A young Aussie with something to prove.

We sign a quality player in Orford last season, he's over the hill and coming for a pension, we change to sign a young player with potential and its poor.

Is there any player we could sign which you wouldn't think was poor?

He's been released by Canberra yes, the same club that also released Michael Dobson. Look how he's turned out.

He was first choice and then got injured and lost his place. A few years ago we got Willie Talau in a similar situation.

It's not looking good for them





(P.S Don't quote me on that statement if you win something)

23 games in 4 years is one angle.

I saw his debut and thought he was a good prospect and have seen him play since and have thought he was a pretty decent NRL half-back. The NRL commentators are continually saying that there are not alot of quality halves in the Australian game, nor coming through and ready to move into first-grade. Bradford have got a young 7 who wants to play, who has potential and wants to be in Yorkshire.

I assume you mean Southernwood. Yes, he's got potential to be a really good half-back. Trouble is, he's not quite ready to assume such an important position. He's not quite got the physicality to be a regular SL 7. The club seem to think he needs another season or so to mature physically.

No Marc Herbert, and it was 23 games in 3 years sorry. Initially Herbert likened to Mark McLinden who also played for the Canberra Raiders, but did not live up to high expectations in the NRL. Still expect him to do well for Bradford, reckon he could have got a deal in Aus, but Bradford have guaranteed him first-team footy.

Well Melbourne wanted him but couldn't fit him under the cap. And according to himself, he had a number of offers from Aus and SL but chose Bradford.

Who said Melbourne wanted him? Rumours!

If Melbourne wanted him he'd be at the storm now.

Unless they couldn't fit him in under the cap.

crusaders outs www.themorningbulletin.com.au/st ... for-coach/

crusaders outs www.themorningbulletin.com.au/st ... for-coach/

Today's League Express has a story regarding Bulls Fullback Ben Helliwell signing for Warrington. Shame to lose him. Another of our good prospects being nicked by clubs unable to produce their own players

Which is exactly what you did a few years ago love, tides turn eventually

to whom?

WHy put time and effort into developing your own when you can just steal from lower table clubs.

Makes sense to me

Or maybe your club should stop signing the dross you currently have and spend more money on your youth department. 10 new players is a shambles, especially when not one of them is a international quality player.

chris riley,paul wood,ben harrison,rhys williams,mike cooper,rhys evans (quality player),kevin penny...

yeah we cant produce super league players

glad we agree on this

If you want to be a proper troll, you'll need to try much, much harder than the pathetic attempts you've been making.

Troll ? Its called an opinion.

You have not signed one player that would look decent on the international stage. You've signed the likes of Sibbit when that money should be going on Halliwell and Wardle.

You wont make the top 8 IMO.

many said that when catalans finished 3rd in 2009, with potter as coach he won't be signing guys just to make up the numbers, the guy os a pretty shrewd coach, granted they wont trouble the top 4 but with a decent run they could make the 8

And my opinion is you're a troll.

You provide your so called opinion but then don't back it up with any sort of argument when challenged.

Therefore, you're a troll.

It's difficult to argue with his general point though. Elima apart, the signings range from average at best to very poor. I remember saying the same thing last year while Bradford fans were trumpeting the likes of Glenn Hall as potential stars. Having said that, I think Bradford will do better than last year with better coaching, although they will still struggle to make the 8.

Bradford have failed to make the play-offs for the last 2 years. Mick Potter has clearly identified the weak links in the Bulls and has implemented a transfer policy that puts together a team that will play to his tactics.

Yes, I'll agree that there's no real "marquee" signing at Bradford this year. But tbh out of the last 3 "superstars" signed for Bradford Harris' signing nearly killed the club and is in no small part the main factor in our recent decline, Orford was overpaid, over-rated and over here until he got injured and "homesick". The only one who actually lived up to his billing was Menzies. So maybe a larger squad of solid if unspectacular players is a better way to go for Bradford than a paper thin squad with one over paid superstar.

As for us using the money to keep Wardle and Helliwell, the club HAS a salary scale. We clearly had a value for both players given their age, experience and potential taken into account. However, other clubs offered them greater salaries than what was on the table for Bradford. However, both Wardle and Helliwell are only potentially good players. There's nothing to guarantee they'll be successful. So why should the club pay over the odds now for players who might not live up to their early hype?

I understand what you're saying, but a larger squad full of below average players isn't going to achieve anything, marquee signings are not required but look at the players that Bradford have signed. Diskin and Hargreaves will add to the squad, and Elima should be an important player. Then there are two unproven imports, two players who have barely played in the last year, two Championship players and a player released by Salford. Signings should improve a squad, and I don't really see how any of those players are an improvement on what the club had last year.

Two unproven imports on short deals and who will be looking to prove themselves.

Two players who've not played in the last year? I assume you mean Walker and Ainscough. Walker is coming back from a quite serious injury and again he's on a one year deal and will be hungry to prove he's still capable.

Ainscough has probably the most to prove, he burst onto the scene but never seemed to quite hit the highs expected of him. Again, he's been given a 1 year deal and a chance to get his career restarted.

There's a lot of, what should be, players hungry to show what they can do and what they can achieve. I'm not suggesting we'll be sweeping all before us, but I think we're looking at a top 6 finish. Especially if we can get another decent half back to partner Herbert.