Yes it is. If they aren't proffessional enough to put in 100% then drop them. If that's the case I wouldn't even play them in the reserves but TBH I doubt any of the players leaving Bradford will want to bow out in the manner the team has been playing. I would think that their own personal pride would see them putting the effort in to win as many games as possible between now and the end of the season.

I fear that, unusually for you, on this one you are being a tad näive. Sometimes people forget that pride by itself does not put food on your family's table. Yes you would HOPE that they'd put in maximum effort, but with little for the club now to play for (as they'd likely see it) and with the club having already made it clear what they think of them, I suggest a bit of realism is in order?

I'm a bit more cynical than that, players who will no longer be playing for the Bulls next season, (as Adey elluded to) won't be very keen on picking up potentially serious injuries, also may or may not give 100% and as a result may get injured, but who would be a coach with descisions like this to make. In all honesty I think the fans who are left would not blame Mac one bit for not selecting departing players in favour of the youngsters

Tvf to Morro, his commens in the article suggest that he will continue to pu1 100% in, and with Morrison I think he's one of the ones who will try and do the best for the club up until his day of departure. If BJ is off, i'd play Hyde there although it does look like we're going to be stuck with Deacs aswell.

Like I said I would expect them to put in 100% level of effort if not they should be dropped. Nothing naive about it.

I agree with that sentiment. BJ has always seemed to give 100% so he should play until otherwise (unless injured) same with Morro. Newton, on the other hand, if he looks like he can't be ar$ed again then he should be dropped.

The suggestion of näivity related to expecting all such players to always give 100%, not to dropping them if they don't (which is a no-brainer). They are still getting paid regardless, of course.

A couple of games playing along side Morrison would probably be immensely helpful for Donaldson and Whitead.

The 2005 squad did ok after it was announced that various players would be leaving.

indeed. that's what I was thinking of. Jamie Peacock and Leon Pryce certainly did very well for us that year.

I agree with Maccbull_BigBullyBooaza here, I would not drop them just because they are moving on, fair enough if they stood out as under performing however I would also expect them all to give 100% for the remaining games they are all pro's and whilst they are still under contract (fair enough its only for another few months but still contracted never the less) should be performing to the best of their abilities and show a bit of respect to the fans and to try and leave on a high, if anything its in their best interest to show their future employers/team mates what there made of and that they are committed

I think the only reason you are suggesting naivity is because you know how to put those fancy dots over the a.

We were in a slightly different position that year though weren't we.

I thinks rotating the young lads and players leaving to strike a balance is probably the way to go!

Although I'm resigned to missing out on the playoffs, we still need to give ourselves the best chance of making them and that means playing our best players. But in my books we also have a duty to play our promising young stars that have shown they can hack it with the best. For me that means Morrow straight in providing he's fit and Worrincy out, but keeping our youngsters in the team aswell.

I'd be going with the following against Celtic if I was coach.

Halley. Sheriffe. Menzies. Nero. Tadulala. Sykes. Deacon. Scruton. Newton. Lynch. Langley. Morrison. Donaldson. Subs. Whitehead. Burgess. Kopczak. Godwin.

I don't think comparisons with 2005 are entirely valid, either in terms of the quality of the two squads, nor in the 'starting position' (i.e in the play off positions as distinct from being adrift)

I don't think its an issue of 'pride' at all. After all, if we'd seen a bit more pride and commitment in the first 2/3 of the season then we wouldn't be in our current position. I'm not saying we'd be topping the table, but a few narrow defeats e.g Castleford (both), Wakefield (away), Celtic (home) might have become victories and we'd be in the lower reaches of the Top 8 with every likelihood of being in the play offs.

So it seems a bit strange to think that a bunch of players who haven't exactly been bursting with pride and commitment - or so it appears from the terraces - are suddenly going to start busting a gut now, when they know they are leaving



I still think the best policy would be creatively use the people who are leaving to 'bring on' people for next year. I mean, who could honestly say that a second row pairing of Morrison / Whitehead wouldn't be better for the future than Morrison / Cook? And it's hard to argue that the former wouldn't actually be better in the present than the latter!!

I'd definitely start with Morrison and Whitehead on Saturday, then maybe try Morrison / Olbison the following week, and so on. You can still have Worrincy and/or Cook on the bench ready to bring on...

Yep. Seconded

Alt is my friend!

Since so many are leaving use them to pad the crowd out, Solomona could make a section of the terrace look full, and create a better atmosphere. Since they are being paid the noise they make shouldn't be dependant on the performance. Also supporters could express their opinions of the players worth directly to them with no need to boo and maybe offend the wrong people.

Play Morrison as we are dumb enough to let him go and kill all the rest, feed them to the players and then in effect we will have 20 players on the pitch.

I can't see what the difference is call me short sighted but they are still under contract to Bradford we pay their wages and they should be out there doing their best for Bradford.

I also have yet to see any evidence that any of them have dropped their effort because they are proud professional men. So until they prove otherwise we should pick the best 13 possible they owe us fans a few wins after underperforming this year.

Don't get me wrong something needs freshening up and changes needed to be made but until it is mathematically impossible to make the play offs we should be going for it.

Personally I'd be disgusted if the coach said "right lets face it we're not going to make the play offs so lets sod this year".

I'd just like to add that if anyone shows a lack of effort because they are coming off contract they should told that they are not training and are not playing for the reserves so they are miles behind when they join up with their new clubs for preseason.

Well, didn't he [ikinda[/i say that in the T& A last Monday? Something about being not willing to talk about the play-offs and just wanting to get a few wins before the end of the season.

It sounded pretty much like he'd given up on the playoffs to me at any rate

I think that's the right way to look at it. Win the next game that's all he can do otherwise everyone would be shouting about how deluded he is. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. I'm talking about team selections I want to see positive team selections and I want to see the team trying to win every game left because I'm hoping they do and that other results go our way and I wont (however stupid this may appear) in fact I refuse to think otherwise until it can't mathematically happen and if it doesn't I'll look forward to next year.

You also need to give yourself the best shot at the playoffs in 2010. It won't help to develop players by throwing all your academy products in at once, but playing one of them as your starter in a game, then trying another and then another will not be the changing point of a match and will build for next year.

To answer the original question a naked run at half time could put bums on seats. We could throw rotten vegetables at them. Could deflect blame from MAcca