I'm pretty sure Macca has his own opinion and likes to do things his own way, and maybe that's why we've had the worst season in the whole of history last season. Most of the time his opinion is different to mine.



I don't think he does to be honest, but there is little he can do, is there? Who's available for him to sign without offering a transfer fee and if that does happen, what if the transfer fee is not accepted? What do you suggest? Personally I think from within the club at the moment, a Sykes/Deacon combo is the best option. And there's evidence to suggest that it works aswell with us winning 4 games with the combo at the back end of 09.



Hey, I'm not a Deacon fan, R Kid. But I think HB's are the least of our worries the pack is far more of a concern. Take a look at Huddersfield for example, the crappest HB's in SL in Brown and Robinson, yet because they were playing behind a pack that got the better of their opposites most weeks last season, they could pretty much do whatever they wanted. Where as our's couldn't because our's didn't muscle up until 5 games into the season, and then when they decided they were going to, they went on their best run and the not so great HB's in Sykes/Deacon, could do pretty much whatever they pleased.

Burgess is a big loss. Morrison less so because he has hardly played.

Replacing Newton with just about any other hooker makes us stronger.

Right.



Right.



Wrong.

I said the same thing red, reckon he'd squeak in the top 5-8 but that's pushing it. Still I'd be happy to have him in our second row and he'd be a decent signing.

If Watmough is only a 'decent' signing then what constitutes a top quality signing? If we signed Watmough, personally I'd be very happy indeed if we signed him!

I'll avoid discussing the Hudds pack, because I would hate for this thread to devolve into another flame war between Bradford and Huddersfield, I had more than enough of that in the other one that got closed!

Funny how Hudds did look strong throughout the campaign and going into the playoffs, but ever since Kevin Brown picked up an injury, they looked positively merde. And where does Kevin Brown play? That's right, in the halves.

Another example could be Castleford. Without being too disrespectful to Cas, our forwards are arguably better than theirs. In the two super league games we played against them we were not beaten up front. The reason we lost is because Mr Chase rang rings around us in both occasions. Castleford got into the playoffs at our expense because they have better halves, it's as simple as that as far as I'm concerned.

As far as suggestions go, I'll admit I'm not completely up to scratch on who is 'available' so to speak, but if recent weeks have proven anything, with the likes of Myler, Atkins and now Burgess switching clubs mid-contract, it's that money talks. And now we have some. I just hope we put it to good use.

The trouble is that Watmough would address none of our problem area's in the team.

I agree we have more crucial area's to strengthen but if the opportunity arose to sign a high quality individual like Watmough then I'd hope we'd be interested. Our back row lacks experience and quality if we intend playing Hall at Prop as was suggested by McNamara.

We don't have to discuss the Huddersfield pack as such, only that they got their team going forward so that their HB's(as crap as they are) could get the ball out effectivley to their three quarters. I don't think it's funny how Huddersfield looked so strong throughout the year, their pack has played well and muscled up for them, smashing most teams throughout the year. Kevin Brown isn't that good to make a difference and they got beat, the last 2 weeks because their forwards have been outmuscled and not because Brown wasn't playing.

Again, we don't have to be disrestpectful to Cas, and on paper even the most black and amber eyed Cas fan would'n't argue that the Bulls had the better pack in 2009 'arguably'. But in reality, as it happened, we didn't and it's proven by our inability to dominate teams, grind them down and not have them in the game. The only reason Chase ran round rings around us is because his forwards had given him the opportunity to do so.

Alright, so you haven't got any suggestions to what Macca should do, fair do's.

My son, I always live in hope of redemption of those who have strayed from the true path; and feel it is my duty to give support when there is the barest hint that the wayward may at last have trodden the road to Damascus.

Sadly, one is all-too-frequently disappointed to observe that any hint of redemption in one place is offset by a corresponding fall from grace in another. One fears the fall was inevitable, but can take solace from having at least tried to encourage those who have lost their way back onto the straight path.

And of course what may have seemed to be the Road to Damascus proved anyway to be, once again, the highway to hell.

And since, after all, he hasn't gone away, you know...

Red is right to point out the deficiencies in defence. Most notably our right side which leaked tries all year until Sykes was moved into the halves at least. With Platt or Crookes there it's still very vulnerable.

As for the pack it is much weaker without Morrison, Solomona, Cook, Newton and Burgess but hopefully L'Strange and Hall should plug some gaps. We're pinning a lot on the kids if we don't bring in another forward though. Are Whitehead, Donaldson and Olbison good enough and durable enough to play a full season covering for our losses?

