



We certainly can't put on another defensive show like yesterday against Sheffield or we may well get burned.

Again absolutely. Sometimes I hear statements from clubs that just sound like they are looking for absolution. Forgive me for having a no excuses policy, I want excellence.

There is a lot of looking at the 8s. That has no bearing on what we should be doing game by game. A game at a time will do just fine.

The Eagles are a very good Championship side and will be looking to make their own marker/statement.

Big game this. Important we start well too. Good kicking game is required. Start kicking down the throats of their back line, we're in trouble.

We won't be able to rely on the tactic of Gaskell running through these lot.

Big game this. Important we start well too. Good kicking game is required. Start kicking down the throats of their back line, we're in trouble.

We won't be able to rely on the tactic of Gaskell running through these lot.

So good you said it twice....

I agree. Especially about the kicking game. It's been an area that we need to improve on as often our kicks just turn over possession and don't apply pressure.

Hopefully we will soon have Blythe and Millooney back to give us more options in attack so it's not all Gaskell.

Can see Shaw getting dropped from FB to the left centre (due to chev picking up a knock) for this one if Mullaney is back in the side tbh

This is one we really need to get it all together, play without our rugby heads on and we will get battered.... like a pice of Cod

I like the way Sheffield play and agree it will be a tough match.
However, Halifax don't have anyone near Gaskells class and they made plenty of breaks against Sheffield yesterday. It was silly errors after those breaks which prevented the score being much closer.
If our forwards gain the upper hand and if we see the defence shown against London we should win.

Really looking forward to this match, our lads will be wanting to make amends for their loss against Leigh a couple of rounds ago.

My heart says an Eagles win, but my head is going for a Bradford win by 10 points.

One hopes Jimmy & Karl will have the Team prepared for an opposition that will have plenty of skill, niggle and physicality in their game and will certainly front up to try and put the Bulls off their stride, while the defence at Doncaster tended to disappear at times possibly due to the Team being a bit dismissive and later on lost some energy due to as Jimmy admitted flogging them too hard in training. I expect a more focused and committed defence backing up what is now a half decent attack and a win!

I thought Halifax were a shadow of the side that performed against us at Odsal - so the theory that teams throw the kitchen sink at us looked proven in that instance.....

As far as Sheffield go - if they raise their game too we will have a fight on our hands.

Dominic Brambini gave a masterclass on 5th tackle kicking options and he orchestrated the team to perfection - if we don't close him down - he is capable of doing the same against us.

Menzie Yare is a big powerful centre and was responsible for three consecutive tries down the right side, cutting through the Fax defense with ease..

We "outsize" them in the pack - but size isn't everything



Lets hope we don't "over train" this week or we may see a home defeat.

(I struggle with "over train" - raised more questions than answers!)

Apparently, Matty Blythe was MOM for Oxford on his dual reg appearance, so sounds like he's hit the ground running. It's certainly a poser for Lowesy.

It's definitely possible to over train Errol - from my days of [fairly competitive running, there was a well known phrase about 'leaving your race pace on the road'. To be at your best you need to train and recover and the 'recover' bit is just as important as the 'train' bit.

The bit that really surprises me, if I'm honest, is Jimmy and presumably the rest of the coaching and fitness team, getting it wrong. That said, no-one player or team, is ever at their very best [ievery[/i week, life ain't like that, unfortunately! Generally, it's possible to 'peak', or be in your very best physical and mental shape, three maybe, four times in a season - the rest is a rollercoaster of building up for the peaks and dropping down into the troughs.

That's what I was getting at really... I expect that a degree qualified and experienced conditioner would/should not have done this.

I would be interested to know if Leigh are experiencing peaks and troughs but only some of their will know that I guess..

Last season I saw them just a few times - but rather than peak & trough they appeared to steamroller every week - culminating in a complete annihilation of Featherstone in the Championship GF.

If they repeat that feat - they may well be promoted!

As for us - we are due a peak this weekend (I hope)

Bradford v Sheffield preview for anyone who fancies a butchers - wp.me/p3JxPK-xa

Bradford v Sheffield preview for anyone who fancies a butchers - wp.me/p3JxPK-xa

Always thought it was a bit of a shame that the Bulls never found room to sign Dom Brambani, who is a Bradford lad. He's getting on a bit now (29?) but he is a very good organiser, has a fine kicking game and always poses plenty of problems as well as organising his team. He's learned his trade very well. I don't know if Siejka will improve, and he is probably a better defender, but at this stage I would say Brambani is a far better, more effective and livelier no. 7.

Oh great, we've got the outstandingly brilliant and not at all useless plantpot Mr. Thomason again. Nice move RFL. Appreciate it.

At least we will find out if he really is that bad, or if it was just a bad hair day.

Brambani was in our academy till he was 18 was released to sign Matty Brooks.

Dom started alongside former Bull, Kyle Briggs, against Halifax. It was Dom's first start in a few weeks due to falling out of favour with Tubbs who decided to play Aston Jr to the dismay of some Eagles fans. Dom's been great for us and all the attributes you list above are most certainly correct. I know that the majority of Featherstone fans were very unimpressed with Siejka's brief showing when he was there on loan.

Yes I used to watch a lot of academy games at that time and I thought he would be well worth signing. Did Brooks ever play for us?

I heard we considered Brambani when recruiting for this season.

I don't think Brooks played a 1st team game.

Brooks was a decent player for us, made 38 appearances over two seasons if LRL is correct.