Rohan Smith's first game in charge and a chance to build on arguably the most competent and fluid performance of the season.

If we win our game in hand, and if we beat Leigh in Blackpool, then we're 3 points behind them, with one more game against Leigh to play. Win that, and there would be one point in it, all other things being equal.

Obviously the near-faultless run we'd need for the rest of the season presupposes that Rohan can find the winning formula and instil the confidence and belief. Still a bit of an impossible dream, sure, but his attitude has rubbed off on me to the extent that I just donated a couple of quid to my bookie at 16/1. Two weeks ago that would not have remotely happened. Still expect to lose, but I have an inkling that I'll get a run for my money.

19-Man Squad

IN: Dale Ferguson, Kurt Haggerty, Mitch Clark and Joe Lumb
OUT: Lucas Walshaw, Jacob Trueman, Ben Kavanagh and Alex Mellor

Oscar Thomas, Paul Clough, Dale Ferguson, Lee Gaskell, Mitch Clark, Steve Crossley, Tom Olbison, Danny Addy, Matty Blythe, Kurt Haggerty, Ethan Ryan, Joe Lumb, Jay Pitts, Kris Welham, Danny Williams, Adam Sidlow, Omari Caro, Adam O’Brien, James Clare.

Oscar Thomas, Paul Clough, Dale Ferguson, Lee Gaskell, Mitch Clark, Steve Crossley, Tom Olbison, Danny Addy, Matty Blythe, Kurt Haggerty, Joe Lumb, Jay Pitts, Kris Welham,s, Adam Sidlow, , Adam O’Brien, .

1. James Clare
2.Omari Caro
3. Ethan Ryan (although i think he'll choose Blythe)
4. Kris Welham
5. Danny William
6. Lee Gaskell
7. Oscar Thomas
8. Paul Clough
9. Adam O'brien
10. Adam Sidlow
11. Tom Olbison
12. Jay Pitts
13. Danny Addy

14. Joe Lumb
15. Steve Crossley
16. Mitch Clark
17. Dale ferguson

Blythe & Crossley to miss out for me

Clare
Caro
Welham
Ryan
Williams
Gaskell
Thomas
Sidlow
OB
Clough
Olbison
Pitts
Addy

Lumb
Ferguson
Haggerty
Clarke

Clare
Caro
Welham
Haggarty
Williams
Gaskell
Thomas
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Olbison
Ferguson
Addy

Pitts
Clarke
Crossley
Lumb

Blythe and Ryan to miss out. Not ideal playing Haggarty at centre but I think he could do a better job there than Blythe.

Not expecting that big a crowd given City are playing the second leg of their play-off Friday night, but hopefully there should be enough to make some noise and get Smith's reign off to a winning start

If is the biggest word in the english language......

It's the same length as no.

Surely that depends on font size?

Crossley and Blythe to miss our for me. Watching Ethan Ryan at Dewsbury,his defence is so much stronger than Blythe's. Positioning is better as a centre. Blythe is a back up second rower at best and should be nowhere near our 17 Imo.

Haggerty gives a little bit extra dimension from the bench along with Clark,Ferguson and Lumb it's a dynamic looking bench

I agree with Nothus. Yere has an ability to run through and over the opposing centre . I think he would definitely expose Blythe's defence and might dent Ryan's confidence. Having said that , Ryan deserves his chance .
And am I the only one who thinks Crossley has made a big improvement in the last few matches. You can now see why he was championship prop of the year and why Cas gave him a contract.

Crossley has made improvements in the last few games but it isn't enough compared to the other props we've got available.

I'd put Crossley as our fifth choice prop, behind Sidlow, Clough, Clark and Kavanagh.
Crossley is easily good enough for this division but I'm not sure he'd cut it in SL, but right now he's making good yards with the ball and you can see him looking to offload when he can.
On a related note, it seems like the coaches share my opinion because Fleming has just gone out on a month's loan to Swinton. That suggests to me that he won't be getting much first team action now that we have some bodies back.

