Kick off time changed to 15:30, to give fans time to watch both soccer and rugby.

Better than changing the date, imo.

Make sense. Some fans may have decided not to go to Bulls, even if they were just watching City on the tellybox. This gives more chance of fans still going to the rugby afterwards.

Isn't the first leg at VP? I'd guess it's less to let the fans watch and more that it means the police are less thinly spread between two events

It is at VP yeah.

Do we even have police at Odsal these days? Don't think I've seen them this season. They don't close the road any more either, so aren't needed for that.

I think I've seen one or two. But I guess that a couple of thousand people can be handled by the stewards. Or at least that's the prevailing intelligence.

I just wonder if it might be an idea for the Bulls to get some people down to VP and hand out some discount tickets for the Swindon game, you know? Get an attendance boost and the discount can be offset as it's likely people turning up that wouldn't usually go to Odsal so it's basically free money

Millwall are in town. Therefore there will be a need for considerably more police in the area.

There will be trouble. Somewhere.

No doubt the LSC will be interested in the goings-on.

Bad news for you - the ref's from Leigh!



Good news for you - it's not Joe Cobb!!



Bradford Bulls v Swinton Lions Sunday 15th May Provident Stadium, Odsal KO : 15:30

Referee: W Turley

Touch Judges: P Marklove G Dolan

Reserve Referee: D Ward

M Com: C Morris

Match Assessor: F Hawley -

Any relation to Neil?

Yes it's his brother, he's a good lad & a very good referee, knows the game well and coaches Leigh college team.

He's more in touch with playing the game rather than just officiating so he's usually a more balanced referee & understands a players perspective.

Hope he goes well.

Was thinking the same. Would be a great idea.

Form over the last five games



The order of the teams is the order the table would be in right now if the season started five games ago. Left most is the game furthest in the past, and the most recent game is on the right.

Kurt Haggerty and Mitch Clark got one match bans and won't play this week

With Haggerty out, who will play in the halves? I'm hoping for Lauaki

For the Swinton game I'd be tempted to go with:

Mathers (may as well use him)
Caro
Welham
Ryan
Clare
Gaskell
Thomas (give him a run out at HB)
Clough
Lumb
Sidlow
Mellor
Ferguson
Addy

O'Brien
Crossley
Olbison
Fleming

If you apply that logic, there are about a dozen other guys you could pick!

I don't think that it's the worst idea in the world to use AOB at 7 and use lumb at hooker.

Might give us better distribution and if it's going wrong then I'm sure we can throw somebody else in there!!

Mathers (may as well use him)
'"

Think Clare's safest FB option we've seen so far. Thought Thomas looked a bit more dangerous in attack but not as solid defensively. Would still like to see what Campbell can do their as that's position he was signed for. Mathers is behind all three IMO.

Range of possible league positions after this weekend:



As before, this pays no attention to points difference at all. I prefer the calculations to be done in the same week I start them so I ignore it altogether.

Jacob Trueman and Lucas Walshaw in the 19 man squad according to [url=http://www.rugby-league.com/kingstone_press_leagues/match_preview/12133rugby-league.com[/url site.

Nice to see some fresh faces in there and i'm ecstatic we have an actual HB. The young kid can't do any worse than what we've seen far.

19 man squad:

Danny Addy, Lucas Walshaw, Paul Clough, Lee Gaskell, Steve Crossley, Tom Olbison, Matty Blythe, Jacob Trueman, Jay Pitts, Oscar Thomas, Kris Welham, Adam Sidlow, Adam O’Brien, Danny Williams, Ethan Ryan, James Clare, Ben Kavanagh, Omari Caro, Alex Mellor.

I'd go:

1. James Clare
2. Omari Caro
3. Matty Blythe
4. Kris Welham
5. Danny Willaims
6. Lee Gaskell
7. Jacob Trueman
8. Paul Clough
9. Adam O'brien
10. Adam Sidlow
11. Tom Olbison
12. Jay Pitts
13. Danny Addy
14. Ben Kavangh
15. Steve Crossley
16. Lucas Walshaw
17. Alex Mellor

Thomas & Ryan to miss out for me

I personally wouldn't justify leaving out Ethan Ryan to accomodate Matty Blythe. Blythe was shocking before he got injured/dropped.

Blythe is a terrible centre and a bog standard backrower the amount of missed tackles and simple passes he drops is shocking considering he was meant to be one of our better players.

It'll be interesting to see how much more effort players put in on Sunday as Smith will be watching live for the first time.

Absolutely Bullseye!

If there's one thing we surely can't lose because of it has to be effort.

I really hope Trueman plays and isn't just in the squad to make up the numbers.

Thomas
Caro
Welham
Clare
Williams
Gaskell
Trueman
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Olbison
Pitts
Addy

Kavanagh
Crossley
Mellor
Walshaw