We were OK. As were Leeds. Pretty much a contest between too mediocre teams to be honest with very little to inspire either sets of fans! I don't think I've ever heard so many fans from both teams telling their players to get a grip! I also can't remember when I last saw Leeds play such a condensed game rather than getting the ball out to their backs.

We're lacking that killer touch but I see no reason why that won't come. I think you have to look at it in perspective - the Leeds team has been built over a number of years and has players in it such as Sinfield, Burrow and Webb who are regarded as being world class and capable of winning games pretty much on their own; we had a team that was almost completely overhauled in the off season with players who haven't played together or even in SL being put into a team and expected to be able to compete and have and understanding that just does not happen overnight yet we held our own and never looked outclassed. I understand and agree that we seem to lack that creative spark but I think it's more down to the fact that the understanding between the creative player(s) and those who reap the rewards isn't their yet and that makes the difference between a stunning pass or kick that rips the defence apart and a pass that your receiving player wasn't understanding and a knock on. One of the key issues this season has been the handling errors that probably come from trying to think rather than playing on instinct, forcing passes when they're just not on - tonight I thought we looked a lot tighter on that and more able and willing to gring out a set of six and clear the ball rather than trying a hollywood pass in every set.

In the end the experience of the Leeds team beat us rather than us being outplayed. Disappointed with the result but a definate improvement on last week but god help both teams when they play the 'top' teams as I don't think either are at that level at the moment.

Disappointed in defeat after another great start to a game, as with the Salford game we were the best team for 15/20 mins. We looked shattered towards the end of the first half when Leeds pegged it back. and instead of going in 12-0 up we went in 12-10 up. We came out second half and again we did the same as the first. Leeds kicked up a gear and we were too shattered to follow them and we were caught short on the Right twice (Which is a shame as Platty is normally so solid, can only blame match fitness).

I thought the pack as a whole played well, Elima and Koppy especially with a BIG shout to Burgess, he got nothing but rave reviews from Rhinos fans i went with.

If the news about Kearney is true and he has a broken hand it gives us a chance to work on the Briggs/Herbert combination. Herbert again showed some nice touches and has the potential to kick on to better things.

Bulls tried the same tactics that beat Cas & it nearly paid off. As Sinfield recognised early on, you have no-one who you expect to go 50m, never mind 100m, especially with Ainscough dropped. Ah Van had his best game I have seen by a mile, Elima starting to look like the attacking force of 2 years ago. Problems at half back, while both decent players they are not your typical HBs. Herbert is a beautiful passer of the ball though.

Vast imporovement from last week, but once again, were getting ripped appart on the flanks. We always look like were playing with 12 men. We need to learn how to finish a game off, it's killing us. I thought Leeds were poor last night, and we gifted them a couple of easy tries. Ah Van was on fire in the first half, but i thought he was poor in the second half. Gareth Raynor is steady away, but doesnt really do much in attack, we have Shaun Ainscough, who if given the right service is one of the top attackers in Super League and can score from anywhere on the field. Overall i cant really complain as it was 100 times better than the dross we played at Salford. Brett Kearney once again MOM for me.

I am feed up with people saying “we are a work in progress” and “we need time to gel” exactly how long to we need to gel, 23 games! How long are we going to be a work in progress, we may have played 100% better than last but the fact is we are losing too many games and the next 4 points are not likely to come our way. We could be sitting 12th position after the Easter fixtures not a position I a relishing
I am so frustrated AHHHHHHHHH I am without a doubt a very loyal Bulls fan, somebody say something to cheer me up???? (Something constructive that is)

It's a nice day, the sun is shining. Be grateful for the little things that make life special.

However, the Bulls under MP ARE a work in progress. The players DO need time to gel. It's going to be a frustrating season for the fans, but Rome was not built in a day. There's 4 years of bad habits and poor practices that MP and his team have to exorcise from the team. There are combinations and set plays that need to be learned and perfected. Given that I believe this was another change round of the team this week which makes it, I think, 9 different teams that have taken the field this year? Now, I've no problem with squad rotation, it's a sensible tactic and means players can be rested so they don't burn out half way through the year. However given our injuries so far this year, we're having to do more shifting round and that is a disruption on getting the team playing as a coherent unit.

