Just got back, I know he went off injured but can someone tell what on earth Chev Walker brings to the team, he constantly drops the ball and let's people walk through him. I don't understand why Bateman was benched, on form he should have been in and those trying to get their place back should work for it!! Langley got MoM and I'm puzzled as to why.

Dumb rugby from start to finish. Bombed chances, gift wrapped tries for Salford, our legendary collapsing defence back. Poor.

Two steps back this week. Where has the "team" from the last few weeks gone?

Salford showed more urgency, more line speed and controlled the ruck better than we did. We also made far too many ball handling errors to give ourselves a chance of coming back. Disappointing but not entirely surprising, the response to this will be the true test. Manase and Addy were probably our best players today. We're in trouble if neither BJ or Gale are fit for next week.

What happened to BJ? Not that it made any difference, we were getting d****d before he went off.

Hamstring injury.

Well, tbh Salford played to the old Saints game plan of wang it and hope. And today that paid off and got them the win.

We didn't help ourselves with the dreadful ball retention we had today as well as the indiscipline that began to creep back into the side after the last few weeks were it seemed we were improving in that area.

I'd also add the loss of Jeffries didn't help matters as it then meant we played a lot of the game without a half decent kicking game and tbf our wins this season have come on the back of a strong kicking game. Without we lacked the punch to go the extra mile and get the score board working. If we're neither Jeffries or Gale is fit going up against Hull and Leeds then I can't see us coming away with any points from those games.

We criminally ignored the flanks today, Crookes, one of our best and most in-form players, had a very quiet game, mainly because he was starved of the ball. Our right hand wing had it's defensive frailties exposed many times today for the same reasons that could be levelled against it when that combination was Sykes and Sherrife. Sykes with a decent winger isn't a bad option for centre, Pryce with a decent centre isn't a bad option for a winger. But you can't play them as a partnership because they are lacking in certain areas (mainly defence and positioning) and a lot of those areas over lap leading to a weakness in the defence which Salford exploited.

Walker, before being sub'd was a revolving door in defence. I think someone else made a comment about a senior player going back into the side replacing an inform young lad being a bad decision and I agree. I understand what will likely have been MP's decision behind the swap, that being he doesn't want to burn Bateman out as a player. After all, the lad is still young and developing. However with that I'd also say that how beneficial to his development is dropping him from the starting line up when he's coming into some good form? With Elima back next week, I'd hope to see Walker dropped from the side because, given the positions he plays in, we do have cover and can drop under performing players. I know that's a rarity for us this season, so I hope MP takes advantage of it.

I agree with a lot of what's already been said. This week I feared that our run of decent performances would be coming to a close, I don't think we showed the enthusiasm needed today, Salford were much more "up for it" consistently making yards forward, dominating the collision and looking well organised off the back of it. In defence they stifled us around the ruck and their line speed was excellent.

In contrast we looked less motivated, our service away from the ruck was very slow so the backs never got any decent ball. When we were attacking the Salford line we looked short of organisation, even with Jeffries on the field. This was disappointing considering Sammut was back and the playing conditions were perfect.

In defence our right side was very poor and like everyone else was baffled to see Walker come into the side ahead of Bateman. Thought Diskin had a mare today.

We had chances to come back into it in the second half but spurned them. Our discipline went to pot but we dragged Salford down to our level by the end.

Back to basics this week!

Salford have already played better than that this season. I thought they put in a good performance but didn't have to work too hard to get the win. Moon looked quality for them. The double wedge move worked every time it seemed.

Everything seemed to go against Bradford though. In first few sets we sent the ball wide early and as soon as it go to 2nd rower it stopped. if you going to ship it early at least try and get it to centres.

Whitehead kicking? Poor.

A real disappointing performance and an all too familiar feeling.

Langley back and Bateman to bench was just dumb in my book.

Thought langley worked hard enough but his inability to pass the ball, ever, is maddening sometimes.

The main selection blooper was Walker in for Bateman. Chev had a game to forget with some crucial missed tackles and mistakes.

Not all doom and gloom for me, it certainly wasn't great but there was a massive over-reaction at the ground. We bombed several chances, gifted Salford tries and didn't get the bounce of the ball all day. Just one of those days, but I do expect a better performance next week.

That's what's so annoying. If we'd played with half as much cohesion as in recent weeks we had a great chance of winning.

Was the pass to Pryce really that forward? We've had plenty of those allowed against us that have led to tries?

The bounce of the ball that went behind Crookes was a killer.

Despite our bad luck we contributed to our own downfall massively.

Burgess two offloads that went straight to Salford that led to tries were big killers.