Unfortunately it looks like Kavanagh has picked up another knock which is why Crossley still gets into my 17 for tomorrow. There's no way we'll only go with 3 recognised props against Sheffield. They might be in a poor run of form but they are still a full time team and they've already spanked us this season. Time for some revenge tomorrow hopefully.

I thought Crossley had a good game on Sunday. He was certainly running his weight for a change and causing a lot of trouble for the opposition's defence. But it's good that we've got actual competition for places now.

Well, a game of two halves there. First half was completely uninspiring, down the middle, one-man rugby; where Sheffield looked like scoring every time they spread it to the wings. In fact, I took my mother-in-law (who is a Union fan) for her first ever game of League and she asked why the Bulls didn't pass the ball over the dotted inside-wing lines: I had to just explain that we just didn't have the imagination.

However, whatever Rohan said at half time really put a spark back into the pack. Better passing, running lines, backing up each other in defence, despite some utterly bizarre decisions from the ref, it looked a different team despite the loss of Gaskell. Thomas looked like settling in the halfs and Clare had another great game as FB.

Things ARE looking better. But lets not think about next week....

Sounded like we had decent pressure on there line most of match, despite losing gaskell fairly early. also sounded like thomas had a decent kicking game,particularly in latter stages. Who got motm?

Mixed bag. I thought our defence was much improved. Good line speed, and we were hitting hard. Defence on the wings is still an issue but hopefully in time that will improve.

Attack in the first half was hopeless. We just panicked. When we got near the Sheffield line and there was a defender in front of us, we just randomly kicked the ball. Last tackle options were poor again.

Thankfully Smith seemed to spot this and we were much better second half. We were much more composed and weren't trying to score off every play. We built pressure. Our first of the second half We just completed our set in Sheffield line, Had a good defensive set then next set we had the ball, we scored. Simples. Our kicking improved and we seemed to have a bit of game management.

Hopefully we'll see more improvement next week when Smith gets a full week with them.

I thought O'Brien was immense and Lumb did very well when he came on too. Fantastic to have those 2 on long term deals.

Forward pack was excellent for mine. Backs less so. Thomas did well with the infamous "game management" towards the end (drop goal and kicks to touch), but we lacked leadership once Gaskell went off early doors.

Clough & Sidlow were excellent. Mitch Clark does the perfect job as an impact prop. Steve Crossley had potentially his best game in a Bulls shirt.

The problem was the defensive efforts of the backs. Thomas, Blythe, Williams & Caro were bloody terrible in defence. And when you're going up against Sheffield's three quarters, that's an issue.

James Clare is our first choice fullback. The lad was brilliant for us tonight.

To make a point other than the performance though, that "stadium" is awful. Terrible view, terrible lighting, terrible facilities. Sheffield were clearly desperate to use that as their home ground this season.

I was in two minds about going last night but in truth I was shattered so decided to give it a miss but I had also looked online at the stadium beforehand. I got the impression it was pretty much a field with a shallow stand behind the sticks and a clubhouse on one side. Imagine the view of the game would be fairly poor, which made the decision a bit easier.

You weren't far wrong. The "seating" was a 10 row temporary golf stand behind the sticks. The "standing" was at one side of the pitch, with no incline or anything. It was essentially like watching West Bowling but with marginally better players on show.

I think the forwards worked hard all night as did James Clare.

Backs were terrible, including Welham who seems to have either brilliant games or a total meltdown. Someone also needs to tell Smith (if he's not already seen it) that Blythe is sodding useless. Give Ethan Ryan or Ross Oakes another game. Neither have let us down and deserve a chance ahead of him.

As for the stadium, I'm going to stick up for the university here as I've seen this place being built and it's a first class playing facility... For university teams!!!

