We won, unlike like year.

I've just watched his hit on the New Zealand thug Rangi Chase, brought a smile to my face

Watch this, old cock

Without reading 6 pages, largely because I can't be bothered, I may repeat what others have said, but hey ho, I'll give my thoughts anyway.

Sidlow, immense. The bloke has come on so much since we signed him. If he plays like that every game, nobody will be unhappy.

Mathers did as well as can be expected for a bloke who hasn't trained in so long. Looked solid in first half, made one beauty of a try saving tackle and generally did ok. Yes, he was blowing out of his 'arris by the end, but that was to be expected, and he certainly wasn't the only one. I was kind of surprised we didn't have a Williams or Thomas on the bench to cover for that. If he gets back to full fitness, he is definitely the best fullback currently on our books.

Kavanagh going off was a huge blow, especially if he's out for some time. If we could have Clough, Sidlow & Kavanagh all fit, it gives us 3 genuinely quality props with the others competing for that 4th spot and getting dropped if they don't perform. It would be a shame for one or more to be injured all season.

Lauaki, well what can you say? So much for we'll see the best of him. Although I have to question the tactics when Lauaki and Jonny Walker were both removed with 3 minutes gone into the second half (I checked the clock because it seemed quick). What is the point of 15 minutes rest, and then playing for 3 minutes before being subbed? What a complete waste of interchanges, especially when you're down a prop already.

I don't know whether this has any impact on Jimmy's decision making when it comes to substitutions, but I noticed many times last season that when Clough and Sidlow were hauled off, it has a huge impact on the rest of the team. The forwards start losing collisions, we look a less physical and imposing side and lose an awful lot of momentum. It's almost as if Clough and Sidlow are the grandfathers of our team - their experience and cool heads make a noticeable difference to everyone they're playing with. At times when we are only one or two scores behind, it is not uncommon in rugby league to see quick-fire tries that lose us the game. The replacement props are literally that far behind those two that it's almost critical we keep them on the field. Until one of the other lads steps up, and to be honest Cavanagh and Walker are looking promising (yet to see Clark), then I think these short spells are going to continue for now.

Good points.

The quality in props does drop of remarkably after Sidlow and Clough go off which is perhaps why we invested in Kavanagh and Walker.

The policy of giving Lauaki about 5-10mins seems to be a copy of Brian McDermott’s policy at the Rhinos with Ian Kirke who used to warm the bench, come on for 10 mins to give Peacock a rest and then get hauled off again. Kirke was another who looked like Tarzan but played like Jane.

Kirke was probably on a low salary compared with the other forwards at Leeds so “did a job”. I’d have thought Lauaki was one of our higher earners given his pedigree of playing for clubs like Wigan and Hull so I’m not sure about this theory.

We do need Clough, Sidlow, Kavanagh and Walker/Clark to be fit when the big games come up.

I think you're not far off, but it's purely down to quality I would say. Sidlow & Clough were head and shoulders above the other props last year in terms of everything. Minutes on the field, quality, impact, everything. From what I've seen of Kavanagh, I do think he can be around their level, but I would be surprised if Walker was. The good thing about our situation though is that providing people are fit, you don't have that clear gulf in quality between the "next best" and those challenging. Last year, Crossley & Lauaki weren't going to get dropped because the next option was Fleming, who was even worse. This year, you've got likes of Jonny Walker and Mitch Clark after those top 3, who might offer a bit more competition for Crossley & Lauaki and mean you have to play well to get in the 17 now.

I think the situation with Flemming is that he's a young lad who needs the game time to actually progress. I mean, look at O'Brien after playing nearly a full season as the only only hooker on the field. He's come on leaps and bounds when you compare him to Halafifi who barely got a look in last year and looked a bit lost during the games he did play as he didn't have the on field experience that O'Brien had earned through the year. But if his route into the first team is blocked by a player who can't do 10 minutes with a 15 minute sit down in the middle without looking knackered but still gets picked week in and week out then that's going to have a detrimental effect on the lad's development.

While I see your point, I'm not convinced it applies to Fleming. He got some half decent game time in a few matches last year and did absolutely nothing. Not even glimpses of anything for me.

He looks destined to be another Chris Feather. Huge bloke with no impact whatsoever. You can be as big as you want, but if you don't use it, it's wasted.

Only slightly off topic but affected me for the Fev game, anybody know if we'll be using the Richard Dunn parking as last year? Closed on Sunday.....

Can’t remember who were we replaying but Fleming made a super break last year at Odsal in his own half. Got away a difficult offload to Mellor who drew the fullback to put Addy (I think) in under the posts.

One of the best tries we scored last year.


Sorry no idea about the carparks! You could ring the club and ask?

I must have been there as I didn't miss a home game, but for the life of me can't remember it. I can only assume my memory has blanked it out so that it doesn't affect my general opinion that he's a bit cack.

www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/pos ... super-addy

www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/pos ... super-addy

Re the car park, I read on Facebook something about Robbie saying the council just hadn't opened it, though he didn't know why. I would have thought it was basically a profitable exercise, so why they didn't is strange.

I'd put it down to the council being dateless, as in not knowing which date the season stated.

There was also no closing of the road either. The police do that. Not sure on the council's involvement with it but police presence at games costs money, and I wondered if closing the road and policing that costs money over and above the standard.

Closing the road is based on a risk assessment I'd have thought rather than cost.

You would hope, but they did it even in the early pre SL entry cup games last year.

Yeah that's right. Though I walked down towards Staygate after the game I never even noticed.

My main interest in the road closing is I get to ride down the wrong side of it on my bike and then hop the central reservation to avoid the police at the bottom.

I'll miss that.

It's not usually the police - more a guy wearing a yellow/orange jacket, with a builder's pick up to put the cones and 'road closed' signs in....think powers of arrest may be above his pay grade!

It varies. You do get 'em down there, but more often right at the bottom by the roundabout. The barrier's usually a bit up the road to get the traffic off the roundabout.

- usually as he's clearing up. Truth is they may just as well just let him close the road there and let vehicles take another way round as force them to stand in Rooley Lane.

The whole point of closing the road is because normally hundreds of people want to get across the road all at once to Dunny's car park.

Obviously if that's shut, no need to close the road.

Pretty sure clubs only pay for any policing required IN the ground not outside.

I think if that’s the reason FA they’re disregarding the risk posed by existing traffic which I think is potentially unsafe. Cars can go very quick up and down that road and post-match there is a significant number of people crossing the road whether the Richard Dunn car park is open or not. There was on Sunday and I had to be pretty quick on my feet. Athletic types like us may be ok but the slower could end up as roadkill.

IMO the risk of an accident is increased without a temporary road closure.

If someone gets knocked down there will be some explaining to do by the fuzz.

The definition seems to be within the footprint of the event, which is the stadium but also the car parking and the immediate environment. But not routes to and from.

I don't know but I would be willing to bet there is a cost in closing that road.