As an outsider looking in it seems to me that although you ended last season very well you have managed to fall further behind Leigh this off-season.

Whilst they have strengthened with some impressive signings your club has attracted publicity for the wrong reasons with James Lowes rant at the end of the million pound game and now Marc Greens allegations about Salfords salary cap.

Wakefield do look weak but i cant realistically see any more than one team being promoted.

Comparing the team of Leigh to your Bradford team do the majority of you see promotion as unrealistic?

What sort of comparison is that?
Leigh have signed some impressive players and we've.....attracted bad publicity?
So because Marc Green's letter was leaked to the press, that is in some way going to hinder our promotion chances? How?!

For what it's worth I think our squad has strengthened in some areas and weakened in others.
We've signed some more props, which we needed to do. We've also signed some backs and released those who probably weren't good enough.
Last season our scrum half was injured for long periods and pretty lousy for others. His replacement for 2016 is, as of right now, a complete unknown, so it's impossible to say if we've improved in that area.
Losing Mullaney was a huge blow imo. Granted he missed a lot of last season but when he did play he was very influential and, in all honesty, too good for the championship. The jury is still out on who will get our 1 shirt. Maybe Thomas will get it and do well? Maybe Clare can make the switch to fullback a permanent one? Again, it's too early to tell.

So is promotion unrealistic? No more so than last season, and we were one try away from managing it then.

I wouldn't say we have no chance, but i'd suggest it would be slim at this moment.

The only thing I can say is that we have kept the core of what was a team that came within 15mins (and 8pts) of winning promotion back to Super League. We also finished 4pts ahead of Leigh in the qualifiers despite the so called big name signings of Moi Moi, Hock and Higham.

I genuinely don't think that the new additions are going to make that much of a difference. Chase blows hot and cold. Any team he has played in have suffered as everything runs through him. Cas, Salford, England... none have done much with him in the team. Cas have become a much better side since he left and I expect the same will be the case for Salford.

Tonga is past his best as is Patterson. The only signing I'm genuinely impressed with is Harrison Hanson.

Look at the spine of the team and I think we more than match them, even maybe a bit stronger...

Full Back - Campbell/Clare vs McNally = Leigh win
Stand Off - Gaskell vs Ridyard = Bulls win
Scrum Half - Jacks vs Chase/Brierley = Leigh win
Hooker - O' Brien vs Higham = Bulls win
Loose Forward - Addy vs Patterson = 50/50

Think the interesting thing for me is whether we strengthen mid season ahead of the qualifiers and then struggle to settle them into the team (like Leigh did).

Also interested whether Leigh actually have any budget to strengthen down the line should some of their so called big names pick up any injuries.

A lot of ifs and buts... don't think anyone knows hows its all going to pan out but I think its closer than you make out.

I think this question is better being asked in the last 7 games which is what actually matters.

As it stands, yes Leigh have a better squad than ours. But it's a long old season and Leigh have some volatile characters that could implode at any moment.

Injuries and suspensions will always play a part. We'll recruit throughout the season.

Agree with Both his. We haven't made any eye catching signings, but we've kept the core of stars within our team, while improving the depth which we didn't have last year resulting in our star players being flogged to death. In 7 months time I believe we'll have a few additions and be a stronger team.

I think the question will only be answered when people can see how weak the teams are in the bottom 4 of SL.

I don't see either Bradford or Leigh getting promoted without something terrible happening to at least one SL team in the run up to the Middle 8's.

Leigh have signed a number of big names from Salford, however Salford's season last year wasn't what you'd call exemplary. There was clearly some bad feeling behind the closed doors over there and I'm not sure that taking a number of players, who Salford fans seem happy to see the back of, is the best move Leigh could have made

Cory Paterson is only 28, hardly 'past his best'.

Also in terms of budget we had a deal all but sorted with Jason Chan recently but he had to retire so I guess we must have at least have some space left under the cap.

The thing that Bradford have become good at is quietly getting on with business and not overstating our ability. That reflects in the transfers where we are no longer willing (or maybe able) to sign overrated primadonnas that could either catapult the club into the Super League, or drag the club down with them.

I fear for Leigh - their owner has instilled belief into the club and that should be commended, but it seems this belief turned into delusion last year, and now with these signings we have the owner and fans alike thinking they will bulldoze the league and walk the qualifiers.

I would prefer to be a Bulls fans right now. We might not hit dizzy heights week in week out, but we have some stability about us at the moment and the playing staff no longer flatter to deceive. With that, expectation has lessened, and that can only be a good thing for Bradford. Leigh on the other hand could be heading for heartbreak.

I think most Leigh fans are perfectly grounded in their expectations. It is a minority, albeit a very vocal minority, that are predicting world domination and a nice easy stroll into Super League.

Derek is fond of sweeping statements and sometimes it can be a bit much but Paul Rowley is much more reserved and is keen to downplay expectations when possible. I would be much more worried if it was our coach coming out with grand claims and bold predictions. As long as the coach and players know they are on the wrong side of an unfair and badly weighted system then I have no problem with a few fans and the owner coming out with a bit of hot air now and again, even if it is a touch cringe worthy at times. It is only 6 years ago we were all but relegated to Championship 1 so it is understandable that some Leythers are a bit giddy with how far we have come since those dismal days! The club and the whole town is absolutely buzzing and that is a great feeling regardless of how things finish at the end of the season.

