It’s obvious that so far this season we’re really showing our lack of halfback that can dictate play. It seems every side we play has someone buzzing around doing the job better than either of ours and we seem increasingly unable to break defences down other than by sheer weight of possession.

Gaskell seems to be getting extra attention since both Addy and Mathers lack any running threat do to their lack of pace. Our kicking game has been poor with kicks going out on the full. Our game management has been lacking with nobody able to apply pressure properly.

I think there are a few issues here. First we’re playing Addy in a position he’s not suited to. He’s done the job for years now but should never have been put in this position. It’s frustrating to watch but it must be worse for him and his teammates. However until we sign someone who can play in that position we are where we are. We’ve been here too long. It’s time Ferres sorted this.

Secondly during games we seem to no longer give either halfback enough options to pass to. Versus Halifax we tried a lot of passing down the line but the line was flat. There was no support play or dummy runners creating space. All halfbacks need players in motion to create doubt in the defence. We are increasingly predictable in this area. It’s up to Lowes to sort this out.

Thirdly we often seem to get a slow PTB which puts pressure on the halfbacks. How often do our forwards get dominated in the tackle and put on their back? Way too often. That means defences are in Gaskell and Addy’s faces before they can do anything or it’s rushed and we make mistakes or throw forward passes. It’s meant we’ve had an awful lot of kicks charged down this season too.

It’s obvious other teams have done their homework on us and our attacking threat. Without Mullaney we are effectively playing with one halfback who is really more of a runner than an organiser. As a result we’re struggling. You can see that. The players need to take ownership themselves as well as the coach. I’d like to see our centres and backrowers think more about how they can support the ball carrier. A few times versus Fax there were gaps if someone had run a drop off line or even just been on the shoulder of the ball carrier. I see Haggerty has a decent pair of hands – lets get men around him in support.

As far as signing a halfback is concerned I can’t believe we aren’t in the market. I guess every club knows that too so we’d have to pay a large fee for someone. Thing is can we afford not to?

Did I read correctly in the T&A yesterday that we are considering Thomas Bosc?! Don't get me wrong, I'd welcome him in a heartbeat, but seems a bit unrealistic. It says he's out of favour at the Dragons, but as far as I know he's played a fair bit this year

I think it was unrealistic to be able to sign a halfback on loan before the run of games over Easter. I would expect that Coaches will look at their squads now and make decisions on who might be available. We need to be at the front of the queue when that happens. Also getting some of our bloated squad away on loan would help as well.

As someone mentioned elsewhere - asking Mullaney if he's not doing anything else whether he fancies a 2month sabbatical in Bradford later on this season is worth checking.

I don't think anyone else is in need of a HB and so as the only buyer in town it must be neutral at worst.

I have already given up on promotion personally, OK if we did what we should have years ago and got a decent HB we might pick up but it takes time for any player to gel - and a critical player like a scrum half especially.

But the general standard of play we are showing is so poor that we have no realistic chance. Some brave hearts are trying to talk it up, and say this is some preseason that doesn't matter. I don't buy it at all.

I've been saying taht neither we nor anyone will ever win an MPG so the only "chance" is to finish in auto promotion spot. That makes the pre-season crucial as if you don't finish top then you get mre fixtures against SL clubs where we'd be paggered, imagine playing Warrington for example, it would make our half century beatings of recent years seem like narrow defeats.

Yes, there is a germ of truth in the arguments, but not if a team is playing so far below any "peak" that it is unrealistic to talk of peaking, a word which suggests honed and hungry athletes bubbling under at a B to B+ level and raring to go for the final push. Whilst undoubtedly we have athletes, nevertheless our present level of team play is nearer Jonny Vegas on a sunbed.

Agree with all of that Bullseye.

I can't see us getting a decent HB at all.

A loan signing is no good for us unless it is a season long loan without a recall. Problem is most clubs won't agree to this as unlike prop forwards and second rowers, they don't stock pile HB's.

I know Declan Patten has been mentioned a lot but why would Warrington let him come on a season long loan and why would be come to us. If Sandow or Gidley get a season ending injury then suddenly Wairrngton are short in that department. Even if they wanted Patten to come out on loan, he would more likely go to an SL side like KR or wakey.

We should have gone all out and psid a huge salary to get someone like Finn. Would happily have sacrificed Mathers wages for this.

I'm not sure how Rhys Jacks has been going to Sheffield but he Cant have been any worse than Addy. We could have signed him see how he went and still had room on the cap to spend If a better option came up.

If I was Ferres I would go to someone like Brambani, Thackrey or Gareth Moore, ask them what wage they would need to come out of part time work and pay them it. At the moment this mystery HB isn't appearing.

Shame we didn't give Adam Brook a chance when we were battering Workington by 72 points last year.

Cant see Brambani coming if we did go for him, he has a business outside of rugby im led to believe, which would explain why he didnt go full time at Sheff.