At halfback we must sign someone else as cover at least (though not Hemmingway who's obviously not good enough and no better than Wardle). We can't play a full season with Sykes and Deacon, one is bound to get injured. If it's Deacon (and that's v likely looking at his record) we'll not have a recognised halfback at the club of any description apart from the untried academy lads.

I think we need a 1st choice Halfback recruiting nevermind a back up. The one thing that utterly depresses me is the thought of Sykes and Deacon as our starting halfbacks. Dull dull dull...

Yes, well perhaps decent doesn't do such a prospect justice! I would very much hope we sign someone of his quality, and he is definitely one of the top forwards in the world. I would also hope that we can manage a decent halfback and a centre, but I'm not banking on it.

I'd be quite happy with Whatmough, Moi Moi, Orford and Lyon

The main problem, and identified by many is the fact that there appears to be a lack of quality players available. Even with the squad remaining we will almost certainly have Crookes unavailable for the start of the season, making it imperative that we do make some signings. I don't see Newton as a major loss, where was he when we started our winning run at the end of the season?
We have money available and I hope we use it wisely, with two good signings from Australia, and hope one or two good home players become available.

Well hopefully the club will make available to cash from Burgess to spend on players. Quite what we will get for our money I'm not sure but this years recruitment HAS to be spot on. We need to get back to the days when we only made a few changes to the squad each year. We already know that our 2010 squad will look vastly different to this years. We could do with a good start to 2010 and that will be difficult with so many new faces to gel together.

and he's reverting to form on all boards rapidly

Blimey. If I had said that I would have come under hasty fire from some on here.

There was a journo, a lawyer and an accountant........

[url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/4658060.Bulls_won_t_be_bullied_into_making_big_name_buy/Bulls won't be bullied into superstar replacement[/url

I just hope the 'two in the pipeline' are quality players. This article didn't exactly fill me with any optimism! If the club are genuinely expecting to be challenging for the play offs then it is the very least we need. At present we're years away from being able to compete with the top teams.

Completely agree. That to me reads "prepare to be disappointed with our squad next year".

Or perhaps we're already tied into deals with two NRL players. It will be interesting to see what happens to the cash from the Burgess deal. I can't think of many.. if any good quality SL players who are still out of contract for next year. So are we prepared to target players under contract?

I think that's probably our only option.

The only thing we'll have on a few clubs is that we can probably offer the targeted player a bigger salary as we've loads of room at present due to having half a squad!

A lot of clubs won't have the same level of turnover we're having so may only be able to offer an incremental rise to the player we target.

The two guys from the NRL - Kearney / Walker (if indeed it is them) will hopefully be confirmed soon. Pick up one or two players to bolster the squad who are out of contract and then target one player from another side in a position we need to address, be that prop, half back or centre being the likely areas.

Might not exactly be what we wanted but if we get the "squad players" on short term deals i.e. 1 year, we put the onus on them to prove they are worth a longer deal - it's worked in the past - James Evans was a player most would have thought was absolute garbage before he signed, but he proved to be a great squad player.

Gone are the days of having 1-17 of international players, with a few on the side.

Didn't know we were in for Deleney! Is Hood just offering all these players the minimum wage?

What about Jodie Broughton? Currently in talks with Leeds apparently but with Hall and Old McDonald they surely won't be able to keep him???

A good buy IMO!

At the moment i have less optimism by the day for next season.

I'm fully expecting the squad to be worse than this years and this years wasn't even playoff worthy.

Just all seems a bit pi$$ poor from the Bulls lately even if hands are tied. I didn't expect such an exodus of players.

If we really have signed Walker and Kearney surely we'll be announcing them as soon as possible? The longer we go without hearing anything the more I fear that those deals have fallen through. News that Tadulala is next to go is yet another blow.

Today's stories in the T&A do nothing to encourage me to look forward to 2010 at all. Is there no positive spin or reasons to be cheerful at all? We've only had negative news from the club in the past few months, coming on top of a poor season it just makes things worse.

We obviously have space under the cap for at least three top players. I'm beginning to wonder though if the club have the cashflow to actually pay for those players and the reason we haven't signed anyone is that we just can't afford it.

If that's the case I fear the worst.

The same thought has crossed my mind.

Perhaps we should declare financial difficulty to the RFL and ask them to give us a big hand out like Celtic?