Something really can't be right, either a massive fall out, we are really skint or a signing coming in. (I just can't see it)

I know some people say fans can’t be told everything but with this happening and for all reasons mentioned previously and with what has happened in the Past someone needs to make a decent explanation

As Bulls fans we are used to hearing news like this and expecting the worst.



And it turning out to be even more terrible.

For the last few weeks JK has been banging on how difficult easter is and how he needs to manage his squad accordingley.
Then in the space of 9 days we lose Evans for 4 months, Flannagan for 2 months, lose Magrin, Wilson and now let Chizzy go with only Roche coming the other way.
We are i a much worse spot than a couple of weeks ago.
We must replace Chizzy, we didnt bother with McNally and look at the farce we have been in at full back all year

Seems a bizarre decision on face of it. There's got to be more to come that will hopefully make it seem more logical.

If we end up with Brierley then I will really start to question JK's judgment on talent. We need a creative half and RB - while an excellent support player - doesn't have a creative bone in his body.

Sandow is a non-starter so I'm not even going to comment on it.

I was thinking the same. Not that I expect it to happen, but when you see Wilson being sold then Chisholm & Magrin being farmed out, all just before Easter when you often need more players available, it's hard not to start to think something is up. And with the history of Bradford Bulls in the last 10 years, it's hard not to think that something is the bank balance and costs are being cut.

It's times like this when the standard radio silence that has come from Odsal in the last couple of years really isn't helpful.

I don't think it's a case of we're skint TBH. I think it's more a case of he's been unprofessional or him and Kear have had a fall out. The rumour mill will go into overdrive with delight on social media. However at the end of the day we've sold an 18 year old who's played against Hemel & Keighley for £100k + and a player who hasn't played for 2 months. There were rumours of Kear and Chisholm falling out at the Batley game. So this isn't out of the blue. Also if you watch Kears interviews from around that time, when we had no HBs and the reporter asked about Chisholm or the HB injury update he either very quickly changed it from Chisholm or didn't mention him at all in his injury update which suggested he was no longer in his plans then.

I do find it off he's gone to a promotion rival though. Can't explain that one. If a Storton/Ryan/Minchella are next to leave then the alarm bells will be ringing.

I reckon we will end up signing Brierley. He probably isn't the ideal fit but he does score plenty of tries. Good organising halfback are difficult to sign, especially mid season unless they're bringing some baggage.

While we're speculating wildly, how has Sammut been doing for Wigan? With our close relationship to Lenagan perhaps he might be an option!!

Brierley scores tries by getting on the end of other people's breaks. It won't happen with us because we never make any!

No chance of getting Sammut - he's injured for one and also in Wigan's starting 17 when fit.

Well last Sunday, the best player on the pitch for me was Fev number 10. A prop playing standoff and he dominated the game. Showed more flair than our HB’s have done all season.
While I am at it, why do our defence mostly never move off the line after opposition play the ball - or at best take 2 steps and then stop.
Our pen kicks to touch are woeful too, bet they average 10 yards or so.
Surely these last two points can be worked on to prevent yards against, and to gain free yards from pens.
Just so frustrating.

Sammut has only been playing for Wigan recently because Sam Powell was injured and Leuluai had been moved to hooker. When everyone was fit in the early season, he wasn't in.

I saw some Wigan fans on social media saying they were secretly a little happy Sammut had picked up an injury, so it doesn't seem he's impressing all that much. The young Shorrocks lad seems like he may have jumped ahead of him in the pecking order too.

I'm saying this purely for info, not because I expect Sammut will be back at Bradford any time soon.

It's pretty impossible to make any sense out of letting him go at this point in the season if there has been no fall-out. The number of games played, along with his lack of effectiveness (commitment?) when he has, would suggest it is the right decision though. That said we're now down to two fit halves, one a kid plus an unfit Joe Keyes whose immediate future seems uncertain at best. I hope we know what we're doing and have planned ahead...

Kear is, above all else, a man manager. People like him and want to please him. If a player falls out with JK, then you'd have to think on balance they've brought it on themselves. He's not the sort of bloke your average person is likely to be on bad terms with.

I'm thinking this is a prima donna issue not a financial one.

I agree with you. I think its more his attitude than his ability, He played a handful of games for Sheffield, was usually their man of the match then all of sudden they didn`t want him, why? there has to be something in his make up or lifestyle that does not fit into being a pro rugby player. We may not have been playing scintillating rugby without him, but since he`s not been playing we have started to win games.

Where's this Brierley rumour come from?

Be a decent signing if it came off. Don't see any difference in him and Chisholm though. In fact I have always thought RB more show than substance.

Dane just put a small statement out saying he has been fit for a few weeks!!!!!

And having a sly little dig at Kear's style of play.

I think we all pretty much expected that. At least this might ease those worries about it being a financial issue though? That statement makes it sound like Dane asked for the move rather than us being forced into it for cashflow reasons.

TBH Kear likes to play a more structured style, which means maverick players tend to not fit within that style. However, Chisholm has been off the step since he came back from his injury. There's been the odd sparkle but he's not the player he was before he did his knee in vs HKR. Even playing in League 1 last year which should have been a decent rehab for a player coming back from that sort of injury, he's never really shown his best.

If he'd been firing on all cylinders all year and directing us around the park and creating scoring opportunities aplenty, I might be more upset about him leaving. But really, assuming the club are in the process of getting someone in as a replacement either at half or fullback, then I don't think it's a terrible piece of business if we're getting a high earner off the books. Plus with him being on loan, he won't be allowed to play against us in the return fixture which could help us by causing some disruption to Fev's game plan

Unless DC has been told that he no longer features in his plans then I'd expect him to show some willing to fight for his position, especially with a lad that's 18 and played less than 10 first team games.

Not fully believing that.

The old iPhone notes statement. Synonymous with departing RL players.

Reading between the lines, he doesn't fit in with how JK wants us to play. I trust Kear's logic behind this decision as I only see what DC does for 80 minutes once a week (and those performances are something of a rarity at this moment in time). If he has been fit and JK has been refusing to play him then it maybe down to his attitude. Perhaps asking for a week off to attend a wedding was the final straw behind getting rid of him?

I assume there is a clause in the loan deal that states he is unable to play against us for the remainder of the year. Any decent forward-thinking club would have that clearly marked in the loan deal.... right?!

He's shown some real class and individual skill during his stints at Odsal but they've been too infrequent. On his day, he's one of the best players in this league. Those days don't happen enough for my liking. A fan favourite who will be missed by certain groups of our supporters. Hopefully the club have somebody waiting in the wings to fill the space that Dane has left. I'm praying that this isn't another cost cutting exercise.

Not necessarily. There's no rule that says loan players can't play against their parent clubs. It's purely down to whatever the two clubs agree between them when the loan happens.

Just throwing a few names about.. I was trying to avoid mentioning Rangi Chase!

Didn't know that Iestyn Harris was an agent. Hope he's got a better understanding of the small print of contracts these days