Kearney
Ainscough
Lulia
Purtell l
Kear
Gale
Briggs
Koppy
L'Estrange
Scruton
Whitehead
Elima
Langley

Hargreaves
Diskin
Burgess
Manafukoa

1. Kearney
2. Ainscough
3. Purtell
4. Lulia
5. Kear
6. Briggs
7. Gale
8. Hargreaves
9. L'Estrange
10. Kopczak
11. Elima
12. Whitehead
13. Langley/Donaldson

14. Diskin
15. Manuokafoa
16. Scruton
17. Burgess (or other youngish player) but Walker if we need experience.

Kearney
Ainscough
Purtell
Lulia
Kear
Briggs
Gale
Scruton
L'Estrange
Hargreaves
Elima
Langley
Donaldson

Whitehead
Mana
Kopczak
Sammut


Bateman or Olbison in place of Hargreaves (Kopczak moving up to start) if we need more mobility.

No Jeffries and no Diskin for me. Prop situation fluid depending on form - especially keen to include Burgess, but I still think that he would be best served by occasional games.

Kearney
Kear
Purtell
Lulia
Ainscough
Briggs
Gale
Scruton
L'Estrange
Koppy
Elima
Whitehead
Langley

Disko (O'Brien to come in on occasion )
Burgess / Bryn
Manuokafoa
Walker/Olbison/Addy/Donno

Stillneed to see new signings in action first really

Kearney
Kear
Purtell
Lulia
Ainscough
Sammut
Gale
Scruton
L'Estrange
Kopczak
Elima
Whitehead
Langley

Diskin
Burgess/Hargreaves
Manuokafoa
Walker (#options)

(# Olbison/Addy/Donaldson/Burgess/Hargreaves/Briggs/Jefferies/Platt/sykes)

From what we have, which at the moment is probably the 25 man squad, this is the team I'd go with, I think it pretty much picks itself apart from the bench option spot and the halves (Briggs and jefferies could easily come into the reckoning) but I still think we are 1 prop short in depth and I'd like better outside back cover than just sykes and platt.

I would agree with that choice Duckman.

It only highlights some of the weak points in our squad though. We're still a quality Prop light IMO and I'd still like to see a winger added and one of Sykes/Platt moved on.

Agree with all that. Not a bad first 17 if the attitude is right but if we get a few injuries I'm worried we'll be back to struggling in the bottom 4.

My squad for 2012:
1. Brett Kearney
2. Shaun Ainscough
3. Chev Walker
4. Keith Lulia
5. Adrian Purtell
6. Kyle Briggs
7. Luke Gale
8. Craig Kopczac
9. Heath L'estrange
10. Tom Burgess
11. Olivier Elima
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Jamie Langley (c)
14. Matt Diskin
15. Nick Scruton
16. Bryn Hargreaves
17. James Donaldson
18. Jarrod Sammut
19. Elliot Kear
20. Manase Manuokafoa
Other Squad members;
Danny Addy
Michael Platt
Paul Sykes
Ian Sibbit
Ben Jeffries
Jason Crookes
Steve Crossley
Tom Olbison
Adam O'Brien
John Bateman

Sammut
Ainscough
Lulia
Purtell
Kear
Gale
Briggs
Koppy
L'estrange
Scruton
Elima
Walker
Langley

Burgess
Manoukafua
Diskin
Whitehead.

1. Brett Kearney
2. Adrian Purtell
3. Chev Walker
4. Keith Lulia
5. Elliot Kear
6. Jarrod Sammut
7. Luke Gale
8. Nick Scruton
9. Heath L'estrange
10. Craig Kopczak
11. Olivier Elima
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Jamie Langley (c)
14. Matt Diskin
15. Tom Burgess
16. Manase Manuofakoa
17. James Donaldson

The more I think about the prop situation the more worried I am. ATM I can't see us getting into the playoffs with our current pack. We've improved the backs enough to get in (barring serious injury problems...again) and the back row and hooking options are good, but I fear it will all be undermined by a lack of firepower up front. We need a few things to go our way with our current props, we need no injuries, scruton to rediscover his best, Koppy and Hargreaves to improve, Tom to continue developing and Manu to punch his weight and be a reliable/effective option.

But given our track record lately how likely is it that all them will come to pass? Take 1 or 2 of the props out of the equation due to injury or serious lack of form/development and we're stuffed, as the improved backs will be playing on the back foot more often than not.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but I would have liked to see 1 more experienced tough prop come in as we only have 5 and I think we need 6 in the squad to cover 4 available for each match day, especially as we don't seem to have any props ready to join Tom in stepping up from the u20's.

Does anyone know if our recruitment is finished?

Normally they make some comment when making final signing along lines of x players completing recruitment for next year. They haven't done this yet, and doubt they will until after pledge price deadline even if it is the case. Suspect there'll be at least one more recruit but likely more a squad depth signing rather than a 1st choice starter. Backup for threequarters seems most likely if rumours about Sykes and platt being told they won't play for club again being true and there hasn't been a change of heart.

I can see where you are coming from with this one. Sammut: full back is his fourth choice position, not surprising because he is rubbish in his first choice position, should not even on the bench. Ainscough, injured all the time when hes not mistackling, best position: not even on the bench. Lulia, rubbish, shouldnt even be in the squad. Purtell, cant defend cant do anything shouldnt even be in the country. Kear, rubbish full stop. Gale, useless, no skill whatsover, shouldnt be in any squad let alone England. Briggs waste of space which is what he gives the opposition. Koppy improved, you have to be joking. L'estrange, always injured. get rid. Scruton. always injured, get rid. Elima, never injured, get rid. Walker, always injured, get rid. Langley, always injured, get rid. Burgess, get rid and get Crossley back, he wouldnt knock on 200% of the time. Manoukafua (try spelling that after a few pints!) who the Manoukaf*** is he? always injured, get rid. Diskin always playing when injured, get rid. Whitehead, no reason, get rid. now for the under 20's...the Academy...the under 5's...

