I know this is a bit earlier than usual but seen as though this forum is dead (not my words

) I thought I'd make this thread.

What time is the kick off for this game? Also it's a Sky game so do you think this will have an effect on how the Bulls play?

What would your starting line-ups be and Platt should be fit for Bradford but Chase could potentially be banned for the hit on Hardaker this weekend just gone........if that's the case it looks like it could be a 18+ point Bradford win for me.

Haven't got to grips with the Bulls new website then?



Kick off is 16.45 on Saturday afternoon.

Bit of an odd time if you ask me. But that's Sky for you.

No Chase for Castleford could see them seriously hurt in terms of attack. Much the same way we were against Hull with the enforced player switch round following Platt's injury.

Concussions can be nasty, might not be a good idea to rush Platt back into the side, but I'm not sure who we've got who can come in for him at this point. I suppose there's a chance of Naughton or Wood getting a debut, after all with the paper thin level of our squad it's not beyond the realms of possibility that there'll be more than one young lad getting his first taste of SL rugby at Bradford this year.

We had a good start against Wakefield and have been brought back down to earth following a less than stella performance against Hull. So it's this week that will really be the test of Cummins as a coach and how he can get the team to respond after a defeat.

Haha, not really been on it. Last time I was on it wasn't even finished :/ But thanks for the KO time. Only reason why I wanted to know is because it's my 18th b-day on Saturday so that kickoff time suits me



Chase has been banned then I take it? And Platt said he was fine, wanted to go back on against Hull but the doctor rightly forbid him from going back on. With Platt back in the side I rekon we will win quite comfortably. Naughton is injured so he won't be making his debut anytime soon. The most likely to make a debut this year is Jobe Murphy.

I believe Cummins will have them up for the Castleford game. He actually didn't do too bad against Hull. It was only 28-12 after all

wood got injured at weekend too. maybe dewsbury have a near superleague level winger we could borrow, like say karl pryce

no chase, you win. with Chase, you win I think. Only chance we have is if our forwards boss the game again like in the Leeds game. 26-18 to you.

I'd drop Addy and bring in Donaldson. Hopefully Platt will be ok, but I wouldn't rush him back.

17 Foster
4 Blythe
12 Whitehead
3 Lulia
5 Kear
6 Sammut
1 Kearney
8 Scruton
14 Diskin
10 Nas
19 Olbison
21 Donno
15 Walker

13 Langley
9 L'Estrange
27 Sidlow
19 Addy

Wood (I think) and Naughton are both injured so if Platt can't play I'm not sure what we'll do. If Platt is injured, I guess it will be Foster to left wing, Kearney to full back, and Addy to scrum half/stand off, with Donno on the bench.

How far away from match fitness is Purtell?

Not cleared to play till late March early April then will have to get match fitness.

If platt is injured then think we need to come up with a structure that keeps Kearney in the halves. Don't think addy/sammut pairing worked at all well. Maybe whitehead/Olbison to the centres and Blythe onto the wing.?
Leaves us a little light at 2nd row so drop walker back their and give addy/ Donaldson a shot at loose which is supposed to be their best position

If Platt's out then go with what Mat said.

Addy needs to be in back row if played imo. I'd like to see Donno get a crack soon though.

Gale at s/h

1. Kearney
2. Foster
3. Lulia
4. Blythe
5. Kear
6. Sammut
7. L'Estrange
8. Scruton
9. Diskin
10. Manuokafoa
11. Whitehead
12. Walker
13. Langley

14. O'Brien
15. Donaldson
16. Sidlow
17. Olbison

Don't like Heath at 7

What's up with Gale?

Still injured

Platt has done his knee according to todays T&A

Looks like we've got a shortage of numbers already - don't like the look of anything other than Kearney and Sammut in the halves, but who have we got for cover for Platt?

We could do worse than putting Elliott Whitehead in at centre as he's played there before and wasn't disgraced by any means. His berth in the SR could be covered by Donno or Danny Addy, leaving Foster at FB and BK in the halves.

Bloody hell you guys don't have any luck with injuries do you?

Don't think it would be for more than one week - though we've thought that before and been updated...so hopefully it's not a crisis yet.

Galey is due back next month (I think) which releases Kearney from the halves into his usual no.1 job and Foster into the threequarters, which means we should cope, though we've known all along that more than a few injuries could be pretty catastrophic to the season.

Got to keep Sammut and Kearney in the halves

Got to borrow big Karl from Dewsbury in my opionion

We don't need to change people in 3 positions because our winger is injured

Yes I was thinking along those lines

Whitehead or Walker into the centres, Blythe out to the wing. Then Donaldson or Addy into the 2nd row.

spot on

Are you sure we're allowed to do that?
Would it just work like a very short term loan? Do loan spells have a minimum period, or can we loan on a game-by-game basis?

Kearney and Sammut is a much better half back combination than Sammut and Addy. It's whether we sacrifice the half back pairing and bring Addy into scrum half, or move Blythe to the wing and stick Whitehead at centre, to keep the half back pairing the same.