I don't understand all the talk of seeing Herbert behind a good pack, do people not think that the pack might be getting on top because of Briggs and BJ's partnership?

I don't believe that the pack do their job on their own and then it's easy for the HBs, they need a good HB pairing that know when to use them and when not to and someone that can kick the ball well. Everyone works for each other on a rugby field and I don't think it's as simple as the pack are now doing their job so put Herbert in and see what he can do.

I'm not into slagging our own players off, I don't think Herbert is a particularly bad player and would be happy for him to be our HB cover but I see no point in messing with a HB partnership that is growing into something that could be pretty exiting.

I agree, if you find something that works we aren't in a position to experiment

The pack will get on top if they control the ruck and win the collision in both attack and defence. The halfbacks are unlikely to have much influence on the above.

However I agree the kicking game is also important. Much easier to defend in the oppositions half than your own 40. Briggs and BJ have improved the kicking side of things. Briggs has performed well overall, he just needs to continue working on his defence. He missed one on Sun that led to a break and ultimately a Salford try. I expect he'll be targeted by the opposition, hopefully he'll continue to improve.

havnt been able to go to the game due to work ! anyone know if i was right about another funny selection from potter? and if its worked ? hope to god i was wrong!

Wow just been to the game how scorching was it! Great bulls following.
Am puzzled as to why Briggs would be dropped for Herbert. Oh my Herbert was absolutely tragic. So much for the superb partnership we have seen in the last 2 games between BJ and Briggs. What about his 2 tries last week!

Maybe Potter has said to Herbert that Briggs has had two very good games while you been out so you have to prove to me that i should keep you in. If not Briggs back in for St Helens game but i think not Aussies like to stick together, if Herbert was English i think he would be shipped out to Halifax on loan.

Didnt go, herbert tragic though? who'd have ever thought it?

Kyle will be fine when he can defend at SL level, hopefully I am not the only person who has seen that his defence needs some work?

b0110cks. not many halfs put in as many tackles as Briggsy, he can and will man up in defence better than most that super league has to offer.

Herbert wasn't tragic.

Not brilliant, but his kicking was better and he made a couple of half breaks. Passing not too good. Good to have 3 options in the halves. Disagree with Briggsy being dropped, but we got the two points.

Scandalous to drop Briggs, no wonder his confidence is shot FFS, how is he supposed to learn his trade in the big league if he doesn't get the chance!

Herbert is truly garbage, the sooner he's on a plane back to reserve grade in Oz the better!!

Potters going to drive me crazy I think

I have to agree fat bull.. i think that is what potter has done! Iwould put my house briggs is back in next week and herbert is dropped again.

He played ''better'' in the sceod half not great! but the first three times we got down to quins line i think it was herbert that made the error on all three occasions if not defo 2 out of the 3! threw hospital passes throughout the first half!

I do not like down-talking any bulls player however he never looks like he wants to be on the park... does anyone else see this??

However aside that great 2 points and outstanding performance from Royston. get him signed for anoher 2 yrs!

Got to love Rob powell's comments-
"I thought we were the better team overall, but when we had the ball five metres out from their line we kicked it dead four times''
"With Bradford's players, you've got a group of people who are tired and then get the ball back on their 20-metre line when we should be attacking again''



Alright it was a fairly even game but we forced them into them errors with solid defence(most of the time)

Its very rare a team lose by three scores and be the better side.. and that defo didnt happen today!



COYB

Prior to Herbert been injured Briggs didn't warrant a place in the squad as Herbert's form was keeping him out. So once Herbert was back playing it was logical that he would come straight back into the side simply as he was the incumbent before his injury.

Edited for greater accuracy.

I agree, at times it appears that he is just going through the motions, but perhaps that is just his personality, that he plays better when he isn't fired up and prefers a calmer game. Prefer to see the lads fired up myself but everyone has a different game don't they.

Well it certainly takes all parts of the team to function well to be a good side, and a good pair of halves will inevitably play better than a poor pair, and bring the best out of forwards (in a running sense), whether the pack is good or bad.

At a base level though, it is the pack which determines the outcome, simply because when they are on top, drawing defenders and off-loading or getting quick PTBs, they give the time (and just as importantly, the space) for the halves to direct things. If the pack [iisn't[/i on top, then the halves will most often have a tackler on them before they have time to look round and even the very best will struggle to have much influence.

Not an easy argument to make after the Wire game. I think Briggs has done OK at 7, grabbed a couple of tries against a poor Salford team and whilst no more than promising he's a far better prospect than Herbert who frequently takes the ball moving even slower than Deacs in his last season and cannot kick it farther than 20 metres straight to the opposition FB.

Absolutely.

Briggs offers more attacking threat than Herbert and has a far more potent kicking game. At this stage I have yet to see what Herbert brings to the side other than static-in-motion threat with ball in hand. "Defensively solid" should not be the primary attribute of a creative 7. Herbert may be an option at 13, since he is clearly offers more than Donaldson (who is in danger of being overly hyped) May be proven wrong but right now, Briggs by plenty.

There is only one game where i have actually seen herbert have a good game and that was Saints away, two quality kicks to set up tries (especially the kick behind foster for the ainscough try) but i think that is about it for me ??

From what I hear the coaching staff are a bit disappointed with Herbert and are hoping that Briggs will continue to work on his defence so he can be a regular.

Hardly surprising is it?

Really? That would make it all the stranger MP picked him above Briggs last week. What do they do this week? Pick Herbert who was anonymous at Quins or drop him after one game back from injury having previously dropped the kid who'd come in and done OK? If Herbert is poor against Sts on sunday it will be hard to defend Potter and if he picks Briggs his decision to drop him against Quins looks odder still. Not great for the confidence of either player as it looks like he's picking the 'least worst' rather than believing in either one.

Or option 3, Potter has targeted Saints as the 'top' team we may beat this year due to the Exiles etc. He may have played Herbert against Quins to see if he has learnt from past mistakes and testing his partnership with Jeffries. So if Potter brings Briggs in for Saints then he obviously favours Briggs/Jeffres to Herbert/Jeffreies after he has tried them both.

It was blatantly obvious from pre season that Briggs was the most skillful and dangerous of the two.

Got to be fair his passing and kicking has looked pretty crisp but he has also looked a little off the pace in terms of decision making and like he needed some actual studs putting in. I like him and a few more games and he will develop but I worried he got caught by the defence when taking too long. Still want it to be him and jeffries at the weekend