I still think we're underdogs. I fear there may be a backlash following their turgid performance versus Hull. Saints have a few issues and aren't the side of old but on paper they're still a much better side than us.

A lot depends on how we iron out our problems this week and if Saints have a heap of injuries to go with their othe problems.

Think this will be a belter next week, gutted it's not on TV as I won't be able to make it.

Big game - whichever side wins will get a lot from it. Another loss and the pressure starts building.

Despite the group suicide over on the Saints board, I fancy us to kickstart our season provided Graham plays. If he misses out, we're in big trouble. He really is that important to us.

"Group suicide"



TBH we're in a similar situation here only that expectations are perhaps a bit more realistic over here. Saints are on paper still the second best side in the league once they find some form. The front row may be lacking without Graham but you still have a decent pack. Look at how Saints won last year at Odsal with much the same team. I expect a similar result with it being neck and neck for 20mins then if Potter brings on a fresh Puletua and Faasavalu we'll have no answer for the next 20mins and that period will be the difference.

As for us a lot depends on if we learn to attack with more variation and sort our goalline and ruck defence. If we can stay in touch while their impact players are on we're in with a shout.

very good point from bullseye

I agree, but the sad thing is I do not belive we will be anywhere near that position under Potter.

Here is the man responsible for the most dour, turgid and dull set of tactics I have ever had the misfortune to witness. Saints sides are known for promoting open play, Potter is the very anti-thesis of this.

It is an intolerable situation for Saints fans who are not bought into the Potter approach - the real reason behind the discontent on Saturday which a lot of people, not being close to the club, fail to understand willingly or otherwise.

Bradford have always been a direct team and Potter may have gone better there. The thing is of course, that when Bradford have played a power game in the past, they have generally had the players to do it and were a disciplined outfit.

I think Saints will get beat by a clear 20 points at Odsal. Difference will be in the halfbacks where Eastmond and Pryce are like oil and water against established pros in Kearney and Orford.

not a confident saints fann there. i cant see us beaten u lot by 20 points tbh

How much of Saints troubles are down to the fact that they no longer have the personnel to play "the Saints way" rather than it being down to Potter?

No more Albert, Lyon, Martyn, Long, Newlove, Cayless, Gleeson, Sculthorpe, Joynt, Barry Ward

etc.

You've two running halfbacks and no real playmaker, an ageing Cunningham, one decent prop and a lack of direction at loose forward. Add to that the threequarters are lacking in a bit of pace and you have a Saints side that would struggle against the sides of 1999-2002.

Is it too much to ask for champagne rugby?

Having said that Saints are undoubtedly better than the tripe served up versus Hull.

The running half backs problem is solved by grasping the nettle and putting Pryce in a different position. He has relied on athletic ability for too long and does not have even an iota of the vision Tommy Martyn had.

I don't buy into the transition theory. We have real quality kids in Lomax, Wheeler who should be given opportunities but are not.

The appears little in overall tactics than to trundle one up down the middle. Wilkin is being woefully under used and like others, form has dipped alarmingly.

Not one player has improved under Potter - a damining statistic in all of this. Wonder if the same is true of Bradford under SMc.

Remember as well that Hudd's turned up with a bunch of kids and stole our clothes so to speak at Knowsley Road last year. It ended the myth that you need personel to play a particular way, although as you point out the quality of your players will impact the result.

Many, if not most, of the Saints fans bemoaning our style of play at present are those who remember the Saints of the 1980s as well as the recent Saints, when we couldn't win a bar of chocolate and big names went to Wigan. It's a style that we have grown up with and our dads and granddads have grown up with. Cas and Wire can play a similar style - open, creative RL which can be risky but is so good to watch. Big talents like Lyon are not needed for it. Appropriate coaching is. The big talents would enhance it, obviously. Why didn't Potter set Eastmond free on Saturday night to carve up the opposition with his footwork and ball skills? Instead, he was plonked at first receiver every time, passing the ball to Pryce every time. That has to be a coaching decision but one which will culminate in the flair being snuffed out of Eastmond, not encouraged to grow.


But that's the tripe we've been watching since about June time and that's why Saints fans are whinging more than usual!

So can I.

I pretty sure there is not one Bulls fan on here who really believes we will beat Saints by 20. Not a chance. Saints are still Saints and it will be a tough game whoever plays.

If your new halfback partnership clicks then believe it: you are highly likely to beat us by 20.

Unless a miracle occurs and we suddenly turn back into Saints!

interesting to hear comments that Pryce isn't suited at Stand Off...

It proves that half backs need a proper understanding between them. Pryce without Long seems lost. That said, I always thought he was too big and too tall to be a SO anyway.