But, in the short term, there are two things I'd like to see MP implement:

1: A kicking game. We haven't got one and I'm told they're very useful for winning games.
2: An end to the idea that players MUST score on every tackle. You've got a set of 6 lads, so feel free to hold on to the ball rather than madly try to lob it at another player like it's a diseased chicken

Does anyone else think that Kearney's tackle on Webb was world class?

If rob burrow is world class I'm a monkeys uncle!

Agreed! He's no where near the player he once was!

Thanks i feel........ a bit better but im not sure how long it will last

I never really thought we would win this one, but I did believe we would put the effort in and that's what we did.

It's just a pity we didn't put the same effort in last week, that was a game I did expect us to win...

That is another worry too, how come they can only raise themselves to play the "big" teams. With half of yesterday's effort they would have made a game of it at Salford, yet they didn't look bothered. Why? Because it was "only" Salford?

That's what I'm thinking too. It's almost as if the effort is put in when we play teams above us, yet those underneath we appear to play down.

Although this is a tongue in cheek comment.......

.....If that's the mentality, (which I'm sure it isn't) it won't be long before we're at the bottom, and all the teams we play will be above us, so fingers crossed

In reality we haven't had the same team play together week to week. For example centre/wing partnerships keep changing and low and behold thats one area where we aren't gelling. Its why I don't think we should change the team for the Fax game.

Its frustrating but this season is going to be all about building for next year. The team that was winning everything years back was a work in progress for what - 3, 4 seasons before that?

Somebody else made a good point about them being at the stage of not playing instinctively and so we are abit slower. Saw that with Chev and Raynor last night when Chev got the ball in our 20 with Raynor in space and he hesitated and didn't make the pass. Got to hope that in future that would have been straight out without thinking.

I'm not as disappointed this morning as I thought I would. We played well and hopefully they can kick on for the Catalan game. Still need someone bossing things in the backs, no direction sometimes especially on the last.

I think we just need to face the fact that this season won't work out well for us and neither will the next if we don't recruit properly. Last night was a better effort than Salford yes, but both teams were very very average. It's sad that not that long ago a game between Bradford and Leeds would have been the best match in the whole of Superleague.

I can accept this team is a "work in progress", but I think our youngters are not anywhere near the standard I think we have been led to believe.

I just feel deflated after last night. We don't look fit enough and lack the ability to kill off a game and come from behind to win. not good enough.

I like our youngsters but at the moment they contribute virtually nothing to 1-7.

Hasn't that been the case for years. Especially In terms of real quality.

Where's this legacy of youth SM left?

Fact that we've got virtually nobody to step in speaks volumes of Maccas legacy.

Loads of Props/Second Rowers and Loose Forwards but no Centres or Wingers. Crookes and Finigan are okay but not good enough yet.

I wanted to see a big improvement after last week and I did. Performance was pleasing but disappointed with the result.

Need to get 2 points on monday though. Desperately.

Is this a problem created because our last couple of head coaches are ex forwards and maybe concentrate more on bringing forwards through the system?

IMO, the problem runs much deeper, possibly to junior level. Big lads are automatically assumed to be forwards and are sent to the pack leaving the small guys in the backs, when in reality they could be blockbusting threequarters. IMO it's important to have big strong fast backs, and levels all across English RL should concentrate on trying to develop some big, fast, strong and skillful backs instead of thinking all big guys are slow and little guys are fast.

I dont really watch much rugby at junior level, but from what I see of the mini games at half time the game at junior level consists of the biggest lad in the team just runs through everyone. I appreciate bit of a outside comment, but from what I see it just seems all about size.

I wonder if inglis was born in england if he would be a centre still or in the pack.

Theres plenty of quality backs coming through, just not at Bradford. Jones-Bishop, Lomax, Foster, Charnley, Briscoe, Watkins, Evans, they look the part so far, let's just hope they continue to, for the sake of England and Super League.

gutted about the result. Leeds didn't even have to break out much magic to beat us. We seemed to take our foot off the gas and got punished. I thought Kopczak looked great and was a bit concerned that our forwards are mis timing runs quite often. we seemed to be receiving the ball stood still and that's never going to gain loads of meters.

McShane for Leeds seemed to be their gamebreaker. A pain in the Bulls bum and they looked much better when he was on the pitch than Buderus.