Most of our fans with half a brain can see Potter has a good record. Our season is resembling that first Catalans season with every game!

It has taken me three days to clam down after the Warrington debacle, but i am starting to try and see things in an objective and realsitic way. No way can we afford to spend any money on a transefer fee for a player, and we are operating with a skeleton staff across the organisation to keep costs down. There isnt a lot of flexibility to spend any extra money on any of the on or off field issues, unless as reasonably priced and available player could come to us with out a transfer fee or as a loan.

I still beleive that the current squad is only a couple of players away from beinga top 8 side. Our forwards can match most teams on any given day, and we have some strength in doeth in that area provided by the very good crop of young forwards that have been developed over the last few years. Any club in SL would be interested in Whitehead, Olbison, Burgess, Donaldson, and Kopczack has started to show his ability and is probably the most improved player in our squad.

We have had a shortage of good quality halves and outside backs for a few years now, since the 2005 was dismantled, and the shortage of available quality backs is hurting us. Look at the top teams, Leeds, Wigan, Saints, Huddersfield, Warrington. HOw many of thier back positions are filled by young British players? PLenty! They have seen the need to develop, or gamble on buying young backs and developing them. It hurts to see the likes of Atkins and Bridge excelling at wire, and Wardle being touted as a great prosepect, as we let them go. Atkins and Wardle's departures being especially short sighted! Of the regular Leeds Backline, only Delany and Webb are imports and they are top quality. the same applies at Warrington with monaghan and King. Saints, also have top quality strike players allied to good youngsters.

What we need more than anything is a leader on the field. Lynch and Langley lead by example, and are excellent ambassadore for our club and our game, but sometimesd you need a skipper (either named as captain or not) who will dish out a rollicking or two and who commands the fearb and respect of the other players. We've had this with the Penguin, Jimmy Lowes, and even Karl Fairbank.

we also need a half back who can take us around the field and direct things. A player that will get his hands on the ball 3 times every set, and who can unleashe the backline. Teams are beating us by going round us, not over. They are quicker across the field and creat space to advance up it. We biff and bash with the best of them, but hardly ever put players in gaps, or create an overlap.

For me, Disko as skipper with Briggs and Southernwood given a chance is the best we can do at the moment.

All hail the sense of realism.

On player turnover.

Surely it's a case of replacing some of the fringe players with genuine quality.
Not a huge turnover again.

E.g.

Briggs, Sykes and Sibbit are replaced with a quality 3, 6 and 10.
Thus the "regulars" now are pushed down the order to fight for a jersey, thus improving the squad overall.

3 in and 3 out wouldn't be a massive turnover IMO.

The following year 1 or 2 quality players replace fringe players.

Obviously there's only a finite amount of "quality" you can bring in, but you get the point.

Agree with your argument completely. Only problem is your example, those three have at least another year on their deals and Sykes has another 2.

But three quality players would make a difference IMO. Whether we could attract them I dunno but we used to attract quality NZ test players back in the old days without a problem.

Disagree about Briggs in particular. Let's stop worrying about the half back situation now and start worrying about who our half backs are going to be in 2 to 3 years time. Briggs and Southernwood (and O'Brien for that matter) should be playing as many games together in the reserves as possible and building a partnership. We need some quality young lads who are going to be the nucleus of the Bulls team for a decade, and in the mean time I'm afraid we just have to wait. There is no quick fix here.

On the topic of defense particularly...

It seems to me that we can hold a team to only 25 yards progress in their own half, but when they get in our red zone they seem to shift the ball wide and score with some ease. We can make the big hits in the middle but teams seem to be able to run/pass their way round us.

I would like to see a focus on defense at the expense of any form of expansive rugby. I'd be happy for 'five drives and a kick' for a few weeks if we were prepared to defend like tigers. We won't win many awards, and we won't get many tries, but reight now we need to stop bleeding out points.

Some passion would be nice too...

on the issue of signings [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/13280443.stmcould this fella be any use?[/url He's been linked with a code switch before, might be worth a punt?

Are you joking?

Completely unproven, yet would expect top dollar. Also seems like a trouble maker, frankly

If he signs for anyone it will be probably be Crusaders....

He's also 31 - probably one of those injury prone types like Leon