What's everyone's thought's on Bradford's signings for next year? Squad wise they obviously increased depth wise, quality could be a little higher though. I can see a spot for Bradford somewhere between sixth and eighth next year dependent upon injuries to themselves and those around them.

Chev Walker
Shaun Ainscough
Patrick Ah Van
Bryn Hargreaves
Olivier Elima
Ian Sibbitt
Shad Royston
Gareth Raynor
Matt Diskin

Westerman to Hull FC for £175,000? It's doing the rounds anyone heard anything more?

It will make them better than this year and with a better coach they should certainly be aiming for the play-offs. It's all about how they gell and how certain players turn out. Ainy could be sensational or shocking, Walker could return to old Leeds form or look like a player after a bad injury, Hargreaves could kick on from his time at saints or flop because he isn't playing along class like Graham and Cunningham, Disking could thrive on being possibley the main hooker or he could take a dive playing around lesser players than his Leeds team mates.

The only ones I think will be certain to have an impact are the two wingers and Elima. Raynor always does the job on the wing and is unlikely to be a weak link (they had too many of those last year). Ah Van has a poor scoring record but could change that if they get the ball to him, like Raynor he is strong and quick.

Elima as I am sure many will agree, he has always impressed me at Catalans but he must cut silly errors and pens.

If the new players can gel and play as well as they can and the 10,000 average has an impact on positivty then I think they could finish as high as 6th, Wigan, Leeds, Saints, Warrington, Hudds are certain to finish above them IMO, Bradfords season could depend on how the Hull clubs go on.

I would love it if Bradford could get back to the big time again.

The best signing Bratfud have made is Potter. I think he is a very good coach - you only need to look at what he did with Catalan and despite Stains going through a major transition was still able to get them to GFs. Given the cards he was dealt by Stains I've never really understood why a lot of their fans wanted rid so much. I think they may regret getting Royce Simmons in his place.

Bradford have improved numbers and increased quality in some areas, but tbh, their squad was awful last season.

Chev Walker- Good Signing doubt he will get back to his Leeds days but not a bad signing.
Shaun Ainscough- Time will tell jury is still out.
Patrick Ah Van- don't know much about him.
Bryn Hargreaves- Decent signing a workhorse if nothing else.
Olivier Elima- Good Signing one of their best signings.
Ian Sibbit- never been much of a standout name not a player your worried to be facing.
Shad Royston- Very strange signing could be a great signing but could also be a terrible signing again time will tell.
Gareth Raynor- knows his way to the try line but to me comes with too much baggage.
Matt Diskin- Probably the best signing the Bulls have made in the close season wether thats a good thing or not i'm not sure.

Chris Nero > Chev Walker
Shaun Ainscough > Rikki Sheriffe (potentially)
Patrick Ah Van > Michael Platt
Andy Lynch > Bryn Hargreaves
Olivier Elima = Glenn Hall
Steve Menzies > Ian Sibbit
Matt Orford > Shad Royston
Gareth Raynor > Stuart Reardon
Matt Diskin > Wayne Godwin
(not suggesting those new signings are replacing all those i've compared just some are its just an observation.)

Overall, pretty poor. Not a group of players who you would expect to be able to bring big improvements to the Bradford side although I agree with WLA that Potter should do well for them.

Some of the signings come across as desperate gambles who are more likely to flop than reach their best form (Raynor, Walker) whilst some others may be solid pros but are hardly game breakers (Elima, Hargreaves, Sibbit). Ainscough is fraught with weaknesses as it stands at the moment and needs a lot of work.

Diskin should offer more than their current hookers though and Royston is probably the best player in the Championship.

Bradford will probably get to around 7th to 8th next year but I think they needed more quality to lift them on the field and to impress the supporters enough to convince them to stick around. This cheap season ticket deal surely won't be a long term thing. Who knows though, their recruitment might not be finished yet.

Diskin is the best of that bunch yet they already had 2 pretty good hookers so it seems a strange one for me. They would be better of trying to sign at least one quality halfback because as it looks to me they must plan of using L'Estrange in the halfs and thats not good enough if they want to really make an impression next year.

The signings of Diskin and Elima are good, Ainscough could be a cracking signing and guys like Hargreaves will be solid enough but then buys like Sibbit, Walker and Raynor aren't the type i'd expect a club of Bradfords stature to make.

On the plus side for Bradford they got the 10,000 pledges for season tickets so thats a great move in the right direction. If they could sign a class half and a centre that could make some sort of impression they'll be in alot healthier state though.

Only Diskin would get in our squad out of them and thats because we are short of hookers.

Yep, good halfback and centre along with the retention of Orford then they'd look a different prospect.

bankrupt?

Personally I feel they are best shot of Orford, I was someone who was hoping we would target him last year when he became available but am made up we dodged that bullet. We have been panned in the past for holiday and pension signings from the NRL and for me he has taken the biscuit. Had he signed for us and performed the way he has for the Bulls we would have been slammed.

One decision I cannot understand is not to retain Menzies for a further year. I find that stunning he has been the shining light at that club in some pretty dark days and may be knocking on but is still top quality and I am sure will continue to perform at Les Cats to a level above anyone at the Bulls next year.

Peraps Menzies was part of the swap for Elima?

Menzies had 1 year left and Elima has a good few years in him.

Not a bad swap (if that is the case)

More on the Leuluai Rumour to Manly here:

[urlhttp://www.silvertails.net/forums/index.php?topic=185756.25[/url

MMM

Tommy to Manly, does that mean we are freeing up funds to bring in CAMERON SMITH, MMMMMM

I had this text off someone who used to be a regular poster on here.

On the story about Tommy to Manley.
Manley were up to the cap which prevented them re-signing Orford.
To take Tommy they would have to be be releasing a top player salary wise or it can't happen.
IL will drive a very hard bargain on the deal, that's if there's any truth in it at all.

Unless they have a decent hooker which we'll take in return.

Why would we just 'let' Leuluai go?

He may want to go. He maybe unhappy about the way his best mate was treated.

Who?
I think personally he is happy as can be here.

Feka?

I agree, he comes across is if he is loving it here.

It just doesn't make sense to me.

Why would we let TL and Piggy (different circumstances admittedly) leave at the same time.

It could surely only be if we had someone incredible lined up to replace them. But I hesitate to say that, because it's yet more putting two and two together and making five.

That said, it would be a very strange move to release our two hookers and have no-one else to bring in.

So to react to the fact his best mate has been treated badly, he then moves half way around the world from his best mate to stand up for him?

It may just be Tommy wants a shot at the NRL, he's won SL now so why not go out on a high.