Get your point about Brook, from what ive read hes going really well at Keighley I know standard is a lot lower but he seems to be standing out

Keighley aren't exactly setting the division alight though are they? Is Brook standing out for them?

I agree that there doesn't look to be anyone available at the moment

The Championship half backs that people have mentioned won't come because their day job pays too much. It's not simply a question of paying more money, its the damage it would do to their career to suddenly hand in their notice. Why would they do that? Presumably that's why Brambani left Sheffield rather than go full-time. are with Kyle Briggs (one bitten, twice shy in this case).

Ironically, Sheffield going full-time has made them worse, and turned out to a great deal for Batley - who have ended up with a 6,7 and 13 that are used to playing together, and are playing comfortably better than most other pivot combos in our league, including ours.

I said to my lad on the way back to the car after the Fax game, that maybe we should go to Keighley and see how much it would take to prise Adam Brook away? We could offer him a deal for the rest of the year, with it written in that he could sign back for them if it doesn't work out. We could even loan them a couple of our unwanted squad players to sweeten the deal. He knows the setup and could fit into our systems quickly.

Another option is to see whether Jake Mullaney would be interested in a 4 month contract from May to September? Again, he already knows the setup and systems, and would be able to slot in quite quickly. I suppose the question mark would be how fit he is after no pre-season.

Hell, we could even consider going back and begging Siejka to come back. At least the guy actually is a bone fide scrum half.

Mullaney went back because his other half was homesick apparently. Do they have a young family? If not maybe we could tempt him back.

I'm sure we could get Brook back if we wanted - as you say we have heaps of players needing game time we could loan in return. Is he all that though? He's probably better than the ill Addy we had at the weekend but then I would be.

Wonder what Matt Orford is doing these days ?

If I was Ferres I would go to someone like Brambani, Thackrey or Gareth Moore, ask them what wage they would need to come out of part time work and pay them it.


Why should they not come part time, is not Mathers Part Time.
As somebody said why don`t we go back for Brook, what I saw of him he was sharp and prepared to take the line on.
If its not sorted soon I fear attendances will drop dramatically, after the recent clueless performances fans will vote with their feet.

Clearly, it is totally impossible for the Bradford Bulls to have a scrum half.

It has been totally impossible for the Bradford Bulls to have a scrum half for some years now. Everybody surely understands this. There are any number of obvious reasons why the Bradford Bulls have not been able to and will not be able to sign a scrum half.

The only thing that does perturb me just a little bit is, how did every other rugby league team in the whole world manage to sign at least one scrum half? Why did none of the reasons we can't sign a scrum half ever apply to any other team in world RL?

Unlucky, or what?

I believe that Brambani has his own business (not sure what in) so its not simply a question of offering a cash inducement. He'd need to either find someone to run his business for him, or run the risk that his carefully built up business would fizzle out.

Why would he take the risk of doing that for maybe a 6 month contract? It could be his entire future for him and his family that is at stake here...

Dom makes watches.

Also isn't Rhys Jacks a dummy half?

If I was Ferres I would go to someone like Brambani, Thackrey or Gareth Moore, ask them what wage they would need to come out of part time work and pay them it.

R these players not contracted to clubs already ?

Sheffield have been playing Jacks at hooker off the bench. Their half backs are definitely not playing well, as the whole team aren't, hence their terrible form

I have been calling for us to have a go for Mullaney or a while...

I don't think it was him that was homesick, it was his girlfriend I believe. I can't find anything that suggest he is currently playing rugby so I would hope we have at least picked up the phone! Who knows maybe we have?

His last tweet 29th Feb
Good to see the boys @OfficialBullsRL get off to a good start to the season. Promotion this year boys #COYB

Think Mullaney is a none starter. He Cant exactly commute from Oz. It would either mean coming over and leaving his GF in OZ or moving his family half way round the world again. Considering he went because she was homesick, i don't think there's 's chance he's coming back sadly.

He has been a huge loss. What i would give to have him back though.

Can't see Mullaney coming back either, sadly enough.

As others have mentioned he's been a huge loss. He attacked with purpose and always looked a threat when he carried the ball. No one is really doing that for us at the moment. Our attack on Monday was woeful.

A well paid, 8 week short contract at the end of the season, visa & GF permitting, may be an option. We should at least ask

Let's hope he hasn't got himself a full time job then or else that scuppers that idea,

Oscar Thomas, anybody?

No pre-season

No season

Hasn't played for a year

Whatever he has done for us I don't think that's a great idea.

If you work back from the M8s we have about three weeks to sign someone with any expectation of them being bedded in by then.

If Mullaney was still here he'd be out with a torn hamstring anyway. Great player, terrible injury record.
I would really like to see us line up with Campbell at 1, Gaskell at 6, Thomas at 7 and Addy at 13.
Not necessarily this weekend against one of the better sides, but certainly at some point during the regular season, and just see how things pan out.
Can it be any worse than what we've been seeing recently?