Opening it up for everone to have their say in terms of releases and retentions for next season. Its quite clear changes are needed. So lets hear it. Who deserves to to stay and who do we let go?
Please keep the thread on subject. Keep it to on the field only
Let someone else start an off field / coaching thread...

Who goes? Crossley, Walker. B,Evans, Kibula, Fleming and Murphy for starters.

How about Foggin-Johnston, Patton, Walker, Crossley, Murphy, Baldwinson, Kibula, and Fleming

Dfj, Crossley, Fleming (although not possible due to the ludicrous 2 year deal he got) Walker I'm undecided on. Yes he looks a mess fitness wise, but he's still one of the few capable of busting a tackle and an offload. Problem is when we start getting rolled, he's targeted.

Murphy I like but is likely to be one of our highest earners. Doesn't help when he's played in the centres though. I actually think he'd make a decent middle for us.

Mdj as well, sadly just having too many injuries.

I think we're in desperate need of a proper leader, particularly on our discipline. Someone who would calm the likes of Patton and Hallas down who seem to be losing their heads far too easily right now.

Probably agree on DFJ who tries hard enough but isn't really of a high enough standard. MDJ is more injured than not as you say.

Murphy is only ok as a backrower. He's far too slow for the centres. Must be knocking on now and I'm not sure what he brings to the side.

Walker could be good but his physique is indicative of a player that won't do what is needed to realise all his potential. He may have some eye catching carries of the ball but the rest of his game is lacking. Crossley isn't the same post covid.

We do need a leader. Neither halfback is a leader which is a problem. Lilley does a lot of talking but it has little effect. He seems to buzz around but gets ignored. Patton can just drift out of a game if he doesn't fancy it. Both have put on too much weight in the last 8months.

On "who stays" well that's not really up to us as if a SL side or a top 2 championship side came knocking I doubt we could hang onto anyone.

But since you ask I like the look of Gill, Doyle, Scott, Scurr, England, Jowitt, Rhys Evans and Wallace.

The rest are much of a muchness. The ones I've identified that we need to ship out are the main problem.

Agree with that apart from Patton. 75% of our scores come from a Patton assist. Also probably the best goalkicker we have had since Deacon.

For me, I’d like these to stay:

Kear (as cover for the centres and is PT)
Gill
Millar
Patton (needs to shed a stone or two)

Walker (needs better fitness for Def)

Doyle (he’ll go to SL to be a back up)

Scott (injured but liked what I saw)

Flanagan (not an abundance of hookers out there so could go into a coaching role, only one who shows passion sometimes)

Baldwinson (been our best prop, solid, reliable, workhorse)

Scurr (even though he’s not been as good this year, he’s a Champ prop, would struggle in SL atm)

England (I’ll give him a pass this year, not sure if he hasn’t been selected or just injured but did enough last year and the limited games this year to stick with him as a SR starter/back up)

Jowitt (thought he looked alright at start of the year, another year of development)

Hall (can’t understand why we loaned him out, look clueless at FB now. Alright his defence wasn’t the best. Neither is who we have there now)

Burton (looked decent when he’s played, home grown too)

Ho (not sure if he did well or not at Keighley but he’s homegrown and young, no harm in giving him a year)

Wallace (been our best SR this year for me, solid, young, give him a year).

Hallas (not been great since his return but is solid, again give him another year)

Hoyle (not seen much of him this year but had a few good games for the reserves, keep him).

Loanees on Perm Deals:

Butler

Pickersgill (can’t see him playing for Fev again. Him and Hall would be solid FB at this level)

Mustapha (looked solid when he played, I’d love to see him at Bulls permanently)

Walters (same as above)

Let go:

MDJ (injury prone)
R. Evans
Lilley
Crossley
Murphy
B. Evans
Kibula (unless he loses some serious timber)
DFJ
Fleming

Lilley, Patton, Fleming and Scurr are all signed on for next year. I think the majority of the squad are on a one year deals.

Keep: Gill, Millar, R.Evans, Doyle, Scott (spent most of this year injured), England, Baldwinson, Jowitt, Burton, Wallace, Butler and any of the Rhinos lot that we've had on loan. Promote GF Jr to FB.

Out: Crossley, Walker, B.Evans (confirmed), MDJ & DFJ.

Undecided: Kear, Flanagan, Kibula, Murphy, Hall, Ho & Hallas.

It's a bit pointless discussing squad retentions untl there is some clarity about aims for next season.

Assuming there is a structural change for 2024, then we need to know what clubs need to do in 2023.

For example, if we would HAVE to finish in the Top 8 of the Championship then that drives squad retentions and acquisations. Because the club couldn't survive NOT finishing in the Top 8.

But if we are going to get parachuted into a new SL 2x10 or 2x12 system in 2024, next season doesn't really matter. We might as well save the budget for the following year.

See what I'm saying? Agonising about whether to offer another year to Sammy Kibula is irrelevant until we know what we're trying to achieve from next season

We've got to get rid of the wasters regardless. To delay would further embed the half assed culture and threaten development of any decent young players coming through.

Kibula and Co can do one.

Need to see some suggestions for replacements if you want half the squad gone.

No idea who's coming off contract elsewhere. Props would be my main priority along with a fullback.

Hitchcox abviously, Shaul from Hull, he will probably be released at end of the season. LMS from Saints is just the type of aggresive prop we need and probably has a couple of years left in him at our level. Everything depends on our budget.

Given that the likes of Patton as noticeable put on weight as well as your existing players not getting in shape I would suggest something culturally is wrong at the club or your strength n conditioning coach isn’t doing is job . I know Batley have a strict alcohol policy and fax are 20% fitter than last year , the championship is getting harder every year , it’s not just recruitment it’s the job lot .

We know all about the crap culture of the club. I'm not sure it's down to the S&C coach as players are obviously eating whatever they want given their size. A lot of players don't care. There are exceptions. For instance Tom Doyle looks fit and gets through more work than a few others put together.

I think the OP said the thread was just about players. If we were to look at off field positions I'd say a clean sweep of the whole lot is needed. A new head coach from outside would've been a useful break with the past but I'd say the problems at the club go right to the top.

I think Shaul may be a spent force and LMS could still command a SL spot somewhere. He'd never sink as low as us. It all comes down to budget as has been said. Trouble is the rot has been allowed to set in and it may have gone too far.

Yeah I fear that the likes of Shaul and LMS are way, way beyond what we will be able to afford next season. Struggling to think of options myself.

The issue with that kind of player i.e SL player no longer able to get a full-time SL contract is that we would likely be competing with Halifax, York, Newcastle etc who seem to have no issue with outbidding us.

Very true,as I said it all depends on our budget.

There are two ways to get out of the situation we are in. One is employ a strong coach who can get maximum and more out of our players or two buy quality players who can get us some results. Unfortunately we already have a new coach on an 18 month contract and we don't have enough funds to buy some wins. So?

This is the worst Bradford squad I’ve seen in my lifetime and we’ve made the most underwhelming coaching appointment at the same time.

I think a chunk of the squad are better than what they’ve shown but I don’t see them getting their form and fitness back at this club.

The league 1 squad was far better than this one.

Leaves secret option 3. The players are told the consequences for not hitting targets in training and fitness will be significant and if we have to start using the reserves & academy more, we will do

Unfortunately the hiring of MD makes that scenario implausible because he doesn't have the reputation he needs the players onside more than they need him.

My only counter to that is that Nigel has hung what remains of his reputation on that appointment of MD and has no option other than to back him to the hilt.

Nigel's reputation already speaks for itself unfortunately.