Eorl Crabtree is past it. Even when he wasn't past it, he's still one of the most overrated props in the league. For someone of his size, he should be knocking players flying. Instead, he just doesn't. He's like Lauaki without the blowing out of his @rse after 5 minutes.

No, we're definitely a Superleague side

Well we might, but at the moment, we don't have any spare cloth

We don't want to be decent in the Championship. We have to be able to beat SL clubs in the second half of the season.

In love all the aspirations, honestly I do but, are we not still a club which is wondering whether the wages are going to be paid, come the month end?

Or is that sooo last month..?

Couldn't agree more ....

On a side note, do Bulls have a scouting system & how far afield do they venture if so ?
I ask as I believe we did very well to go looking at the NSW Cup comp in Oz & in doing so bagging Josh Drinkwater *who initially & clearly told the club it was until end of season in order to put him in shop window of SL*. NSW Cup is a good hunting ground IMO.

I also believe that there aren't enough top amateur players getting a gig at all Pro & Semi Pro levels, can't believe there aren't some promising young lads out there in most positions who deserve a shot.

Edit.

Rumours are that FFMM, Tom Spencer & Sam Hopkins could be on the move, all 3 are very useful players. Spencer is a big lad & always looks in top physical condition, he isn't a cart horse & I think he has been under used & under rated for a long time.
Sam Hopkins has had some very big games for Leigh (probably the least likely to leave) & FFMM rumoured to be having a final fling in France, quite how much of this has substance is anyone's guess.

Our academy is doing very well, to be fair - especially so considering we don't have the 'pull', we did a few years back. Rated as, 'excellent', by the RFL both U16s and U19s have beaten some decent SL teams over the last season. The academy certainly gets recruits form all over the north of England, though not Aussie, so far as I know.

We have had some young [above academy age players from the Aussie lower leagues though, both last year and the current one though, not all were really successful.

Nope, as I say, we have no spare cloth and I remain very worried as to future deliveries. But, if we don't run completely out of cloth, then there is no alternative but to aim to be the next Leigh, as settling for has-beens and never-wills and resigning ourselves to permanent mediocrity is a death knell.

It wouldn't in reality be settling for anything, because what would actually happen is a spiral into decline and probably oblivion. The best analogy I can draw is that of my first club, Bradford Park Avenue. They have done decades of cloth cutting, but ceased to be recognisable as my club within a short time of relegation, and I considered the old Avenue pretty much defunct and wasn't prepared to watch the new low rent incarnation with all due respect to the stalwarts who have kept it going. It may be lots of things, and its still here, but to me it isn't Avenue. Not my Avenue, anyway.

Nobody is saying it is easy, indeed it may easily prove impossible, and if I'm honest I have no clue how we're keeping going or how we will do so over the winter ... but I'd much rather go out with a bang, not a whimper. I really don't want us signing club singers, because they and we will never qualify to perform on any big stages - they're just not up to it.

If somehow we can afford it, then while I'm not mad keen on the signing, getting players of the category of Leon (i..e genuine SL quality, not gone at the game, last- hurrah stylee players) may be one short term policy to try to make us competitive.

So for example, a season in the Championship being led around the park with players like Chisholm, Pryce and Moss, with some genuine top quality backs, and genuine top quality hookers, notably AOB, must put us in with at least a genuine chance of playing well, if financially we can find a way to keep it going.

If there is a next season for us, maybe we should market it as the Last Chance Saloon Season.

The problem with Bulls is the crowd size required just to break even. I believe it is not a million miles away from 4K. You are not going to generate that without consistently challenging for promotion. I believe that next year is going to be the real point of no return for the Bulls as it is hard to imagine generating decent season ticket sales following this year.

Ben Evans?? www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... the-season

Ben Evans?? www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... the-season

Scrap that... Gledhill just confirmed he is going to London

Could be going anywhere then!

According to the Huddersfield board young prop Josh Johnson could be available?

I agree, which is a shame and frustrating, as Rohan won't have had enough time to properly build a team, but it is imho definitely a true shhit or bust season - assuming we can finance a season - and I have no clue how we would manage to continue in anything like the current shape the season after that if not promoted.

Josh Johnson is available and we have enquired

From what I've seen he's a bit of a penalty and error machine.

Ben Evans set to sign for London and someone on Twitter posted we Phil Joseph rumoured to be coming to us (dear God I hope not)

Hoping Smith can pull some forwards out of the bag from the NRL

Spencer has signed for London

Has everyone signed for London? They'll have a right squad next season with every player in the league signed to them.

Is that the Joseph that used to play for us?

I think so. Although i've only seen one group on twitter mention it who are very hit and miss with their rumours.

To be fair from what i've seen and the way he has applied himself since he was with us I reckon Joseph will do a good job at our level. Tough difficult to stop and a bit of utility can do a bit of 9 and 13

He was ok with us previously, imo, just not the best of what we had at the time. Not the biggest, but plenty of effort and he's done ok at Widnes.

He (Joseph) might well be looking for a move since he seems to be well down the pecking order at Salford. Although I'm unsure of what his contractual situation is (void if Salford go down obvs). He'd certainly make a useful and hard working addition to our 2017 squad and probably wouldnt cost the earth. It wasnt a million years ago Sky took to calling him "The Wrecking Ball" and I certainly think he could do a job against Championship opposition and then stand up well in a middle 8's scenario. If he's available I say sign him up.

He is potentially the worst hooker I've ever seen.

Joseph is pretty no nonsense really. He's never going to be the best prop in the world. He's lacking a bit of skill. But you'll never fault his effort, which makes up for some of his shortcomings.

I think he'd do a decent job in the championship, and after the amount of times some of our players have looked like they're lacking effort this season, maybe someone with Phil's kind of attitude might be quite welcome.

I've always viewed Crabtree and Karl Pryce as being in the same category. Monsters with no heart. If it isn't heart, then I struggle to think of another reason why a huge bloke can go into contact and make so little impact.

Haha I wasnt claiming he would play at 9 just that he has and he has at Salford this season. Bear in mind he was a hooker when he came through at Huddersfield. Agree he isnt good enough to play there

Regarding Crabtree, I think you're right. He always looked the part, but as soon as he made contact, he just went down like a sack of spuds. No leg drive or aggression, just seemed to go through the motions every time he carried the ball.