Chris Ulugia was declined a visa to play at Batley. Only way round this was for Bulls to loan him out.

I've a lot of time for JK, he's got a bit of the Peter Fox about him, imo, in that he knows how to get players to play 'above themselves'. Not that you can do that all through a season, of course, but he knows how to pick games too....

Quote ="mat"Ulugia is only technically still a bulls player. We agreed his release and batley were all set to sign him on a permanent deal, but they couldn't get him a visa. By staying on his bulls contract but on a season long loan the visa he obtained for us stays active for this season. Batley pay all his wage and he counts on their overseas quota'" He had played 1 game too few last season , so the RFL wouldnt back Batleys visa application , but his bulls visa was for 2 seasons , he is on fire this season for us , playing centre too , he has struck up a great partnership with shaun ainscough , looking forward to a great game www.batleybulldogs.co.uk/index.p ... able-clash

Quote ="mat"Ulugia is only technically still a bulls player. We agreed his release and batley were all set to sign him on a permanent deal, but they couldn't get him a visa. By staying on his bulls contract but on a season long loan the visa he obtained for us stays active for this season. Batley pay all his wage and he counts on their overseas quota'" He had played 1 game too few last season , so the RFL wouldnt back Batleys visa application , but his bulls visa was for 2 seasons , he is on fire this season for us , playing centre too , he has struck up a great partnership with shaun ainscough , looking forward to a great game www.batleybulldogs.co.uk/index.p ... able-clash

I wonder if Ainscough should be practicing fielding kicks all day ...

I hope he's not kicking for touch..........

Ulugia had a very good game against us he is strong and direct! He will give you problems as your defence is pretty shaky out wide

Certainly versus Leigh both Welham and Blythe had games to forget in defence.

A few times this season our right side has looked vulnerable. The space between the centre and Addy seems very inviting and we’ve conceded tries there a few times as we’ve not moved quick enough. Ulugia will have plenty of motivation to show us what we’re missing.

Tbh we had exactly same issue last year. It was solved to a large extent when Nielsen arrived but with him gone were back in same boat.

It reminds me of when we had the likes of Platt and Sykes in the centres. I often look at us in defence and think that communication is a problem on the edges – particularly on that right side. We leave too much space and then don’t have enough time to adjust.

Keith Lulia was released by Wests Tigers last year. Maybe we should bring him back?

I doubt Keith would come back over with a young family (the reason he went back in the first place). Plus I think he also broke his neck playing last season so I'm not even sure if he's still ok to play.

But the thought of Keith playing in this division....he would score an absolute ton of tries. One of the best centres we've ever had at the club imo.

Didn't know Keith had broke his neck. Hope he's keeping well.

He would've been great in the championship. He was the best centre we had since Hape.

Same 19 as for last weeks postponed game at Oldham -at least Cloughie should be a week fitter?

2. Omari Caro
14. Jay Pitts
16. Dan Fleming
34. Richie Mathers
4. Kris Welham
6. Lee Gaskell
9. Adam O’Brien
22. James Clare
20. Mitch Clark
8. Paul Clough
15. Matty Blythe
13. Danny Addy
11. Tom Olbison
23. Alex Mellor
19. Steve Crossley
35. Rhys Lovegrove
12. Dale Ferguson
1. Oscar Thomas
28. Kurt Haggerty

I'd go for this 17

Mathers
Caro
Welham
Blythe
Clare
Gaskell
Addy
Clough
O'Brien
Crossley
Pitts
Haggerty
Lovegrove

Clark
Olbison
Fleming
Ferguson

I'd like ot have included Thomas but I think we need plenty of forwards on the bench.

I'd go:

Mathers
Caro
Welham
Blythe
Clare
Gaskell
Addy
Clough
AoB
Lovegrove
Olbison
Haggerty
Pitts

Ferguson
Clark
Crossley
Mellor

Fleming and Thomas miss out.

At least the weather has picked up a bit, hopefully their pitch isn't in too much of a state and we can actually play some rugby on it.

It's been fairly dry all week and looking at the current weather report on BBC, it looks like Sunday might actually be a nice day for a change.

Let's hope the sunshine in the sky is matched by a dazzling Bradford performance on the pitch

Nah.

But his winger would get 50.

Looking like it's going to be a lovely day today. Should be a good test for the team. Looking forward to it.

i can only go from the BCB coverage but it sounds like we were robed by the ref!

Seems a like we threw a win away, stupid play and some decisions that went against us.

Need a SH sounded like we struggled again

Sounds like Gaskell didn't have the best game. We bombed 3 trys from forward passes, also didn't help.

Crap.

If the game showed one thing, it is that we need a proper scrum half. Will the lesson be learned at some point? Gaskell was asked to do it all and ended up playing pretty poor as a result, we could never get a grip on the game, when with a Deacon to take charge, we would have taken control and won easily. Playing yet again without a 7 is becoming total lunacy, and is going to cost us dear

Sounded like we lost our way a bit when OB came off and Thomas came on. Presume Addy moved to hooker and Thomas played in halves?. Point dropped rather than one gained but not a total disaster.

Should have gone for the DG. Nothing but poor management of the game threw that point away.