THUD

Someone call the Green Cross Code guy!!

Sykes runs some wonderful lines as a centre but unfortunately a lot of the time his inability to catch the ball makes these runs pointless.

A good squad player? Yes

Part of the first choice 17? Hopefully not.

All im saying is Platt doesnt deserve to be booted out of his centre spot as he has been solid there and has looked a threat. Ah van i agree was better in the 2nd half but he looked very lazy jogging back to the line and missed some tackles. Ok i accept it was his first game but he has done nothing yet to convince me he is better than platt at centre. I think platt will suprise a few teams this season

but which centres have proven to be better? i can see the arguement potentially for Platt and Walker but walker is coming off an injury so i dont think its clear cut. im not saying sykes wont be pushed out, but he deserves a chance this year in the centre

i think ah van will go well and hopefully make a good centre but he has to earn it- not just walk in. I was impressed by him in certain areas, but i thought he wasnt great getting off the line, and i thought that may be down to fitness

Thats what im saying. I thought walker was solid and so was platt. It was only walkers 2nd game since september 09 so to say it was that long ago i thought he was great

We will agree to differ then Mr Sykes. Paul is flaps.

I hope sykes is good at making tea. Thats all i have to say about him

you still havent anwered the question Eddie?

Shirley it's 'Our van'?

From the players we currently have, my team would be........

1 Kearney
2 Raynor
3 Ah Van
4 Platt
5 Ainscough
6 Briggs
7 Herbert
8 Lynch
9 Le'Strange
10 Scruton
11. Elima
12. Walker
13. Langley

Interchange

Hargreaves
Diskin
Kopczak
Whitehead

Walker in centres more of a threat

Not enough pace, especially coming back from injury.

A lot of players look unfit at this time of the year because they've focused on strength training. A month outdoors makes all of the difference.

I've tried to avoid judging players on pre season friendlies since the days when I raved over David Boyle and Hudson Smith and described Gartner as lightweight and Hape as a bit slow.

Would sykes have ben given a 3yr deal to sit on the sidelines..macca didnt give him his new contract..potter did so obviously he likes him otheriwse he would have given him a 1 hyr deal.

just curious but did you make the trip down from scotland to the friendly on sunday eddie? if not what are you basing your opinion on walkers pace on, as he certainly didnt look particulary slow, at least not compared to how I remember him pre-injury.

In general its a bit pointless saying this player/ that player should definitely start against leeds until we've at least seen all the players have a run out. Fair enough sykes may comes out and have a blinder in one of remaining friendlies but to say he should definitely displace one of guys who did play on sunday based on fact he put his hand up and played out of position last year is frankly ridiculous.

Once all players have had a run out then we can start discussing strongest 17 etc but until then we can only really discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the players who have featured. At the end of the day theirs going to be some good players who dont make the 17 every week and everyones favorite is bound to miss out on selection at some point.

I can see Walker slotting in at centre and 2nd row but I reckon he'll begin the year out at centre and see how things progress.

I certainly wouldn't have him in the back row in place of Whitehead though. I have high hopes for Elliot, I think he has enough talent to make the England squad this season.

I'd only stick walker in 2nd row if one off whitehead,elima,langley was unavailable. Think he has to fight for his spot too as he did come out of line a couple of times. Hopefully thats just a bit of rustiness and he can iron it out in remaining friendlies.

agree about whitehead. has he bulked up a bit in off season? he seemed a bit bigger but it didnt adversely affect his perfomance, if anything it made him more of a handful for the opposition.

What number is Leon getting?

Same here mate.

My first ever game was Bradford v Salford March 1988 (I only know this because my dad wrote on the programe "baby Michael's first Rugby League game"icon_wink.gif.

I don't have any recollection of the above game but know that Northern won 34-4 from the score scribbled on the back.

I guess when I truly become 100% aware of the greatest game was around the 1991/1992 season and that relegation fight with us having to beat Widnes, Wakefield, Swinton and Hull Kingston Rovers to stay up (the latter too results "Bradford 60-0 Swinton and Hull KR 12-14 Bradford seeing us rise from 13th to 11th).

I can vaguely remember getting on the supporters bus from Odsal to go to Craven Park with my dad and brother sat at the back of the coach being absolutely enthralled when we saw the Humber bridge.

Seems to me Potter might be waiting to see how they progress through the remainder of the preseason friendlies and the Lanzarote trip. Maybe they will be presented their shirts whilst out there and it be announced on their return. Maybe they are saving it for a quiet 'Bulls' news week?

With the amount of players competing for each position its too early to name the team thats likely to play at Cardiff.

I reckon Potter will be watching their every move in training & the friendlies to make a decision.


7. Herbert

9. Diskin
10. Lynch
11. Elima
12. Whitehead
13. Langley

14. L'Estrange
Are the only ones I'd be confident on, as i'm not sure who will start out of Scruton & Hargreaves

Too be fair I wouldn't even be confident on Diskin starting.

I think his game suits the starting role more, plus he'll be fired up to play against his former club!

As long as he's 100% i'd expect him to start. Of course Mr Potter may think differently.