Fact is the club lack any young halfbacks ready for the step up so they had to buy overseas. You can't always buy British, as you know the game as a whole over here has a problem in producing enough quality players and the Bulls needed a halfback now. The Bulls have made huge efforts to get their junior side back on track and are making headway but it takes years to reap the rewards. As it is James Donaldson and Elliott Whitehead made their debuts last year and look good. There'll be more next season.

I agree entirely.

Things are getting better. Both Saints and Leeds have very progressive youth policies. Bradford are trying, but lag behind.

I think if you're successful it easier to attracted the best youth talent when you have a successful club.

Bradford are in a bit of a downward spiral at the moment and need to do something to pull themselves out of it. They can no longer compete with clubs like Warrington, who can afford to pay large transfer fees for players like Myler.

I'm sure that if Bradford had the money or were successful they would be in for players like Tomkins, Myler or Eastmond.

I'm not over the moon about Orford's signing. However, there's no youth team player breaking through in the halves, so the only alternative would be to buy a British player they would attracted, like Long, stick with Deacon or sign an overseas players.

I hope it's a stop-gap signing for a couple of years until we produce a home-grown product ourselves.

Shocking Maurice Lindsay-esque signing given the money involved. If Bradford continue to decline at their current rate they will seriously struggle to have their license renewed in 2015.

shewin and mgoldrick at Cas are both them size contracts all top earners are on that money.

Burgessuses surely???!!!!

come next season, will it be the bradford sea eagles .

They have been in SL for 13 years, it is very poor future proofing to say that they don't have someone to step up. This is another area we are massively behind. Take a look at the Melbourne Storm and how many star players they have lost over the last 4 years. Did they go out and buy from another club or England? No they had players ready to step up when needed. I can guarantee they are already grooming some 16 year old fullback ready for when Slater leaves. It is an abject failure on Bradford's part that they HAD to go out and sign a 32 year old from the NRL.

And then gets pick to play SOO?

orford won't see out his contract...

he'll be gooooorrrrrnnnn in a year/18months

Maths skills aren't up to scratch in the sunniest city in the world, are they? He's 31 now, will be 32 early in the 2010 season, meaning he'll be turning 34 at the equivalent time in his final year of his contract, and just over 34.5 when he finishes up. Hardly "going on 36"

Silly me, didn't realise he'll ONLY be 34.5! A mere spring chicken of a lad, good for at least another few years after that then surely!

i hope manly give hodgkinson (sp) a chance, he has real ability.

very good points and the problem of rl in england.

How many other SL clubs have one or a pair of quality halfbacks coming through? Not many. So singling out Bradford for this is hardly a strong arguement and at worse looks like a veiled attack on the club

goodluck to the money hungary orford

Orford's better than Deacon, so I don't see what the problem is? At least Bradford are being ambitious.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

So 2 of your players are on the best part of £300k a year each and you dont even operate at full cap? What do you play the rest of your players with? Buttons?

I cant believe for one minute that any player in SL is on the best part of £300k a season and I bet you could count on one hand the amount that earn £150k a year.

If you ask me, THAT's the problem. Too many people jealous of Bradford's sucess during SL and laughing now they've fallen on hard times and now throwing their toys out the pram because the Bulls might become a force again

You're wrong. It's Burgopodes.

£280k per season has to put him as top earner in SL??

£280k a season is a hell of alot of money for a guy of his age.

I think everybody would say money well spent if it was for Inglis,Slater,Falou or Benji Marshall...but Orford?

Also with respect he is used to guiding the likes of Lyon,the Stewart brothers,Watmough,Matai etc around the pitch.

I think he could be in for abit of a shock at Odsal,but with that money he'll get over it

V.Tiger is miles off, nobody at Cas on Ordfords money...not even close

Not whilst Danny Buderus is still at Leeds

Or ODSAL...the official retirement home of Manly-Warringah