If they are both 100% I'd start them and bring them both off at half time, gives us ideal preparation too to see if we can adjust mid-game in the event we lose a halfback to injury during the season. If they aren't 100% fit. Don't bother risking it.

I think we have to be careful with Chisholm. He had a long way off, and i don't think this will be a "friendly". Would prefer to easy him in with 20 minutes left when some petrol has gone out of the Keighley tank and he won't be targeted as much. I'd bring him off the bench for York too as half a game after such a severe injury, half a pre-season isn't enough to rush him back. Don't forget, he only played a handful of games for Sheffield too, so he's been out much longer than just from when the injury occurred.

Kear certainly has a selection headache over Smith/Gibson/Oakes. The Oakes/Ryan partnership from last year should be enough for Oakes to justify that spot. For me (depending on injuries) i'd go.

Mcnally
Grant
Gibson
Oakes
Ryan
Smith
Keyes (If Keyes ins't fit, then i'd put Butterworth in there as we need at least one natural HB there)
Kirk
Hallas
Crossley
Johsnson
Garside
Minchella

Chisholm
Wood
Peltier
Goodall

They would be the 17 in mind and try and play as long minutes as possible.

rest of bench to get fitness up

Bustin
Milton
Davies
Brown
Andrade

It is wrong of me to have a slight feeling of mischievious delight at the thought of your reply if some unwitting soul fails to realise who you are and has a go at him? Will you crush them into dust?

Ha. No no no. If my lad has a rubbish game, I'll have a go at him myself

No Hodgson? I wonder if Kear will allow the Oakes/Ryan partnership to continue. Hasn't played them together once yet and has played Oakes on the wing.

Wrong. People were moaning before the preseason started that there could not a proper preseason, due to the coaching issue, which was another failing of the shambolic management of the club that promised the earth the moon and the stars and never delivered a single one. Things have however panned out as any intelligent person would expect, fitness, defence, attack, with a coach joining somewhere between the fitness and defence phases. Yes, what a shambles this management is proving to be. If you are a premoaner.

Looks as if you are getting your wish with Keyes, though Oakes injury delays the possibility of re-establishing of the Oakes-Ryan scoring machine to another game.

Johnson in the centres I reckon. Smith at stand off.

Squad is out. Both Milton and Bustin are included.

BRADFORD BULLS:

Andrade,
Brown,
Burnett,
Bustin,
Butterworth,
Crossley,
Garside,
Gibson,
Grant,
Halafihi,
Hallas,
Hodgson,
Johnson,
Keyes,
King,
Kirk,
McNally,
Milton,
Minchella,
Peltier,
Pickersgill,
Rickett,
Ryan,
Smith,
Wood.

Hmm, out of them I'd like to see:

McNally
Brown
Gibson
Smith
Grant
Pickersgill
Keyes
Kirk
Hallas
Crossley
Garside
Hodgson
Minchella

Rest on the bench with Peltier, Butterworth, Wood and Johnson acting as the '4' subs in the first 50 minutes.

The rest on the bench. We know what Grant and Ryan can do so give some game time to Brown and Rickett. Milton and Bustin need game time too but coming back from injury so ease them into it.

Well that was an utter farce. Least we know what to expect throughout the year. Going to be zero protection for the players. Absolute free-for-all

Wasn't best of performances from us. Samir Tahraouri's brain explosion certainly benefitted us as i thought Keighley looked slightly on top at that point.

Improvement needed for next week.

Look at the penalty count, how much protection do you want?
I'll admit our discipline was awful today and probably lost us the game all things considered. Hopefully with league points at stake we'll do a better job of keeping our heads.

Obviously didn't stop you wanting to start a fight every set.

With ball in hand, i thought Keighley looked good. No need for the Bull$h1t.

Edited my first post after realising how it came across, pretty much agree with you.

Agreed. As i said, before Tahraouri(spelling?) losing his cool, i thought Keighley looked on top and played some brilliant rugby with ball in hand. 17 v 17 for 80mins at your place and i don't think we're favourites IMO

What a complete show the second half was. Countless stoppages in play, idiotic behaviour, and a referee that completely lost control of the game. Four sendings off in any game is ludicrous, never mind in a pre season friendly. Can anyone clarify what Ethan Ryan did to deserve a red card? I missed that. Also do red card bans in pre season carry over to the regular season? It was so cold I kept looking over at the clock to find another minute had ticked by, expecting that 5 had gone by, as if I'd stepped into a ridiculously cold space time continuum that was being perpetuated by silly plays and stoppages.

Liam Johnson was good value for his two tries. He ran well, busted loads of tackles, think he won the collision every time he went in and made countless metres. Deserved MoM for me.

Also looked like a medical emergency on the way out. Loads of people crowding round a bloke near the exit to Rooley Lane closest to Top House. Had blood coming from his nose and looked like some was doing CPR. Hope he is ok, whoever he is.

Ryan certainly deserved his red card. He ran into a fracas and jumped over a player to chin someone. Not sure what Minchella did but it had all kicked off.

Samir is spitting at the crowd after being sent off was a bit naughty.

Disappointed with our red cards especially as it was a nothing game.

Their number 7 did that to one of our lot at the end of the first half in the altercation that lead to the first sin binning. No such punishment.

Today’s game reminded me of our first game in the Championship away at Leigh. Some really poor discipline from both sides with the final 15 mins becoming a bit of circus.

The Cougars self imploded today. If they’d have kept their discipline they could have snatched it. Samir’s brain fart after his sin bin swayed the game in our favour. Some good break away attacking rugby from Keighley as well.

Good to see Keyes back from injury and doing the full 80 mins. Not sure who will partner him in the halves for the York game? Garside and Peltier impressed me today.

Any news on McNally’s injury?

Filthy and a certain people of a specific region spring to mind.

Minchella got the red for retaliation. Their player smack Minchella and Minchella clocked him one back. That's what kicked off the huge brawl at the end. No complaints about that in my opinion. You get smacked like that you are entitled to crack them back. Ryan's was for leaping over the crowd of players and chinning someone I think.

All in all Keighley dragged us down to their level. We were poor in parts. Got caught out on our right? hand side a few times. Was happy with Keyes, Johnson and Andrade (in his stint). We'll be better for having this test as the lads now know what to expect.

Samir Tahraoui is absolutely disgusting. Hope he gets a very long ban. The fighting I can accept to some extent. The spitting towards fans was just despicable. Complete tool. I mean you get sin binned then start fighting again on the way off. How stupid is he? Showed more aggression in those 5 minutes than he did in a full season for us



York will be a very tough test. But hopefully we'll be better. Also the fella near the exit had a heart attack I think. I hope he's okay but it didn't look good. Feel for his family.

Worth a view on Bulls TV, seems an eventful match

The man who had a heart attack on his way out sadly passed away last night, a friend of mine. Was stood with him at the game, he left the game with a few minutes to go, said his goodbyes to everyone and said see you all at York next week, unbelievable
Was a long time friend of the family

Very sorry to hear that. RIP.

Tragic, RIP and sympathy to friends and family