Hardman was found to be not good enough for SL having had plenty of chances at Saints and Hull KR

So you don't rate BK? You kept that quiet..

your best defender should defend a lot. a good fullback shouldnt defend a lot

I was going to comment but I've decided not to bother.

No mate, i thought i'd made that clear.

Good suggestion. Perhaps with Rob Roberts & Jamie Thackray in the back row?

stopping potential tries is done in the line. if they pour forward in numbers, one man isn't making a difference. regardless of how good a tackler he is. a decent defender is wasted at full back.

my memory must be bad then because I can't remember many (if any) one on one tackles that BK has completely failed with? As it happens so regularly you will be able to point out examples?

Must be, the last home game against Hull KR isn't that long ago and there were numerous times in that match that he failed to position himself correctly (Ben Galea try in the first half for a starters when Galea simply did a little swerve to go around Kearney who ended up on his backside).

Either that or you need to take those rose tints off.

And that's just an example of a failed attempt, there are many instances when he's just not positioned to even attempt a tackle.

bk slipped after galea stepped. hardly wrong position.

Sorry, but to me the full back is the last line of defence. His positional play should be good and be a good tackler. I have been following Bradford Northern/Bulls since 1945 and the best fullback in that time was without doubt Keith Mumby. I lost count how many try scoring attempts he stopped, and many a time when it seemed the opposition must score, he would come up with a last ditch tackle. I wish we had a player now half as good.
Re Ian Hardman, not good enough for Super league? Only kept out of the Saints side by Paul Weller, and is credited in being instrumental in helping Hull KR stay in Super League.

Must have missed the modfather playing for Saints.

that's entertainment. it's in the dreams of children to play super league but in the end he's going underground to play in the championship.

I read the same in the News of the World.

Gets my vote for best typo of the season.



I agree with you to a point. You need a fullback capable of putting anyone down but I see that as being more on and around the line. This is what I remember Sprogger, Withers, the modfather

, Radlinski being good at.

Kearney is being made to look bad by poor defense elsewhere. You say positional play, which leak in our defense would you suggest he positions himself to cover? With tackles being missed all over the place where should he be?

Having someone like Weller in the side would be a Start. I've heard he's signed for the Eton Rifles though. He'll certainly be looking forward to another Long Hot Summer of Super League.

Perhaps that explains Marc Herbert's choice of hair style. After all he came all around the world to a strange town for a start in the city but looked like an absolute beginner and it turned into the bitterest pill he ever had to swallow. Put him on the funeral pyre.

It is a little known fact that Paul Weller once had a brief liaison with Bradford chanteuse Kiki Dee, and their offspring Weller Haurakiki currently plays for the Whinos.

That's tenuous to say the least

Well lets put paid to any ideas of signing Paul Cooke, he is hardly Mr Clean now is he? Perhaps there are some players in the championship who are looking to Move On Up to the Super League that we should be looking at? Or maybe an existing SL player who simply needs a Brand New Start?

Or perhaps an old boy re-signing. Jamie Peacock Suit perhaps?

Just a note comparing mumby - kearney does neither a favour! I was not old enough to see the great man but met him a few times, and heard enough to suggest he was without doubt one of the best 1:1 tacklers around.However they played in two different era's of the game and demands on the modern full back are different, for a start the modern full back is now more a player based around attacking moves and linked to half backs - tomkins,lockyer,wellens examples of players who started either at half back or full back and moved to the other...... Last season i think Kearney was a lot stronger defensively when played at the back. I have felt he has not been himself in a few games this season so maybe he is playing on with an injury. One on one I think Platt was very good defensively it was his errors from free balls that did him in.

Not really, there are some differences but Mumby as a defensive FB would be worth his weight in gold to any team, any era. I just wish there was a stack of video so you young 'uns could see what I am talking about, and he scored nearly 70 tries for us as well, his chiming into the line was both underrated and I would say underused.

Fair one but how many teams have a defensive fullback now?
I wish I could see him but I cant. 70 tries sounds good but did he not play something like 600 games for us?
I just think the comparison is a bit sketchy... like comparing lockyer to wally lewis and people would have a gird if i compared langley to dwyer.Do not get me wrong I am not trying to put down mumby at all just suggesting a comparison is not the best, compare diskin to jimmy and it is not a contest. We have had the luxury of some fantastic players over recent years and i think we become guilty of expecting every player we sign to immeadiatly become the best player we have ever had in that position i.e. mumby.