The pitch is in very good nick to say it's had a full season of Rugby Union over the winter. The pavilion changing and bar facilities are possibly better than our own at Odsal. The obvious let down is the spectator areas and this was always going to be a struggle.

I just wonder if stands along the far side touch line would have been better, but this would have increased costs.

The main question is how the hell have the RFL agreed to this when a ground share at Doncaster or even Rotherham could have been an option?

It's easy to see why the Eagles will be happy though. They have spent minimum amount on the temporary stands, and with their gates being so low this is the only way they can afford to be full time. I do however worry about them next year as the costs of running their own stadium at the legacy park will be quadruple what they have spent this season.

Glad it will be the only time I watch Bradford here though.

Though Clare was a clear MOM for us, as a guy who was standing nearby asked, 'how many James Clare's have we got on the field - he seems to be everywhere'. Definitely a game of two halves and we looked hopeless early on, but when we finally got on top there was no way back for Sheffield and I though we were deserved winners.

Spectator facilities were poor though, there is no escaping that. Incidentally, speaking to Sheffield fans, they seem to feel the new ground isn't going to happen, which will be a bummer for the club, tbh.

Standing right at the side of the dug-outs was fascinating though and the banter between Chev and Keith Senior was brilliant - at one point, Chev [jokingly accused Senior of spending more time on the pitch than Gary Mercer....sadly Senior's reply was lost in the noise! One other funny - Chev's not got the loudest voice so, in the second half, whenever he had to shout team instructions he shouted to Omari Caro who passed them on....it's a wonder you couldn't hear Omari in Bradford, he doesn't need a megaphone, that lad, and that's a fact!

Wel done forwards, backsmust try harder. RFL: how did this ground get past you? Sheffield are one of the leading Championship team this year and one reason for that is because they are spending fsck-all on a ground. Everyone else seems to have to pay for a ground worthy of the name (from a spectator's perspective) but they somehow haven't.

Put it this way - if we were a parks team playing out of Horsfall, it would be a spectator palace in comparison. And Sheffield are a team one step away from SL. Which might be hosting SL visitors in the playoffs. How great would that look on international TV?

I like Sheffield and the people there have done a fine job keeping it going but really, there is a line and their ground is so far the wrong side of it, the RFL should really absolutely not allow it. And if in the playoffs, they certainly shouldn't be allowed to play there.

Worringly for 55 minutes Sheffield were the better side until we woke up and started to engage.

Whilst it's good for Rohan Smith to join B Smith, M Elliot, B Noble and F Cummins on winning his first outing as Bradford head coach, last night was uncomfortable viewing for the majority of the game.

You knew after 25 minutes with the score reading 4-0 that this was going to be one of those games where defence was going to be the best form attack.

For Danny Williams this certainly was the case - his outstanding try-saving tackle on Garry Lo must be up there with one of the best defensive efforts from a Northern/Bulls player in recent memory.

You can certainly the impact Rohan was made on the defensive structure with more communication and cohesion between the players. Yes, we conceded three tries, but we certainly made Sheffield work to their limits to post these scores.

As has already been mentioned James Clare was solid at the back and was heavily involved all night.

Unfortunately the attack was lacklustre at best for 75% of the game with the same foolish and unforgivable errors being made - winning the penalty and then knocking on/running in to touch on the first tackle.

Losing Lee Gaskell at halftime was a huge blow, so it was over to Thomas and Addy in the halves, who did a comendable job of orchestrating and moving play.

Thomas really came into his own in the final twenty, taking the game by the scruff of the neck with his effective game management - the drop goal, the three kicks to touch deep inside the Sheffield 10m.

You really got the feeling that he was standing up to be considered as the playmaking 7 we so desperately need.

On reflection Rohan Smith can certainly take a lot of heart from the collective spirit and character shown by his side in finishing the game so strongly last night.

Like I said on the commentary though, the performance will have to raise ten fold for next Saturday's showdown with Leigh in Blackpool.