The suddenly resurgent Bulls could make quite s statement with another thumping win against s team above us in the table and I expect they will.

No Gaskell but the following players may be available that did not play at Oldham: Addy, Clough, Moss, Purtell, Ferguson, Williams, Caro, Kavanagh, Lovegrove, Lauaki, Mathers.

Guess Batley scouts will have learned little from last night when you consider the players missing.

That's the thing. Under Lowes you didn't need to scout Bradford. You knew what the team would be before it was announced and you knew how they'd play. Now, we're a different animal and adding back those missing players to the line up will make us a tougher opponent than when we collapsed to a draw against Batley earlier this year

John Kear will be relishing meeting an up and coming Coach in Rohan and showing him that the old dog still has a few tricks left in the coaching locker, Disco will be a beneficiary in the long run as he benefits from both Coaches system of plays!

Don't think we'll thump them. Batley are third for being consistent and this is a game that has John Kear written all over it. That said i think we'll just edge it then we'll be third (despite some media commentators thinking and a for has set in at the club). Interesting what everyone thinks we should line up like. For me we have 5 props playing well so lets go big.

1. Moss
2. Ryan
3. Walshaw
4. Welham
5. Clare
6. Thomas
7. Charnock
8. Crossley
9. O'Brien
10. Sidlow
11. Ferguson
12. Addy
13. Clark

14. Lumb
15. Lauaki
16. Clough
17. Pitts

Campbell unlucky to miss out but thought Walshaw and Ryan looked solid. Absolutely massive game this.

Not sure I'd put Ryan and Wallshaw on the same wing. Both are good lads but if you have them both on the same side then that's the side that Kear will focus on. Better to pair one with Clare and the other with Welhem

Batley will play their normal tactics, ie lie on, hands in, short 10m wtc to slow the game down when defending followed by looking for the deck to get a qptb on attack, similar to your attacking style at Blackpool.

Looking forward to going to this game. Hope Bradford are switched on as i know Batley will turned up switched on.

Kear is that sort of coach. He'll turn adversity into a positive to give his guys an edge. I can just imagine him telling a bloke with two prosthetic legs that he has a terrific advantage over everyone else and the he should make the best of it - and he'll make the player believe it.

It's a tester for Smith, that's for certain. Hopefully the message will have gotten through that, unlike the Lowes regime, no one is guaranteed a place in the 17 and failure to perform will result in a failure to appear as a player as Smith has already shown a wiliness to change the team should a performance not be forth coming

I like the way he puts it "we're looking to put out the best 17 we can for each match" he is using knocks and injuries to rotate and therefore nobody is being dropped! The Players are being given chances to prove themselves and its up to them to keep a place in the starting 17, but come the 8's hopefully baring injuries the best 17 will have emerged!

The 19-man squad:
Joe Lumb, Mitch Clark, Adam O’Brien, Alex Mellor, Ethan Ryan, Kurt Haggerty, Kieren Moss, Kris Welham, Paul Clough, Danny Addy, Oscar Thomas, Lewis Charnock, Jay Pitts, Adam Sidlow, James Clare, Steve Crossley, Lucas Walshaw, Ross Oakes, Epalahame Lauaki.

Joe Lumb, Mitch Clark, Adam O’Brien, Alex Mellor, Ethan Ryan, Kurt Haggerty, Kieren Moss, Kris Welham, Paul Clough, Danny Addy, Oscar Thomas, Lewis Charnock, Jay Pitts, Adam Sidlow, James Clare, Steve Crossley, Lucas Walshaw, Ross Oakes, Epalahame Lauaki.

Moss
Ryan
Walshaw
Welham
Clare
Thomas
Charnock
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Haggerty
Mellor
Pitts

Lumb
Addy
Clark
Crossley

Oakes and Lauaki to miss out.
We're looking a bit light in the second row with both Ferguson and Olbison missing.

Joe Lumb, Mitch Clark, Adam O’Brien, Alex Mellor, Ethan Ryan, Kurt Haggerty, Kieren Moss, Kris Welham, Paul Clough, Danny Addy, Oscar Thomas, Lewis Charnock, Jay Pitts, Adam Sidlow, James Clare, Steve Crossley, Lucas Walshaw, Ross Oakes, Epalahame Lauaki.

Moss
Ryan
Walshaw
Welham
Clare
Charnock
Thomas
Sidlow
AOB
Clough
Haggerty
Pitts
Addy

Lumb
Lauaki
Crossley
Clark

Think Lauaki has done enough to earn a place, could do with a big squad to stamp some authority on the game as soon as we can.

maybe swap Clare and Ryan so you dont pair relatively inexperienced Ryan and Walshaw on one side from a defensive POV, as someone else mentioned elsewhere. Otherwise looks strongest lineup. If we're worried about size in 2nd row then bring Oakes into and move Walshaw upto 2nd row with Crossley missing out and Pitts dropping to bench.

Thought id swapped the centres.

I would understand that logic if Walshaw and Ryan had looked frail in defence, but I don't think this is the case to be honest - at Oldham on Wednesday they didn't let anything through, and Ryan also played at Workington and I felt that he was generally quite solid. In fact, I have been impressed with Ryan's contributions this season and especially pleased that he is pushing Williams and Caro for a place.

I reckon Walshaw in the centres over Oakes - the young lad has done ok without being spectacular and I think that Walshaw offers us more at centre in defense, in height for the bomb, and driving the ball out from the back. The final spot is anyone's guess.

No, they don't look frail in defence. However, Kear will look at the line up and target the perceived weakness of having two young lads on one side and would mean that both would be put through a lot more work than if they were lined up on either wing.

thats exactly what i was trying to say. seems better to have one on each side alongside a more experienced player.

I think looking at Smith's tactics in previous games (particularly against Leigh) I think he might be tempted to go big to start with and look to bring replacements on regularly. I can see Addy starting at hooker for that reason (he said he thought we needed size against Leigh and if he's looked back at Batley game from earlier in season he might think the same).

I'm surprised he's dropped Johnny Campbell as I thought he did ok when he came in at Oldham and I'd have given him a run against a team he knows well.

Ethan as good as he's been playing has only started three games this year (two of which have been in last 7days)... which surprises me even more to drop Campbell as I was sure he wouldn't play Ryan in this.

1. Kieren Moss
2. Ethan Ryan
3. Lucas Walshaw
4. Kris Welham
5. James Clare
6. Oscar Thomas
7. Lewis Charnock
8. Mitch Clark
9. Danny Addy
10. Steve Crossley
11. Jay Pitts
12. Kurt Haggerty
13. Alex Mellor

Sub. Adam O’Brien
Sub. Paul Clough
Sub. Adam Sidlow
Sub. Epalahame Lauaki

Joe Lumb and Ross Oakes to miss out.

Hasn't Campbell played same number of games?. Would have thought his familiarity with batley counts both ways, so maybe reason he misses
out. Ie batley know how he plays and how to counter him.

Bradford probably have a slightly better team on paper but Batley have a better team on the pitch. Im expecting Batley just to sneak this one.

I we have got to the point of only having a better team than Batley on paper then we can forget about promotion. We need to be a lot better than other championship teams apart from Leigh if we have any chance of beating SL teams.

Cool trolling

I'd say we have a much better team on paper but it's on the field that counts and Batley have been better than us on the field. Hoping we've turned a corner and our fragile confidence has been given a boost after the last 2 wins. But I thought that after our decent showing at the bash.

They won't be much in this.