I expect a top 2 finish for us and would settle for us showing even a glimpse of what we are capable of when the 8's come around which is more than we managed last year. I hope that is enough to get us into SL but it all seems a long way away at the minute. All focus for us should be on the Batley game for now and worry about the 8's if and when we get there!

Is there any players and coaches salford fans dont slag off who have left.

Common theme is Koukash ess them all off and then Salford fans jump on the band wagon.

It also must be said Salford were doing fine in the league until Leigh knocked them out the cup and lots of injuries set in

It's essentially.... Salford have bad game. Koukash does his "I'm rich and I can do and say what I want" routine, gobs off on Twitter and in the Changing Rooms, the players' morale plummets lower than Leigh in the Middle 8s, and they question why they bother putting the effort in.

Not very professional, but human nature.

I think Widnes, Wakefield and Hull KR are looking favourites for the bottom 4 right now. I'm still not sure of the 4th team though. Salford might be in there again, but a full pre-season with Sheens at the helm might actually mean they scrape above someone else and make the top eight. Maybe Hull FC? They have a good squad on paper but Radford is clueless and their season could easily fall apart.

I would be worried if I was a KR fan. Battered by Hudds in a recent friendly, a handful of injuries already and they don't have any decent cover for Campese who currently has no return date from a long term injury. Plus I don't really rate Chester, so it could be a long season for them.

That sums it up nicely i think.

People keep saying they fear for Leigh because of the players they've signed, personally i fear for Salford should Tim Sheens walk away

I'd be surprised if Radford sees out the season in all honesty

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ord_Bulls/ Jeez Ross is a miserable git these days isn't he? The club will be ecstatic about that article I'm sure!

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... ord_Bulls/ Jeez Ross is a miserable git these days isn't he? The club will be ecstatic about that article I'm sure!

2 reporters for the media day? I assume one was Ross himself? That's not so good.

This is where I stopped reading.

I suggest you start with actually looking at what happened in the playoffs in 2015. Once you have at least read the results, do give it some morethought.

A clue to start you off: We reached the MPG. We don't know exactly where Leigh finished as you couldn't see that far back from our position but it was not in front.

No Salford weren't exemplary last year but they finished in the top 3 of the Qualifiers which will more than do for me. Yes most of the players had a bad time at Salford but considering the number of players that couldn't get away from Salford quick enough last season it suggests there is something badly wrong with player welfare in Salford, something we seem to have been quite good at.

Hard to disagree with most of it though....

Meh. Some of it is a bit excessive I reckon.

I believe that we're stronger than in 2015 in every department apart from fullback and scrum half.

While chances of going up are very small that's due to the nature of the competition rather than our recruitment.

Leigh may have recruited a lot of big names the jury is well out on whether they will produce the goods.

Last season there were many tipping them to go up yet they blew it big style in the playoffs. Some of their recruits aren't the most reliable or consistent when the pressure is on. If they were they wouldn't be playing championship rugby.

I'm happier seeing us slide under the radar.

If Lowes has learnt his lesson and we share the workload this year we have a very decent chance of making the MPG...in my opinion.

It's pretty much the same thing I've been saying on here for a while to be honest. In fact I had to check that I wasn't Ross when I read that this morning. Turns out I'm not though.

I for one am glad he's not just the club's PR department though. He's a local reporter and if something bad needs saying or a less than "we're amazing" opinion needs offering, that's what he should do IMO. I don't disagree with anything he says in that article really.

I agree that we are significantly stronger in most parts of the team. We have unloaded the unnecessary fringe players and recruited players that Lowes knows a bit more about and probably rates more highly. I felt that good players became deskilled over the course of the season and often played at less than their capability and I see that being an issue for any good player moving down a level.
Leigh have recruited players with experience of playing at a higher level........We already had a team full of such players. However for the first 23 matches that's a bit like a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
There is still little opportunity to gain neither the intensity nor the momentum required to hit the middle eights at the required level and that is the real challenge for Lowes and Rowley.

He got plenty from Jimmy last season - deserved or not.Assume he should be allowed to express opinions sometimes! Plus he is surely correct about scrum half.

With the exception of threequarters and props, have we actually improved anywhere else? We're arguably worse off at fullback. At least until Jacks signs and until we see him play, we're worse off in the halves. The hooking situation is exactly as it was last year, except without Conroy, so arguably worse. We may have brought a couple of extra back rowers in, but they're not likely to play when we're at full strength anyway, as there's nothing wrong with the existing combo of Olbi, Fergie, Addy & Pitts.

Wingers are better than we started off last season with, and Welham improved the centres. Much better options at prop after Sidlow & Clough. But other than that, I don't think we're stronger anywhere else. And we're either weaker or no different in the spine of the team which we struggled in last season too.

I'm not writing off this season by any stretch. I still think we may be there or thereabouts. But I do think the squad we have is no better than it was last year, whereas rival teams (Leigh and Wakefield especially) are stronger.

Not being miserable or anything, it's just being realistic. Which is what I think Ross is being in that article.

As you say as an outsider, an out of touch one at that, just how have Bradford fallen behind Leigh when the season hasn't yet started and whose to say their recruitment has ended.
Not sure how Marc Greens or James Lowes comments have anything to do with the forthcoming season, as for how Leigh's apparent high profile signings' fair, we can only wait and see, I seem to remember Leigh finish top last season only to make a spectacular embarrassment of themselves in the play off, so even if Bradford finish 20pts behind so long as they finish behind Leigh and get 4 home games then their attempt on SL will be on a par with Leigh's that's assuming the bottom 4 SL clubs don't get a say in it regarding promotion for one of them.