From what i've seen Wheeler is absolute quality, and Lomax has pace to burn compared to most players.

Would you rather field inexperienced halves (Wheeler & Eastmond) than let Pryce turn up and play 6?

Yes.

We don't have a thing to lose. We won nothing last year so the only thing we can miss out on this year is the playoffs and if our standard and style of play continues as it has now since June, we'll be lucky to make the playoffs this season. So I'd say go for broke. In fact, I'd be tempted to follow Leeds' model and have an organising 13 so that both Wheeler and Eastmond could do their thing without the burden of having to organise players around the park. But that's just me.

I mean, if you had a few young players with real potential at Bradford and one of them was being held back by a well paid man who either doesn't know what to do or can't be bothered doing it, and your season was looking like a non-starter, wouldn't you be tempted to throw caution to the wind and let your young guys get some serious game time in to show us what they can do?

You mean like with Michael Worrincy vs Olbison/Whitehead?

Hell, why not?



Saints have been fortunate in that the youth system has thrown up a handful of talented players over the last couple of years. Another one has been promoted from the youth system this year. Just one though as overall they were not as good last season as the previous season. We seem to produce halfbacks but they can adapt to other positions, which is useful. Lomax, Wheeler and Eastmond are all halfbacks, as is the new guy we've just promoted.

It could be years until we see another talented young player coming through the ranks. For some reason, that's the way it seems to work. It's a damn shame not to integrate them while the chance is here, especially when the likes of Pryce are taking up valuable playing space on the pitch but doing precious little until we happen to score a try. It's amazing how he comes to life then!

We'll do you a swap for a second rower?

We've got Danny Addy coming through in the halves, but currently AFAIK we haven't got oo much coming through in the halves. Plenty at every position in the pack, plus a couple of centres aswell.

If you've got a prop then we're on! Do you have any spare props around?


Good news on the centres. The British game needs native centres. For some reason Saints are good at producing halfbacks. So if you need one when your present contingent are returning down under, let us know. I'm sure we'll have a spare one tucked away somewhere.

The good thing about halfbacks is they can play a number of positions equally well.

We'll have another Paul Deacon type one who would be ready to take over from Orford in 3 years.



We've got Straugheir and Crookes coming through in the centres, then Crossley, George and Tom Burgess & Tom Lilycrop coming through in the props. Out of those i'd most like to spare Crossley to swap for a halfback, although he is 19/20 now so not a proper youngster, but still young for a prop.

Bradford produce their own quality halfbacks. We don't need anybody's help.

I'll think you'll find we can handle losing games as long as it looks like our team were trying to win. The booing is for the lack of effort and coordination not the fact we lost.

No probs. Our new guy will be ready to go by then!


Hey, 19/20 sounds good to me. He should be ready just in time to replace Graham who will have turned into a quivvering wreck by then.



Seriously, though, it's good that you have some talent coming through. I'm looking forward to finding out whether the Burgess skills run through the whole family!

Don't be daft. We're just having some banter.

I think it would be cool if clubs specialised in developing players in different positions so that we could then all trade in sound talent, meaning less need for imports, and furnish the England team with enough quality to kill off the Aussies at last!

The RFL will pay you for that scheme



And Bulls4 champs, who apart from Danny Addy do we have who could be pusing for a first team place in the next 2-3 years?

Sounds familiar

I see Graham's been passed fit, which is a damn shame in regards to our chances on Sunday. If he wouldn't have been playing Saints lose their impact prop in Fa'asavalu and arguably their best player in Graham himself.

Well we've just had 2 S/O's promted to the first team this year from the academy, Joe Wardle and Danny Addy.
Like I said Bulls always produce their own quality HB's.

Wardle's a utility back isn't he?

I've only seen him a couple of times but that was at centre.

Played stand off for 18's last year.

Oh right, anyway, would you not (in theory) swap Crossley for a promising Scrum Half?

prdictions anybody?

I'll go 22 -8 bulls
att 12,708
mom..Menzies

I'm not buying into all this nonsense that Saints are there for the taking on Sunday. They were poor on Sat against Hull but they still have plenty of match winners in their ranks. We will need a big improvement from Fridays showing to come away with any points.

It's a big game for the club though, we need to get some of the floating supporters on board for this season. If we lose 2 in a row, it could be enough to destroy some of the pre season optimism of some supporters.

Agreed Boxer, but I really reckon we can smash Saints this weekend. We were'nt that bad on Fri and Saints were shocking. We can do em.

Saints are gona be feeling the loss of their stars this year. Eastmond is fantastic but he isnt a SH and Leon isnt a 6. They have no HB's and they will feel it.

For the line-up for the next few weeks would anybody like to see something along the lines of use Donno as starting LF then have either Langley/Hall/Menzies on the bench for impact? I know it's early, but with his work rate and the attacking threat he poses I would like to see Donno get the chance to start at LF.

Yes I would. We need some impACT fro the bench, Koppy alone doesnt give it.
GetHall there aswell.

Scruton
Heath
Lynch
Langley
Menzies
Donno

Hall
Kop
Godwin
Whithead

i wouldnt like your post to come back and haunt you...err.. on second thoughts i would.

20 14 bulls
att 14/15 765
mom - orford