Just looking at your next five fixtures, and (at the way your playing currently) can only see one game where you will probably win - Salford:

Cas (H)
Salford (A)
Wigan (H)
Wire (A)
Hull (A)

What the hell is going on? You've made some decent signings but seem to have gone backwards even from last season?

Exactly what i'm thinking.

Thought we played pretty well for the first 10 minutes then some dodgy decisions from Bentham gave them some momentum. After that though the capitulation was shocking.

There has been some criticism of the half backs and tbh I'm not too concerned about Orford, I think he will come good. I'm not sure about Kearney at stand off though, I never was. I was partially pacified when I saw him pre season but I don't see it. We were all talking during the game and I think he needs to on the end of some the balls that are hitting the three quarters not acting as a pivot. I think he good be a dangerous runner but his kicking was dreadful and distribution was poor.....but what are the options to replace?

Forgive me for criticising home grown talent but when the ball goes to Halley - it dies. He runs the ball up with gusto ( he may even be one of the best kick returners in SL) but the second phase move in the opposition red zone is pedestrian and predictable. I'd be tempted to try Reardon at full back and move Halley back to the wing (where he was successful with Wakefield). Please don't get me wrong on this section. I know he contributed but I question the way we use him sometimes

Sykes, one good move today that's about it

Worrincy - must have had his last chance. A bad rugby league player

Scruton however was immense, took the ball up well and put some thunderous hits in - one of his best ever games for us. Sheriffe also continued with the improved form. Menzies was a massive improvement on the giants game and looked like a strike option outwide until he was err subbed?? I do think that some of the aussies (orford and menzies) sometimes do things that are too quick for those around them and come off as mistakes. Although Orfords homage to Iestyn ( I thought that at the time Paul) were definetely for the end of year howler reel

Hall had a better game but was subbed as he looked to be getting into his stride. And I don't think having Le Strange and Godwin on at the same time works like we used to Tez and Hendo a few seasons back.

This gelling process needs to come to fruition as it looks like everyone else has done it and we're getting left behind.

The worst thing that happened today from teh club's point of view is that, having sent the dwindling fans home cursing and disillusioned so many home games last year, some will have come back for a brand new year with revived hopes and what - again, not only do we lose - that's not the point, anyone can lose against Saints - no, we perform in such a way as to make everyone go home really fed up and cursing.

What is it with us - we seem determined never to put in anything at home, and even with a largely new staff, we contrive to pis=#FFFFFF[size=50.[/sizes the home fans off no less than if that was the main game plan.

I did tell ya mate but you think I'm just trollin, when I just call it how I see it.

It won't make anyone feel better but here's another McNamara mistake - Glenn Morrison. The guy's playing out of his skin at Wakefield. Yes I know about the injuries but then in true Bradford style we used him as a battering ram. They're giving him space to run down the flanks and he's busting loose. An early contender for Man-Of-Steel. Glenn Hall ain't fit to lace his boots.

It confirms what we already knew, our style of play is so out of date. Five up the middle and a kick. Rubbish.

I hope this is the week McNamara suffers a serious bout of amnesia and has to learn a different way of coaching. If not I do think the curtain will fall at Easter time. I predict weekend of April 17, Challenge Cup Round Four - when we're humbled by a National League One side. Probably Halifax.

I went as a neutral today and have to say that I could not believe how poor you were today, your style of play just does not work, your whole attacking forrmula is the inside ball or barge your way over, anything else attempted is a dropped ball, sorry to say but you are totally clueless near the line and Saints seemed to get bored in the second half and thought they would show you how to do it with 3 attacks and 3 try's. Your coach really needs to step down now and he seems in cloud cuckoo land with these statements after the game......

"There were a lot of things that looked rusty. It wasn't a great performance at all. Maybe it was part of a process we need to go through as a group to get to where we want to get to."

"We weren't at the races. We expected to perform better but there were obviously reasons for that and we need to rectify that."

"I'd like to think we'll sit here in five days' time with a different situation. We'll be strong and stay together, but quite possibly in the long run this process will make us a better team."

How playing like that is part of a process to making you a better team only he knows!!

