Big game this week not just a derby but could also play a part in who gets third spot. I would expect a fired up bradford for this one even if they are struggling for halves i would still expect a strong performance from them. But we should be very fired up too considering what's at stake and lets not forget they beat us earlier on in the season and that defeat still hurts now if i am honest. I will go for a fax win 26-10.

While most neutral observers would probably expect a Fax win, particularly in view of Bulls half-back problems- our half backs- whoever they turn out to be - need to really take this opportunity to dictate play as, after a very impressive spell they've definitely gone off the boil. Unfortunately couldn't make Sheffield game, where I would guess Barber was used as a back up second row - but assuming he's fully fit would like to see him back in the centres.

Bradford to sneak this one for me

With the departure of Gad the Fax pack are significantly weaker in the impact department and Sheffield won more of the collision on Sunday and I expect a big test against the Bradford middle this weekend.
Our D will have to be back to the levels set prior to the Eagles game.
Despite the Bulls having both of their own halves missing Joe Keyes is better than either of them IMHO so I don’t see that as a weak area for them.
A few selection questions for SG this week.
Hope I’m wrong, Bulls by 6 to 8 points.

Keys can't play due to concussion therefore at the moment Bulls have exactly no halves

Well I did say without knowing the teams so a meaningful shift in our favour.
On the other hand this weeks press strongly suggested Borough would be back with us this week but he has been named in tonight’s Wigan team.

Don’t know what you were reading but Lam stated Borough was staying at Wigan until at least next midweek...Ignore the halves debate,the Bradford game will be won up front and I’m not convinced we are good enough there.Hope I’m wrong but will give us a gauge of what we need moving forward if we are to compete with the unbeatens.

I was reading Rugby Leaguer & Rugby League Express page 11.
Quote. “Halifax expect to have on loan hooker Amir Burroughs back from Wigan after he was recalled by the club after a spate of injuries.”
Blah blah blah.
Grix explaining “Amir is a local product on his way up in the game. Circumstances dictate he needs somewhere to continue his development.” Blah blah.
Wigan assistant coach Mike Peet said. “We feel this is the perfect opportunity for Amir to develop his game and monitor his progress.” Blah blah.Wigan will retain a recall option.
Anyway the game is often decided in the middle and as you say another good test / marker but the platform they build will have less effect without any decent halves.

Bourough played five minutes for Wigan last night , what’s the point , the article below seems to indicate that the loan system works for both clubs , bourough comes on for 5 minutes in a game where Wigan needed three scores to win , a season long loan should be a season long loan not this duel reg in disguise debacle https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.manche ... 200985.amp

Bourough played five minutes for Wigan last night , what’s the point , the article below seems to indicate that the loan system works for both clubs , bourough comes on for 5 minutes in a game where Wigan needed three scores to win , a season long loan should be a season long loan not this duel reg in disguise debacle https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.manche ... 200985.amp

Quote ="Listenup94"Bourough played five minutes for Wigan last night , what’s the point , the article below seems to indicate that the loan system works for both clubs , bourough comes on for 5 minutes in a game where Wigan needed three scores to win , a season long loan should be a season long loan not this duel reg in disguise debacle https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.manche ... 200985.amp'" This says it all. The game is heading towards having feeder clubs and if Fax ever become one it will be amateur rugby league for me.

Quote ="Listenup94"Bourough played five minutes for Wigan last night , what’s the point , the article below seems to indicate that the loan system works for both clubs , bourough comes on for 5 minutes in a game where Wigan needed three scores to win , a season long loan should be a season long loan not this duel reg in disguise debacle https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.manche ... 200985.amp'" This says it all. The game is heading towards having feeder clubs and if Fax ever become one it will be amateur rugby league for me.

The 1st Bradford game has to be our worst performance of the season and that included Oldham and Toulouse. We played well for 10 minutes, should have had the game won by half time and then literally threw it away by the end of the game. That hurt because I thought Bradford looked very avaerage. To be fair to them since then they have done really well and Sunday will be a tough test. As mentioned above Bradford are a big side and will come and try and bully us down the middle an area where we lack any real size. Our strengths though are that we are mobile and we need to try and move the big Bradford team around the park. Hopefully our pitch been nearly twice as wide as the Bradford one we can use to our advantage.