I don't think size is the issue, Pryce is only 6 cm taller than Trent Barrett, 7cm taller than Iestyn. He's 4kg lighter than Wally Lewis was and he's only 4kg more than Iestyn and Barrett. I just don't think he's creative enough, I think both of the Pryce's had the potential to be quality centres or even second rowers, but I think Stand-off would have been the third place i'd have put Pryce in his younger years.

Well, our injuries will be Gardner (up to six weeks) and Soliola (2 to 3 weeks). James Graham has been passed fit as his sternum injury was bruising. No other 'real' injuries registered (presumably 'just knocks').

We will have a total of three young players in our first team for you: Eastmond, Wheeler (on the wing) and Dean (centre). No other changes anticipated, unfortunately. I was hoping Pryce would be dropped ...

You'll still give us a drubbing. No doubt about it.

At one time I thought Leon would have made a cracking loose forward - he would need another 5-6kg of muscle (lots of gym work) but if he kept 95% of his pace with the extra bulk...

So it will probably be

Wellens
Meli
Gidley
Dean
Wheeler
Pryce
Eastmond
Graham
KC
Fozzard
Wilkin
Puletua
Flannery

Moore
Faasavalu
Clough
Roby

VS

Halley
Sheriffe
Sykes
Nero
Reardon
Kearney
Orford
Lynch
L'Estrange
Scruton
Langley
Hall
Menzies

Godwin
Kopzcak
Donaldson
Whitehead/Worrincy/Olbison


I still think it will be a pretty even and tough game for both sides. Hopefully our half-backs will give us the edge (if they have gelled more this week

) as Pryce played like he couldn't care less last week and Eastmond is fairly inexperienced and more of an individual player atm.

Ewwenorfolk - I think you've got Saints' line up pretty much spot on.

If your halfback pairing gel - with each other and the rest of the team - and they adapt to how we do things over here then I can see Bradford being more competitive this season than last. It all depends upon how long that process takes IMO. You had plenty of field position against Hudds but lacked the direction to make it count.

We lack direction, period. Pryce should be moved - to wing or centre or fullback (or out!) because Eastmond I think would make a much better stand off than Pryce and also I am just not convinced Kyle is an organiser so my thoughts are that someone else should play at 7. Either that or we follow the Whinos model and have an organising 13. But our problems run deeper than yours so even without your halfback pairing gelling this weekend, I can still see another drubbing coming for us.

Remember, we haven't scored more than 20 points in a match since June, win or lose.

That is worrying I suppose, although the cricket scores do die down when it gets nearer the play-offs.

I hope we do give you a drubbing

, we just haven't got a brilliant record against Saints and even if you have underlying problems in the squad, i'd still be cautious over a Saints team who've just been beat at home.

June is near the playoffs? I suppose it's nearer than February anyway!




Well ... you beat us at KR last season and since then everyone has beaten us who has previously had issues, bar Warrington. I mean, Hull KR even beat us at KR and they hadn't beaten us there in, what, 50 years? Whatever. Mr Potter is busy breaking all these great little records that used to have the fans all feeling pleased with themselves. We now walk around with tears dripping down our cheeks. Bless.



Anyway. Update on injury: Chris Dean is apparently injured from his match with Widnes (he's on one of those dual contract thingies) and out of action for a couple of weeks so now I have no idea who will take which spot. I can only guess that Wheeler will do the centre work while Lomax will cover for Gardner's wing. I'd certainly like that arrangement as they worked well together last year and it adds a bit of pace to one side of our backline. The other contains Meli, so just keep firing high balls at him and you should score a bucketful.

I hope that pace doesn't exploit us too much, although Pryce doesn't look to be playing with the fire in his belly to get the ball out to his centres, just run it in instead.

Is James Graham a cert to play though, because I'm sure there will be plenty of shoulders aimed at his bruising, as I don't think there'll be many Bulls players feeling sorry for him.

Who is this Pryce guy? Didn't know he played for us ...


Hell yeah. It took three visits from the physio during the match to get him off that pitch and in the end he was ordered off it. We could see he was in pain but unless he's dead, he doesn't go off without a fight.

I meant the pace from Wheeler and Lomax, and I meant that Pryce just looks like he's turning up for his pay packet.

Oh yeah, I know what you meant. I was just being whatever.

Wheeler and Lomax are good little players. How good remains to be seen. But I actually saw Lomax take a guy on the outside when he played on the wing last season - and he scored from it too. This came as Deep Shock to Saints fans on the terraces because it was 2006 when we last saw that happen!