I know the game is well over a month away but it's going to be Mick Potters first ever game in charge and I know that I can't be the only one already looking forward to watching the Bulls and the start of a new season.

It'll be interesting to see the mix of young and old and the new off season recruits player their first game in the famous Red, Amber & Black.

Tickets are priced at adults £13, children £6.

For supporters like myself who don't have a car, you will be able to get to the game there and back for £4 return by bus.

PM me for the times.

I wouldn't miss it for the world. Can't wait!

Mick,

Are you sure that buses will be running on Boxing Day ? I thought there
weren't any on either the 26th or 27th.

Last year the club put on a coach.

Sorry. I meant the 25th and 26th

Will be interesting to see how potter approaches the pre-season games. Last few years we've treated the earlier ones as mainly a chance to give kids a runout and gradually added seniors as pre-season continued, only really seeing anything like a full 1st team for the last friendly. I'm hoping we put out stronger teams this year for all the friendlies, given that we started pre-season training earlier then the senior players should be upto speed fitness wise and think we need the match practice to get combinations going. I Know theres an argument about oversuing some off senior players but we should have the squad depth now to allow squad rotation during the season and not just when injuries strike. Suppose the other argument is that we dont want senior players picking up injuries in the pre-season but think thats a risk we just have to take.

Will depend on how well I am in the morning. If I'm able to drive, I'll be going definitely.

Hopefully the snow will stay away this time so that the players aren't playing on top of it, and the path outside the turnstile isn't like a skating rink.

I'll be going if Rangi Chase is making his debut for us...

Guilty admission. I'm 34 and have never been to a boxing day game. Might break the duck this year though.

Best tick the "no" option then

Well I'm some years ahead of you and I've only been to one! Away at Fax back in the early 90s. It was a cracking game. We won 26-18 IIRC thanks to a late Dave Cooper try.

Boxing Day is always a family day for us so no chance of getting to the game. I'll be at the others instead.

I will probably be too rough in the morning so 50/50.

A later kick off and i'd be a definite.

I think it will be a pretty strong squad this year. Don't the new signings usually play?

Always went to the Boxing Day game in'towld days, nearly always got beat by the then 'Classy Cas' but, it was great to get home after standing in the freezing cold and tucking into Xmas leftovers

I'm hoping to get there, but I say that every year. The last 5 years I've taken the easy option and gone to Dewsbury v Batley with my mates from my amateur club.

Yes the buses are running boxing day.

It will mean a change in Leeds but for £4 return you can't go wrong.

As soon as First email me back with the times I'll post in here.

That was new years day mate 1992 and my first ever visit to Thrum Hall. Amazing to think that nearly 10,000 people squeezed in that day.

Will the boxing day fixture always be away from Odsal? Might go but not sure yet...will depend on the weather and state of the body

It's not just a matter of not picking up injuries to be fair. Whilst the youngsters will have been in earlier many of the first team squad didn't start training until later so won't be ready for the early matches. At least we'd no-one involved in the 4 nations though we had (?) four in the train on squad and some the overseas players who weren't back for the start of training.

First buses don't run between Leeds and Castleford AFAIK.

When i used to go from Leeds to Cas it was with Arriva buses.

I have Arriva times, just waiting for First to publicise their Xmas and New Year times so I can plan a good connection time in Leeds.

It'll be X6 Bradford - Leeds (First) then 189 Leeds - Castleford.

It'll take around 1hour 40mins which maybe a bit long for some.

X6 doesn't run on Sundays/ Bank Holidays.

72 is best bet.

I would warn you though. Pretty sure that not all buses run as expected simply because not enough bus drivers will work it.

fair point. think we would have been better served in terms of build up if we'd have swapped dewsbury and fax fixtures though. its likely to be pretty much full 1st team for dewsbury and wakey games and no disrespect to dewsbury but thats going to be a mismatch even allowing for us not having much gametime together (Or at least I hope it is

). think we'd have got more out of a tough game against fax with full 1st team.

It's running boxing day as it did last year.

Huddersfield-Bradford-Leeds it'll do and they'll be only one an hour, the same with the 189 Leeds-Castleford-Wakefield bus.

But at least we've got a bus to get to the game.

Well last years 24-24 draw was thrilling.

Fair enough.. I think i am gonna drive it.

Yes it was, but we didn't have a very strong side out that day which was Mat's point.