When.

2006. 2007. Hull away 2008



Seems a bit churlish to give the credit for good sides he put out to 'someone else', while also holding him responsible for the state the club was left in by that same person(s).

I have to agree with you on that one.

Is that the same person's team and game plan that took us to a game away from the grand final in 2006 something we haven't looked like doing since.

I'm still confused that people seem to claim McNamara inherited some kind of terrible team in 2006.

In 12 games before he took over the Bulls had lost just twice (Saints away and Wire at home) while winning at Headingley and winning the WCC.

McNamara took charge and there was a dip, Brian Smith came in to hold his hand for a few weeks and things perked up a bit toward the end of the season, the team still had plenty of decent players.

No, obviously the squad wasn't as good as the one that ended 2005 but they were certainly no duds, and as they proved against Wests and at Headingley that season they could play to a gameplan and were more than the sum of their parts, unfortunatley as time has passed this is something we cannot say about Bradford teams anymore, the performances turned in now are less than the sum of the parts.

Recruitment has been a major cock-up and we have an unbalanced squad, the lack of any quality in the backs hasn't happened overnight yet it has been allowed to get worse while we bring in more and more second rowers, the team on the pitch makes the same mistakes it has for the last couple of years with no sign of them being rectified - and as the decent players age and/or move on and the McNamara era replacements have to come to the fore the fare on the pitch gets worse.

If these faults are not the responsibility of the coach and his staff, then he can't actually be the coach.

But recruitment has become increasingly difficult. And the lack of class in the backs was to be sorted by the signings of Shenton, Mogg and Bird. Does it make McN a bad coach that none of these came off?

No, but maybe it shows that we need a more experienced coach to attract players to the club?

More likely to drive away players we need to keep.

Maybe so, but you can't help but realise Menzies and Morro are probably the only two decent signings that McNamara has made and, although they were good ones they aren't exactly long term.

Dont forget Michael 'attacking flair' Platt

Ooh, 15 posts now, you're really getting to know your RL. Just out of interest, how many of the games did you go to at the start of his first season?

Possibly not but I think the fundamental flaws in our game that aren't being addressed probably are more down to him. The inability to control the ruck, the lack of a gameplan or any creativity in attack, the inceasingly lack of know how in closing a game down when in front.

On recruitment why don't players want to sign for us? We surely have plenty of cap space? If not then I would say we've made bad decisions there as we've ended up with an imbalanced squad. Responsibility lies somewhere surely?

Look at our opponents last night. Hudders over the past couple of years have strengthened by signing the likes of Whatuira and Brett Hodgson. We are instead down to only two first team centres and re-signed the inconsistent Platt. On young players Hudders have promising kids like Cudjoe and Lawrence coming through whereas I don't know of any promising backs at the Bulls.

If McNamara isn't at fault are you saying that there are other reasons for our decline? I know we're skint but is it possible that finances are such that we can't afford to recruit top players anymore?

I haven't missed a game in over 10 years.

Ok, ok I'm going to stop the banter now before you start getting serious.

I'm always serious about things that I am passionate about.

So am I, but I'm used to being able to have a bit of light banter with fellow fans who don't turn it into an argument.

. . . . . or perhaps he's just simply posted previously under other, more well known

, names???

dont punish the bloke for not having many posts

Still not much sign of positives from the great mans' fan club I see?

I take it you mean Sam Burgess only stopped at the club because of McNamara. I find that utter nonsense but how long do you think he'll want to stop in a failing side I'd guess at not long.

Strange your alias on another forum said you couldn't make it last night.

If he was a top coach coaching a team at the top maybe they would have signed for Bradford? Fair enough, it is not his fault that the Bird deal did not come off but he must have have an "inkling" that it might not go through for reasons previously discussed on here?

However, instead of trying to defend him by stating the couple of half decent names he failed to sign, how about you comment on some of these names and judge him on what he has actually brought to the club? I will even list them so that all you have to do is give your opinion....

Platt -
Sykes -
Nero -
Tupou -
McAvoy -
Tadulala -
Sheriffe -
Finnigan -
Evans -
Godwin -
Solomona -
Worrincy -
Jeffries -
Morrison -
Menzies -
Scruton -
Feather -


Admittedly some of them have not played too much yet but there is plenty there to get your teeth into.

If McNamara was ever to leave Bradford Sam would retire from the game.

I have supported SM recently. Last year was a poor season and we needed to make up for that this season.

The reason that we still go into most games as favourites is because we have some good talent in the squad. But we just dont do it on the field.

However SM has now been given sufficient time and we need to be producing the goods this season.

Could another coach bring more out of the current crop of players. I think they probably could. Sick of underachievement, got to be one of the most frustrating things in sport aswell as life generally.

My patience is wearing very thin, i am willing to give the bloke a few more games but if there is not a vast improvement soon I will want him gone.