I would think on a proper pitch and with Bradford's half back situation Fax ought to win this weekend. Bradford's coaches/players/fans all seem to think they should have beaten Fev this weekend but that was a weaker Fev team than the one that won at Fax, and was effectively running with a 2-man bench after half back Spence had to replace Doyle on the wing. The players were backing up from a torrid game in hot weather the week before, and had had no proper training sessions for 2 weeks, whereas Bradford hadn't had a game for a fortnight, they will never get a better chance of beating us than that.

Don't be fooled by the 'big pack' syndrome. For me, Bulls have a few questionable forwards who can easily be arent the most mobile; Crossley, Fleming, Walker. If Moore and Davies go early at them, make them work we will score plenty of points I think. Watching the highlights from the weekend, 4 of Fev's tries came from quick work around the rook or having support play straight out of dummy half. I'd bring Calcott back in this week. He gets his nose through the line just as much as Springer and with a decent offload.

Whilst I agree we should have beaten you, and had a great opportunity for the reasons mentioned, we were also missing our starting 6,7 and 9.

I fully expect a Fax victory this week however. Great form, maybe smarting a little from throwing away a 14 point lead at Dewsbury and we've no half backs.

Yes when playing against BIG forwards ask questions of their fitness, work them hard and use our mobility is a tactic often employed.
I wasn't so much worried about their BIG pack more about our own missing the go forward of Springer and Burough based on our most recent games without them, against Haven and Eagles where we were less dominant and Calcott is not in the 21 for this week.

There's probably two evenly matched teams here and I honestly believe the difference at Dewsbury was the ref. Aye we should have won after he had us well in front at one stage with the penalty count, we should have held onto our lead, we should have gone for the one pointer but the big decisions went the bulls way. Two trys from forward passes, the one to the winger was so obvious, did us in the end and we lost by a point. It will be tight again and could come down to the team as makes least mistakes, hopefully that's Fax. I'll go for Fax 24v12 bulls. Up The Fax!

Can only think Calcott is injured as he's definitely been one of our better forwards - without him, Hewitt and Springer from earlier in the season no idea why Jones can't at least get in the squad now he's proved his fitness playing at Hunslet. Don't normally like to criticise the club but the lack of information behind squad selection is frustrating

I agree about jones we are down to the bare bones in the forwards he as played a handful of games for hunslet but hasn't played in there last couple of games so i would of liked to see him given a go. As for the team this week i would pick. woodburnhall, saltonstall, barber, worthington, rawsthorne, harris, robinson, murray, moore, larroyer, garside, tangata, fairbank, subs, morris, kavanagh, curtis davies, grix, I would play tangata at right-side second row this week with kavanagh playing in the middle and garside left side second row. Hopefully this would help sure up our right side defence from last week which was pretty weak and also give us some punch on that side that we have lacked since hewitt left. And kavanagh as got good footwork which could come in useful against a big pack.Add to that barber at centre should help also.

calcott in isolation. jones and rawsthorne are coming back from injury

...and bradford sign Jordan Baldwinson on a one match loan from York. You couldn't make it up.

Ordinarily you'd think you could just about muddle through with no half-backs but from experience we look pretty awful. It's not just that we don't have anyone steering us around the field, its also that we move people out of position to cover the 6 and 7. For example playing Pickersgill at 6 is not only providing a pretty ineffective stand-off, it's also taking away his attacking threat from fullback.

If you lose this you should be heartily peed off. Surely we're there for the taking so I'd say 30-4 to Fax.

Lilley named in the Bulls squad. For anyone who has had fractured ribs you know that they don't heal in 3 weeks so I really can't see him playing and they have named him to keep us guessing or we get to him when we have the ball because hes going to be in some pain trying to tackle.

Agree and I said something similar on the Bradford board. Seems a big risk to rush Lilley back.

Lilley will be expected to do everything on Sunday which is hard enough without painting a big bullseye on his ribs

You might think this is laughable, but we (Fev) are loaning 2 Wembley heroes (youngsters) to our nearest n dearest (C*s) for the week so they can get their game on this weekend.

Personally I’m okay with these short term loans if it means clubs are able to get games on (though I wish it wasn’t C*s) since It’ll give our players game time (if they play) and at least keeps the league moving forwards in what has been a difficult year.

Totally disagree mate, yet again it brings the game into disrepute. bradford have no shortage of forwards and moves like these just give folk another stick to beat our game with.

Happy Yorkshire Day!