Got to admit having slept on it I feel a lot better about that performance than the Warrington match last year. Or the Castleford collapse away last year. That was sickening.

What I can't understand was how Leon Pryce seemed to have so much time on the ball. At the time I was convinced it was the ref but being honest we really haven't defended well in the first two matches.

Still we look a lot better in attack just too lightweight and a bit too nice (if you see what I mean) in defence. I think Scruton attempted a big hit but that was about it yesterday. Also the champions have lost their first two rounds too. I bet they beat Crusaders in round 4. It's not how you play in February it's how you played from August onwards that counts. Teams like Wakefield etc are coached to hit the ground running because they know they need to get all the points while they can. Kear has taken this approach for years. Should we be doing the same nowadays? I can't see us being Grand Final material.

Now I've had a decent nights sleep I'm going to say something that will make me pretty unpopular. I don't care about yesterday. It's not really a problem. To me what's most important is how they respond. Friday against Cas it's what counts IMO.

I'm going to give you my opinion on the back line though I think they should line up like this:

1. Kearney
2. Sheriffe
3. Reardon.
4. Nero
5. Halley
6. Sykes
7. Orford

I really don't how Macca can re-arrange the team any more to make it work. We could try Kearney at full-back, but Halley has done nothing wrong to lose his place there.
Sykes is not a centre, I suppose we could pout him at stand off.
Reardon for me is not winger or a centre could he be tried at stand off ?
L'estrange offers no more than Wagga two vitually identical hookers why ????
The forwards were average yesterday. Worrincey was ineffective. However, Scruton did stand out and deserved to be recognised.
Ox tried, but how many times was the ball passed behind players ? I think he was expecting the line to be deeper, which I agree it should have been.
And, lastly I'm sorry Sheriffe, not good enough, the high bomb he let bounce near the end summed up the teams entire lack of commitment.

Jeffries had another blinder yesterday by all accounts, Wakey's pace at HB is frightening. But Solomona is out injured again, so you never know.

Its three games in. I don't think anyone wanted rid of Morrison, he is a class act. But he might yet get injured and be out for a long time. Or he might not. You can't blame Macnamara for making that call. If Morrison ends up missing half the season (again) through injury, it was a good decision. If he doesn't then it wasn't.

No, it was probably THE worst recruitment decision since certainly the SL era began, we had a gem in Morrison - albeit one who had some awful luck with injuries - but he is a class act and, much more to the point, a genuine leader of men, something in very short supply. I said at the time it was a stupid, stupid decision. The argument that Morrison was "injury prone" was always bollox, utter, total, and complete bollox. More bollox than the Great Yorkshire Show prize bull. He has never been "injury prone" in his career, and it is annoying that people can't distinguish between being "injury prone" and being unlucky enough to suffer some really horrible but proper injuries.

Missing half the season through a succession of hamstring tears and pull is being injury prone. Breaking your fscking wrist just, well, ISN'T.

Sitting on the fence again. Tsch.

Since moving to Bicester, it's 2 years since I've been to Odsal. So I was really looking forward to the day even though it would be a 7 hour 350 mile round trip. It was great to be back, but they've not got a clue still.

We had a poor game what make it worse is that it was the first home game of the season so all the fickle fans will be of a mind set of “not paying to watch that again”


I believe the players were trying of course they were it’s only the start of the season, St’s had a good defence and we do not have enough plays to cross the line, there were some poor referring decisions which cost us dearly and the breaks that were made by us were followed by poor follow-up and decisions by the players. Our defence was shocking and any team that gets close to our line looks like scoring but we don’t look anything like scoring at the other end.

If Steve Mac cant turn things around soon he will be gone by the end of April, I will give it that long.

