Fluke? We'd have to reach and win the GF. How can £1.6 million in TV money, plus sponsorship and the profile attached to the return of the Bulls to a moribund league, be more uncertain than the tiny amount we receive now playing clubs who bring in some cases bring 20 fans. There is absolutely no financial case for funding a top end championship squad. As unsatisfactory as it is, Odsal is the only ground we have. I'm not embarrassed by it compared to some of the dross we've watched these last 10 years. I'd watch Henry Paul playing on the tip next door. Everything, including the ground and the much loved academy depends on reaching SL.

Sustainability is the main thing. The poop or bust approach didn't work in 2015 and was our undoing. We're still recovering from that. Signing Ford won't suddenly make us promotion contenders, we need more quality and depth across the field for that IMO. What will make that happen is a large injection of cash. Not sure where that's coming from so until then we are where we are - watching a top 4 championship team (hopefully) in a crap ground.

On the fitness front I would say that Walker, Crossley and Scurr look to be carrying too much weight. It might not matter versus Dewsbury but they'll get shown up versus the better sides. If we want to be certain of getting 3rd position I think losing a bit of flab would help those players and the team.



This is 100% bollox BTW.

POOP being the operative word. 2015 is a perfect example of not having a coach who refuses to play any half backs. Had we won the million pound game which we came quite close to despite staggering ineptitude, then it's impossible to say what would have happened. I'm not arguing for signing Ford but I am encouraged it's being discussed as it suggests an awareness that the 'status quo' is in many ways the least sustainable option.

I think SL has to be the aim still, but getting there is building and improving each year, which for the first time since we were relegated, is what we're doing.

I really like where we are squad wise. We're unlikely to get promoted this year, but I don't look at the squad and think "well another season in the championship will result in our 6 best players moving on" like in the past. We've a stable, young squad who seem to be getting better and should be together for the next couple of years.

Timings everything in sport. We've been unlucky to an extent that our "meltdowns" coincided when it the jeporady was bigger than when some of our compatriots went bust. The talk of 14 teams isn't going away. If/when there's a restructure, we need to be in a position that we're already in a strong position for promotion. Not a mid-table team who then mortgages the house on new signings to get promoted that year.

I'm all for improving the team [iif we can afford it[/i. I think we're of the same opinion there. It's not Ford's playing ability I have a problem with. Are you proposing we sign players we can't afford?

As for 2015 I try not to think about it but us playing most of the season with one halfback and then picking Baille at hooker in the MPG not to mention spaffing thousands on a huge squad of mediocrity and downright crap like Lauaki makes me think that if we'd gone up we were only postponing a further meltdown. I remember Ferres literally telling me it was "poop or bust" and with that attitude running things we'd have ended up stuffed in the end - so not really impossible to say.

I think this squad is good enough for top4. I would like to think we have some cash left for an upgrade or two when we reach the business end of the season

I don't accept that, the club would have been in SL and therefore a completely different proposition. Wakefield on the point of collapse etc. There's another argument that the club can't afford not to - that there's a danger of losing the ship for ha'peth of tar. FWIW I think that we're on the the right track squad wise, and there is now a foundation upon which to build a title challenge. For all the million pound cap spend, Fev's pack is weaker. Leigh could be anything. There doesn't appear to be an outstanding team primed to go up. In 2019 our attendance was just over 4300ish. I don't know what it was last year but nowhere near that (with obvious mitigating circumstances). The Leeds game shows there's 5k+ would watch a Bradford side genuinely pushing for promotion. In the absence of an investor there's only improving what's on the pitch to bring fans in - and in fairness I think they are doing this.

The season when we went down, spending money in the wrong areas of the club and team, we were losing about £500k per year. That year coincided with central funding TV money going from £1.2m to £1.8m per club annually. Even if we had remained bloated and passing money like water, we would have been ok

Quote ="Dutch Bull"I wasn't fishing or causing mischief, there are serious discussions ongoing between the club and Ford. Vaccinated versus unvaccinated is becoming a moot point as vaccinated folks are just as likely to catch the virus, but with less serious symptoms, and the pandemic is done by the way. Life will return to normal by the summer. .'" I'm sure the families of the 534 daily deaths announced today don't think the pandemic is 'done' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51768274 FWIW I think Ford might end up at Leigh. I've seen their fans saying they are light at half back and Degsy has obviously got more moolah to throw around than Big Nigel.

Quote ="Dutch Bull"I wasn't fishing or causing mischief, there are serious discussions ongoing between the club and Ford. Vaccinated versus unvaccinated is becoming a moot point as vaccinated folks are just as likely to catch the virus, but with less serious symptoms, and the pandemic is done by the way. Life will return to normal by the summer. .'" I'm sure the families of the 534 daily deaths announced today don't think the pandemic is 'done' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51768274 FWIW I think Ford might end up at Leigh. I've seen their fans saying they are light at half back and Degsy has obviously got more moolah to throw around than Big Nigel.

What a petty post, of course its very sad for those families and of course those who lost loved ones to cancer, heart disease, dementia in their thousands yesterday.

It's done insofar as the limitations on our freedoms and the limitations on unvaccinated players, particularly by the summer and the business end of the season.

Context is everything chap

Would love some of what Dutch bull has been drinking?

Apparently we’re in serious discussions, would love to know how he knows that. Also predicting the future of the pandemic. Is this guy from the future?!

Unbelievable post

I repeat what I said: the families of 534 people who died don't think it is 'petty' or that 'context matters'

We wouldn't sign Ford if he had cancer, heart disease, dementia, so why would we sign him, given that he apparently has no issues about spreading a disease that killed 500+ people yesterday.

You need to look in the mirror 'chap'...

To pour some petrol on the fire… Ryan Forshaw wasn’t kept on after his Trial and has gone to Rochdale.

We clearly have a different halfback lined up…..



Ps - this is tongue in cheek. Don’t chase me off.

Deacon is a mere slip of a lad at 42.....

Bradford tweeting some ‘good news’ tonight.

Bulls social media teasing some sort of announcement tonight.

Is Dutch Bull right?

Someone tweeted a French flag and was promptly told "no" by the Bulls Twitter.

I reckon they've got some extra wooden pallets to go over the track leading to the tunnel.

But he’s Australian?!

I think someone was alluding to the rumour on here with the French flag but I am prepared to eat my words.

Its not Ford. Hope its not a let down
Stadium related?

Ryan Hampshire?

Not new, just longer!

Oh dear

Yup