The downside to that though is that if we progress to Round 6 where Leeds enter, we would have to play the Oldham game midweek some time, as I believe Rounds 5 and 6 of the cup are the only "free" weekends. So although it might bring a bit of money in (but still not loads, as it's still the cup and not usually well attended), it will potentially have an impact on the league. I personally would much rather be able to play Oldham on that free weekend than have a fixture against Leeds this year.

If we managed promotion, we'd have 2 or 3 fixtures against Leeds next year and a much better impact on finances than a one off cup game.

Trouble with most CC fixtures is they COST you money.

I suspect if we did somehow draw Leeds then we'd happen make a few bob on that one, though still wouldn't expect anything near a 10k crowd, anything else will be a miserable crowd and a likely loss or break even

Do they though? I thought the gates were split in such a way that costs were covered as a priority.

I think the club rearranged the Oldham game for the round 6 weekend because that is the last free weekend of the year. If we end up making it that far then we'll just have to play it midweek. No disrespect to Oldham but we have a big enough squad to be able to handle that I think.

Watch us go and lose tonight anyway

It's not just the Oldham game that gets affected by playing it midweek though. Yes, you may be able to rest a few for them, but you're still gonna use a lot of the same players as if you put a full "reserve" team out, you're gonna lose. And then you have whichever game follows that as a 3/4 day turnaround aswell.

A midweek game really affects 2 matches, arguably 3.

It used to be case that gate was split between clubs AFTER hosting club had taken its costs for putting game on out of pot. Hence a lot of suspiciously low cup attendances being announced in the past.

This was changed a few years ago and gate is now split on a percentage basis. 15% (plus £1k for championship clubs) to host club for costs of putting game on, 5% to RFL for Challenge cup prize pot for eventual winners, then remainder split between participating clubs.

Below par so far.

That's embarrassing.

Well at least we can concentrate on the league now....

Looking at that shower tonight the league could provide an even larger embarrassment.

you nearly won, like (we) Leigh did at Batley....all be forgotten in a few days.

Not that fussed we're out of the cup, but being out-enthused by yet another part time side is very concerning.
Also sounds like we might have a problem at centres now with Purtell and Welham both being injured.

I'd love to say that will see the end of Lowes, but I don't think there's a chance in hell that Marc Green will cough up the money to sack him.

Well, as debaser says, no distracting cup run for us, which logically might help focus on the league, but losing is never good, well played dewsbury.....but....far more worryingly its just another indication that we're no where near where we need to be to get promotion.

Being out-enthused whilst 2 men down on interchange bench is maybe more understandable. What we've learnt is Thomas isn't an option in halves and addy can't play hooker. And as a lot on here wanted we don't have cup as a distraction anymore and we've avoided any expense associated with hosting a cup game which can go towards a 7.

What a poor performance that was.

Gutted Welham is injured as it means Blythe will almost certainly stay in the team.

Lumb showed some decent signs.

Thomas is not a half back - I'd rather in my hands and clap than see him there again.

I know we saw the cup as an unwanted distraction, and I'm not sorry we're out, but some people need to think about a team that can't cope with first Batley, then Dewsbury, yet allegedly having genuine ambitions to beat SL teams and get promoted. Delusional, we're nowhere near a promotion contender

Agreed.

Play like that against any SL side and we would have 60 put past us.

Our defence on the edges has been a problem for too long.

Credit to Dewsbury - they worked hard and had the belief to hold out until the end.

Positives:

Clare at FB - did more there than Mathers had in the 5 games he's played. So I expect Jimmy to put Mathers straight back in next week...

Joe Lumb - looked really good. Putting him in for 20 mins a game will allow O'Brien to have a breather so we will see more of him in attack (which lets be honest, he's been pretty average so far this year) but again I expect Jimmy to keep flogging O'Brien for 80 mins so we reduce his excellent attacking threat as he's defending so much and then Jimmy will realise he's nearly killed the lad by time the middle 8s come and he'll come up with a coaching master plan of playing a centre at hooker

Mitch Clark - outstanding again!


And thats it. Absolutely woeful yet again.

Yes being out of the cup is probably going to be more beneficial, but Jimmy chose more or less his strongest side so he was going for the win and for the third week in a row, we were second best. Most of their team would have had to do a days graft today.

What did Jimmy say about game management last week. Obviously we've been working all week on it as it was there in abundance tonight. Absolute shambles at the moment. We've got big big problems. This isn't a one off.

Genuine promotion contenders ooze class and professionalism every time they play, displaying an absolute commitment to winning every game regardless of the opposition or competition. What we're watching is a rag bag of a side, coached by a buffoon.

Well done Glen and the lads. Managed to do us this week after Batley just failed last week. Speaking of which, this was just like watching a re-run of the Batley match. Poor game management, poor defence, letting bombs bounce, no leadership, and foward driven tactics with little ball movement. No fixture backlog excuses now. Wonder what the coach makes of that performance?

Frightening and alarming that part timers are not just catching us up,but getting the better of us. On our budgets,this should not be happening.So far we are showing no improvement from last season, despite new recruits which were meant to increase our strength.We may just be going backwards,something is lacking cohesion in the coaching/recruitment department.I'm all for Bullmania,but when I have to apply Bullishness as an adjective to the stubbornness of JL,there needs to be change.Furthermore,if the rest of the season is merely serving as an experimental prelude to the Middle 8's then count me out.

Looking at the team sheet it seems like you started with a winger at fullback, a fullback at 7 and your best 7 at 9.... am I missing something?

I posted last week on how a part time could draw with us as a FULL TIME TEAM, This week...... say no more, loyal bulls fans let down again. Jimmy as much as i thought you were great as a Bulls player this should will be your last season. if not it will be a lot of bulls fans last season.

From the face of it we've stumbled across a good one in Mitch Clark but honestly a full time side shouldn't be putting up results like we are! While our lads are having a laugh trotting round tong, their lads are grafting 8-10 hours then turning up and performing koi their lives depend on it. This forum shouldn't be having the same conversations we should be fitter stronger and smarter than every team in this league but we aren't. We need a change at the top but in all seriousness who will come in and straighten it out? Matt Elliot is out of a job at the moment I believe

Why can't we play rugby. all we've got is five drives and a kick. Every team we've played this year look sharper and more organised than us. Even when we got in front we still did plan A. for gods sake Jimmy lets throw the ball around with a bit of structure and at least look like a rugby side. Looking at sides we've played this year we could be struggling to make the top four.Super league just a dream

Lowes tactics are virtually nonexistent. 5 drives up the middle then a kick with no follow up. If that doesn't work, he's utterly stumped.

How much longer will the club persist with this failed coach? There were better coaches than Lowes available when he got the job. There are better coaches available now.

We are not getting promoted with Lowes as head coach. It's as simple as that. If he really cared about the club then he'd do the honorable thing, hold up his hands and say "I gave it my best, but my best isn't good enough to get the job done". But he won't because he's pigheaded and convinced of he's in the right even when he's not

I didn't even realize but Dews lost their scrum half in the warm up! And on the back of this how many GLDO's did they force just showing how badly we lack someone to control the game