Happy New Year!! Hope you all have a great 2019! So our next pre-season game is in the Yorkshire Cup against Halifax! Internationals should be available for this game so here is how I think we may line up or at least how I would like us to line up.

20. Brandon Pickersgill
2. Ethan Ryan
3. Jake Webster
31. Rhys Evans
5. Jy Hitchcox
6. Joe Keyes
7. Dane Chisholm
8. Liam Kirk
9. Matty Wildie
16. James Green
11. Matt Garside
12. Elliot Minchella
13. Mikey Wood

21. George Flanagan
19. Jon Magrin
15. Callum Bustin
25. Connor Farrell

are these games played under the 'normal ' rules or the usual, pre-season, 20odd man squads?

I’m not sure mate. I’d like to see them be played under normal rules with the Huddersfield and Toronto games being the 20 odd man squad.

Well if they intend to make this pre season ‘Yorkshire Cup’ a credible tournament I think it should only be 17 v 17.

been mentioned on fax forum that their coach said its 20 man squads. No mention of whether its unlimited subs though.

I agree. Should be 17 v 17 to give it a bit of credibility! Plus gives us better preperation for the Fev game.

Credibility? It's a pre-season "tournament" to make the Friendlies mean a bit more. It's as much of a competition as the Joe Phillips Trophy.

It's a good idea to shift a few more tickets and generate a bit more interest, but let's not pretend it's something it's not. Friendlies serve a purpose and that purpose is to get players match practice and fitness without flogging them. You do that by having more than the regular amount of subs.

20 Man Squad for Sundays game: Bustin, Evans, Flanagan, Foggin-Johnston, Green, Keyes, Lilley, Magrin, Milton, Minchella, O’Sullivan, Oakes, Pickersgill, Rickett, Ryan, Stephenson, Storton, Webster, Wildie, Wilson

Based on the squad, I'd go with the following line up:

Starting:
Pickersgill
Ryan
Webster
Evans
Foggin-Johnston
Keyes
Lilley
Bustin
Wildie
Green
Minchella
Storton
Milton

Bench:
Flanagan
Magrin
Oakes
O’Sullivan
Rickett
Stephenson
Wilson

Who's O'Sullivan?

Trae O'Sullivan ex-Batley and Keighley player, think he is a prop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBHK_PWQMPs Just had a look at his highlights reel. Looks ok vs L1 opposition. Could go ok in our reserves. Apparently he's on a trial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBHK_PWQMPs Just had a look at his highlights reel. Looks ok vs L1 opposition. Could go ok in our reserves. Apparently he's on a trial.

Perhaps O'Sullivan could be a short-term recruit to cover for Peltier?

Or in case Crossley doesn't recover from his op by the start of the season...

Maybe. Apparently O’Sullivan was in the Leeds Academy with Jordan Lilley and Sam Hallas too

Even with Peltier and Crossley out we have Bustin, Green, Magrin, Kirk, Wilson, Foster and Wood but I do hope Crossley is fit for the start of the season as he’s huge for us.

Pretty sure O'Sullivan played in the last couple of reserve games last year. He was introduced at the Southbank event pre Christmas as one of 7 players in this year's Reserve squad, who would receive squad numbers as and when they played a league or cup game for us.

I wonder if Jake might play a bit of backrow.

Jake, Rhys Evans and Minichello could be the most dynamic flank since the days of Solomona, Hape and Volcano. Although they really didn't do much together, big things we thought of.

Minichello? New Aussie signing? If I’m honest I prefer our very own Minchella!

But I do agree with your point about being dynamic. Add to that Garside the workhorse and we look very good indeed!

Looking at the squad it looks like Wilson, Magrin and O’Sullivan will get a faor bit of game time! Happy with that!

Come on now. Let's not get carried away. We've already had better a couple of years ago with Bentley/Oakes/Ryan scoring tries for fun.

Looking like I won't be able to make the game tomorrow. Anyone know if it's being streamed/on the radio?

I believe Gledhill still does his coverage on mixlr etc

Just click this link at about 2.59 pm and you're set mixlr.com/bradford-bulls-live/

Just click this link at about 2.59 pm and you're set mixlr.com/bradford-bulls-live/

Bradford Team:
Stephenson
Rickett
Evans
Webster
Ryan
Keyes
Lilley
Wilson
Wildie
Magrin
Storton
Minchella
Milton
SUBS
Flanagan
Oakes
Bustin
Green
Foggin-Johnston
O'Sullivan
Pickersgill

I hope nobody looks at that team and still thinks the Yorkshire Cup is a credible competition!

Right thing though, giving mainly different players from last week a run out.

Fax's team is anyone's guess as Bradford have tweeted a different lineup than Fax have.

Looks like Fax were the ones that tweeted the wrong line-up for them. Now said the same:

QLT
Sharp
Butler
Tyrer
Robinson
Brook
Woodburn-Hall
Fleming
Moore
Kidd
Larroyer
Barber
Fairbank
SUBS
Kaye
Cooper
Kavanagh
Morris
Saltonstall
Co Davies
Syme

Well, we won!
Being honest I expected us to lose today so I'm pleasently surprised. Anyone who was there today, how did we play? How did Wildie go?