Hi everybody, what are we expecting this week from the Bulls and who do you think the team should be?

I'm expecting us to bounce back from a bad defeat at home on Sunday and show we still have some passion and fight left in us. Hopefully we can win the game this weekend, but that might not be the case, but we've got to show some heart, guts and determination and not let Leeds bully us out of the game. If we can do that like we did earlier on in the season then we are easily in with a chance of winning the game.

Hopefully Macca gets the selection righht this weekend, but this is the team that I would like to see line up this weekend.

Halley. Sheriffe. Sykes. Nero. Tadulala. Jeffries. Deacon. Lynch. Newton. Kopczak. Burgess. Whitehead. Menzies. Subs. Scruton. Worrincy. Cook. Rinaldi/Olbison

My team for the Leeds game would be: picking on form and fitness: IMO.
Halley
Tadulala
Nero
Sykes (if fit)
Sheriffe
Jeffries (gone off as late but still the best option)
Deacon (actually played well in first half against saints)
Lynch
Newton
Scruton (excellent against saints)
Menzies
Langley
Burgess

Subs: Kopzcack, Worrincey, Cook, Rinaldi (if fit)

Looks a fairly decent team, obviously a big loss losing Morrison unless he makes a miraculous recovery!

Sorry?? Ben Jeffries gone off as late - what game do you watch??

I think Whitehead should at least retain his place in the team after 2 good performances. Langley for me would be given a week off.

I'd go with Sykes and Jeffries personally. Okay, Deacon had a decent first half but it's becoming the norm for him to be poor.

Think we can definitely give them a game.

Halley
Sheriffe
Sykes
Nero
Tadulala
Jeffries
Deacon
Lynch
Newton
Scruton
Menzies
Burgess
Langley

Kopzcak
Worrincy
Whitehead
Platt

Is Wagga back and will Rinaldi be available?

If we were going to drop Langley i'd put Burgess at LF instead of Menzies. The only other thing i'd question would be not giving Scruton a starting spot, it was his best game against Saints! Let it continue.

Not sure where Burgess started on Sunday, was it second or loose?
Menzies gets around the field more than Burgess though, he's a fair bit more mobile than Burgess aswell. For that reason I'd play him there.

Scruton, I didn't think he was that good against Saints, and on the whole he's been a bit of a let down for me up to date.

doubt it - just came through from bulls he got a cracked rib and will be out for a while

wagga due to play against reserves at headingley and rinaldi definitely out for this week at least.

Darn.

Darn again.

Salford away - was terrible.
wakefield home - Steady
Warrington away - didnt see
Saints home - poor

I'm a fan of Jeffries but he has been inconsistent of late. Personally i think his best position is scrum half.

Morrisons out for 4-6 weeks with a cracked rib..

Does anybody know if this drop in form coincided with Deacs return to the team.?

deacon returned at wakey in edinburgh so pretty much it does correspond with bj switching back to standoff.

On T&A It says that Wagga may play in the reserves against the Whinos. Now, if Rinaldi is unavailable then it can't hurt having Wagga on the bench, just to give Newton a bit of rest.

Halley
Sheriffe
Sykes
Nero
Tadulala
Jeffries
Deacon
Lynch
Newton
Scruton
Menzies
Worrincy
Burgess

Langley
Kopzcak
Whitehead
Wagga

so you want him to play in reserves then sit on bench just in case we need him? surely it'd be more sensible to not play him in reserves and put him on bench but only use him if really necessary. Although I hope we resist temptation to rush him back if he isnt 100%.
Whats going on with cook? he didnt seem to be in bad enough form to warrant dropping and played for reserves so cant be injured ( unless he picked up a knock in sts reserves match - havent seen a match report yet)

I guess that with Morrison back in the team and Whitehead breaking through these last couple of games he's just not been selected. I also suspect his services won't be retained come the end of the year and so Macca would rather give Whitehead the game time.

thats pretty much what I was thinking. shame to see him go but he's never really lived up to hype when we signed him.

how are we going for homegrown players next - we need to have 7 in squad.

so far can think of

halley
langley
burgess
deacon
kopczak
sykes if retained
james if retained
cook if retained

plus academy lads promoted to first team.
If we dont retain at least one of last three we may struggle a bit. Is their any rule about how many first team games players have to play to count towards homegrown quota? or can we just name a few academy players in 1st team squad and not use them?

Elliott Whitehed, James Donaldson, Tom Oblinson, kieren Hyde, Steve Crossley and Andy Tate are already classed as first team

I know but do they have to make a minimum number of appearances to count towards quota? If not whats to stop every club naming 7 academy kids in 1st team squad with no intention of them actually playing.

The fact that if you leave your first team squad 7 men short you'll just end up being decimated by injuries?

is the game on sky

Nope, so youll have to get your ticket.