I will be at the match on Friday so COOOOOOM on you BULLS



PS i never wanted to get rid of MORROW

Hey, don't rant at me. I have never once agreed with the decision to let him go. It was stupid and will come back to haunt us. But he did spend a lot of time injured, through the fact that he always gave 100 percent. Something we are badly lacking. I would still take Morrison for half the games over some of the wasters we saw yesterday. My only point is that if, and its an if, Morrison spends half the season injured at Wakefield, then its not such a bad call. Its still absolutely gutting to see him in Wakefield shirt though.
He gave my daughter an autograph tht other day though and wrote Come on you Bulls under his name. So his heart is still with us! [size=50(Nothing to do with the fact she had her Morrison 12 Bulls shirt on obviously...)[/size

As one of those home fans I can only agree. I really didn't enjoy yesterday and don't fancy paying £18 to see it happen again on Friday and have to question why I put myself through it. I know that the 5 people in my group won't be at the Cas game for sure. One has specifically not got a season ticket this year so they could pick and choose games rather than have to endure our awful home performances again.

I think most of it has been covered.

We were awful, that's simple. It wasn't the ref or the linesmen's fault, it was ours.

Points of particular concern for me:

1. The crowd. First home game, one of our biggest rivals, new signings playing there first home game, etc etc and yet we pull a shade over 10k. This game 10 years ago (no being on sky) would have pulled 17-18k? I'd guess.

2. Goal line defence. We built pressure in there end with repeat sets and don't score. The first sniff they get up at our end and they pretty much "fell" over the try line.

3. The lack of creativity. The 17 on paper looks pretty damn good (although 2/3 players short of where we'd ideally be). We have one of the best 7's around, yet we never even look like scoring. (I think I'd create more!)

4. The lack of hunger. Especially in defence. Watching other teams go out there, I wonder what is being said to (de) motivate our guys!

5. School boy errors. Some of it's under 11 stuff. Whether you've gelled or not, given the money these guys are being paid, they should be able to pass correctly, catch and keep hold of the ball better than we are.
This was a big difference in the sides yesterday. Saints passing was crisp and clinical. Ours, well wasn't.

6. The pitch. That can't be helping and while I'm having a moan, I may as well get that in!


Things need to turn around pretty damn quick for me. The players we have out there should be doig better, simple as. And as it stands I can only see one reason why they aren't. I hope to god he turns it around.

The pitch was good enough for Saints side that's a shadow of previous ones!

If I and many others can see we're stood too flat and players taking the ball stood still or after a 2m run up is utterly ineffective then surely the players can see it too? Saints had runners, options, ran onto the ball at speed and supported each other. All basic RL skills but seeminingly alien to our lot.

I sort of know where you're coming from, but I know you're a fan, and where will fans be (if at all possible) on Friday? You know it makes sense



Going back a few years I remember being stuffed by Wigan 71 - 10 in a cup match at Bolton, which was sort of an embarrassment (it was on national tv, after all) even though Wigan were the greatest side ever seen up to then. We played them again at Central Park about three weeks later in a match that Wigan needed to win to secure the championship, and IIRC we only took the one coach. I'm glad I went though 'cos we sort of got a moral victory by only losing by fifty odd points (ish). Which errm, sort of just shows that it's best to stick with your team. I think.

I'd like to be a fly-on-the-wall (as I'm sure everyone would) at training and for the dressing room team talks.

The culture seems too matey to me. You know how a lot of players always have great things to say about McNanamara, I wonder if he's too much of a chum? I'm willing to bet the air wasn't blue in that dressing room after the game yesterday when it should have been. I can imagine him walking in and saying, "well lads that was disappointing but we'll fix it up this week won't we?" with a few nodding heads and then away you go.

It's said there are two types of manager - popular and effective. I think in Steve we have the former (with the players not the fans obviously).

On the subject of game plan he doesn't know any different. Working as an assistant at Bradford he's become accustomed to biffing it up the middle and is obviously hoping that with a bit more discipline field position will come and we can somehow turn that to our advantage (perhaps relying too much on Orford to create something magical near the line).

Mmm, the more I think about it the more things make sense. Easter should be the turning point if there isn't a massive improvement soon.

I still have this feeling though that one time it's going to just come together and we're going to muller someone. It will probably be just one game but it might make us feel better.

I never!

No, you shouldn't kid yourself that everyone in the crowd is someone with some personal committment to the Bulls, what about those who are not committed followers, just people who have choices of how they are going to spend their "entertainments" budget?

I dont see how you can say the players are 'matey' with Macca just because they say good things in the press about him. What do you expect them to do? Slate the coach in local media?

Danny Sculthorpe...............