Agree. I just don't like langley as anything other than a prop. When he's involved in a move 99% of the time the ball stops with him and it's so disheartening to watch.

I thought he was judged to have gone into touch but someone on here said forward pass, if it was that then as you say it seems that everyone can pass forward but us.

We certainly did contribute to our own downfall, not happy to see the errors creeping back in, especially as we have been a lot better in that department this year.

I'm not quite sure why we were trying to score tries straight up the middle with the forwards when kicks have served us so well this season.

Bateman should have started, Addy at loose and Langley on the bench as prop. That seemed obvious to me but Potter obviously disagreed.

Twice in the first half he tried to put someone away and both times they bombed a simple pass, one was Walker and I'm not sure who the other one was.

Can't say I blame him for sacking passing off when that keeps happening.

To be fair i remember both occasions. But these are more the exception over the past few years. Far too many times, especially near the line, any fluidity in a move just seems to stop.

Nope, he scored it ok, just judged forward. It was marginal at most. And very ironic to be ruled forward after some of the howlers against us in the last few games.

I'll be honest, during the Saints game i thought Walker was quite poor defensively, but didn't say antyhing as didn't want to sound like a moaning fan always looking for a negative as the team performance was outstanding. For me next week will be won & lost in the back-row. We cannot give their superb back row momentum.

For me:
Hargreaves
Diskin
Manuoakafoa
Whitehead
Bateman
Elima

Langley bench.

But it will be Elima on the bench with Langley starting, he brings nothing to the side. All the rubbish bout his work rate, we didn't miss it against Saints. Elima & Whitehead work just as hard as Langley, but they have a lot more quality play so you don't notice all the tackling their do.

It annoys me so much the favouritsim to certain players. Langley had no right to walk straight into the starting line up. I couldn't make the game but i'll bet all he did was receive an inside ball all match.

This loss hurts more because it was so crucial for the momentum for the rets of the season.

Not saying Langleys the reason we lost, but it's just all our momentum is lost everytime he touches the ball and he has it every set of 6! And how annoyed would you be if you was Bateman. Played superb for the last couple of weeks, worked yours nads off last week to get the win against Saints, then your told your on the bench. Especially to someone who hasn't justified his postion in the starting line up.

Langley was the Bradford Bulls Man Of The Match apparently.

For me he was dire but I don't have any input into the award.

Langley is a dead donkey who needs to be flogged. Why oh why oh why oh why is he still being picked in front of up and coming players who show him up for the has been that he is!

We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot

We made 2 breaks in first 40 and they scored on the back of one!

Addy attacking kick on last tackle before h/t on their line, one tackle later they score!

Crookes ball in hand last set before h/t, good attacking position, raises elbow in first tackle, penalty to Reds and they score right on hooter which for me was killer. Chance with ball in hand to go in 24-12 down instead ends up 30-6 down

Bad day and a game we needed to be winning

You can say that again. Burgess through one on one to line. Pass to Reds player. Sykes (I think) only had to put the ball down and passed - knock on, etc, etc.
I sometimes wonder if they don't actually want to score. Baffling and annoying in equal measures.

Fekking depressing.

You wonder if some of that lot were still carrying last week's scrapbooks about with them?

And yet more injuries, the one to Ben being far and away the most worrying. Once he went off, we seemed to lose any chance of being a threat.

Too many errors. To little clue what to do close to their line. Salford get within 10 and they score. We get within 10 and we look around wondering what the fekk to do with the ball.

Much better effort for most of second half, but too sodding late by then - the damage was done.

Several had 'mares today, including (unusually) Diskin, but Tom was a total disaster. Doubtless their guys called for the ball, but purleeese???

Why did Potter start Sykes in the centres? The world and his dog knows he is pants there. And why drop Bateman to the bench?? He must know far more than me, so I must be missing something crucial somewhere.

Sod all went right for us though. Look at that flukey bounce in front of Crookes. And why the HELL was one of our tries ruled out for a (clear) forward pass, when several of theirs were awarded despite (clear) forward passes? And as for the offside rule...looks like that has become an optional extra nowdays. I see Heath was being treated onfield for a head injury despite the official saying it was across the shoulder. Maybe Heath is into self-harm in his spare time?

Nas has already made it onto my xmas card list.

But look at the games we have coming up, and the squad players we have available given our injury list. I think the next month is going to be very very hard, and come September I fear we will look back on today's disappointing show as the game that made the difference. Please let me be wrong.

Nice to see that we are carrying on with tradition of playing twins with the Langley twins getting a good run out. One of them was playing No 13 today and the other was MoM. They can't be identical though cos' I couldn't tell which the MoM one was.