Although I hate to give him the credit, Mike is probably the most effective wind-up merchant under a Bulls flag. The bugger has rolled me a few times, I can tell you. As he well knows! I'll get him eventually - he's made me look a pillock a few times, so one day, my friend!

. He's good value though, cos he stimulates debate. Makes some good points when it suits him, too. Throws a load of ground bait into the mix as well, mind, to see what happens. He's rarely disappointed!

Thing is Adey, I wasn't actually on the wind up. That's the team I'd pick.

Sorry Adey, have to disagree. A good wind up merchant does it by dropping a googly in and amongst the straight deliveries, rather than bowling wides all the time. So its all too easy to parody him. Yes the very occasional good point, true. Hence the

. and B4C, never thought you were on a wind up, as I actually [ucould[/u understand where you were coming from. But that does not mean I cannot parody your style. The one I enjoyed most of all was dropping in the "Elima, never injured, get rid". . So thanks Adey and

and thanks too B4C and

Hood does apparently, must have read my question

;

[url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/9328017.Now_we_must_do_the_business_on_the_pitch__says_Bradford_Bulls_chief_Hood/Good to go....?[/url

[i"The Bulls have “pretty much” done their business now and Odsal chairman Hood believes Mick Potter will have a far stronger unit at his disposal than 12 months ago"

"It’s not to say there won’t be the odd bit of tweaking but as we stand, we are good to go.”

"Looking at it, I would say that we are fairly and squarely top eight material in my view"[/i

All done then, unless something unexpected happens. So I disagree with Mr Hood, I don't think we're squarely top eight material, I think
we're a couple of players short. With luck and injury free we are, but when was the last time we had some good luck and a clean run of injuriy free?

We should be challenging for the top eight, but thats as far as I'd go at the moment, make another judgement after preseason I guess.

with Crossley now officially gone and recruitment sort of over, the cover at prop looks bare, so we will see what happens when the young/fringe players are tidied up. With only 5 it looks as if cover will come from elsewhere in the pack as suggested previously, such as Langley or Elima.

I agree, but I don't like that approach as I don't think it will work. Hopefully Potter proves me wrong.

On the strength of reading that article the props are a gaping hole in an otherwise improved squad. Koppy, Scruton, Hargreaves, Burgess, Manase + Langley or Elima at a push leaves us massive hostages to fortune. If Scrutes and Langers stay fit and healthy, if Manase is any good, if Burgess kicks on, if Hargreaves improves 50%? Not only are there not enough numbers if we get the normal level of injuries or suspensions there is no chance whatsoever of rotating the props as the succesful clubs have always done and that's before we get to discussing actually quality.

Yet in the second row we have Elima, Whitehead, Langley, Sibbit, Walker, Donno, Olbison, Addy. So in a 17 man matchday squad you would normally include 4 props plus 4 back rowers (3 starting plus 1 bench). Even allowing for the fact that Whitehead and walker can cover centre and Addy can (barely) cover hooker why would you have a squad with 5 props and 8 back rowers. What is the point of Ian Sibbit and why on earth did we sign him on a two year deal? I ask because with a little bit of forward planning and foresight we might be in a strong position for challenging for the 8. I don't think the teams above us are anything to write home about and see nothing to fear in Cas, HKR and Hull.

Peter Hood says that any fairminded person would say we are much stronger. On the whole I agree, halves, centres, even the back row with Walker now there looks stronger, but the props are the engine room of the whole team and overall they look far from top 8 material.

Yes a lot of ifs, mbugs. dont forget we also have Bateman (and now Murphy) in the development bit of the squad for the back row! one question, when was it announced that Walker is 2nd row?

platt
ainscough
walker
lulia
purtell
gale
jeffries
scruton
lestrange
koppy
elima
whitehead
diskin

bench :
sammut
burgess
manuokafoa
donaldson

personally i'd go with,

Kearney
Ainscough
Lulia
Purtell
Kear
Gale
Sammut/Briggs
Koppy
L'Estrange
Scruton
Elima
Whitehead
Langley/Diskin

Diskin/Sammut
Burgess
Manu..
Addy/Langley

Me too, other than swap Gale and Sammut/Briggs as iirc it was reported that at the forum they said thats where Gale was going to play, and I would give Hargreaves a run of a few games at the start of the season to see if he can get into better form, if not then play Burgess more games but Langley would have to be at 13 for his tackling.

1 - Brett Kearney
2 - Shaun Ainscough
3 - Keith Lilia
4 - Adrian Purtell
5 - Elliott Kear
6 - Kyle Briggs
7 - Luke Gale
8 - Bryn Hargreaves
9 - Matt Diskin
10 - Nick Scruton
11 - Olivier Elima (c)
12 - Craig Kopczak
13 - Jamie Langley

14 - Manase Manuokafoa
15 - Chev Walker
16 - Heath L'Estrange
17 - Jarrod Sammut

Diskin to take control early, Heath to mix it up and tire opposition forwards and Jarrod on 10 mins before half time to run at the opposition with Disko also resting backrow for a while. Elima is great as French captain, plays well and stays calm...Roll on 2012 and hopefully Rhinos in season opener and sort some things out!