[qote="Bulls4Champs"Why are so many afraid of playing our strongest side?

Leigh have already wrapped up the league leaders shield for the year, will they be playing a weak side and hold their best players back.

I doubt it very much.

Play our best side, fear nothing, sure they'll target our better players, but don't all sides do that.

We should be doing the same and looking to smash Brierley, Hock etc early on just as much as they will be looking to get at our guys.'"

Agreed, but I think if we go with our strongest side and we get a tonking, psychologically i don't think we'd recover. Do we have the energy to smash into Leigh? We've been completely dominated against part time opposition recently. That's my worry, i just don't think some of our players have the energy to rip into Leigh. We've been playing so badly for so long now.
If we play a weaker side we maybe could regroup, give certain players who NEED a rest, then play our strongest side for fax and put in dominant performance. I've been massively in favour of going with our strongest side for the last 3 games to hit the 8's with some momentum. But last week messed that up.

There'll be 17 plates onto which Bradford's s will be served I'm afraid.

I've been looking forward to this game all season, but after losing last week I'm less up for it. Top spot is essentially gone now even if we beat Leigh. If we play our strongest team and get beaten it would destroy our confidence, and would boost Leigh's. I'd rest our key players, and if we get beaten, our confidence won't be affected too much, as the players will know that we were fielding a weakened team. Going into the Middle 8s on the back of a few defeats isn't ideal, but I think it's preferable to burning our players out when we know that top spot is gone.

If we cant find the energy to tear in the opposition then Im pretty sure they will find theirs to smash into us.

Im still in favour of winning our remaining games, especially this one. We need to reduce any psychological advantage Leigh hold over us heading into the playoffs. They already know that they can beat us, and that they have been in form all year.

We have got to let them know this week that they cannot just turn us over when they want.

Turning up this week would let Leigh know that we are going to turn up in a few weeks time when it really matters.

This talk of holding back our best players reeks of being scared of the physical contact.

Get them in, put in a strong performance and give Leigh and everybody else that will be in the M8's an indication that we are ready for the playoffs.

I'm really not that interested in the result because it matters even less than it did several months ago.

We probably won't have our strongest 17 available or playing but I think it is important we put up a good show. I would hope the players are thoroughly embarrassed by their last performance at 'fortress Odsal' where they went down without a fight. There is no pressure for either side so I guess it might be a open game, so possession will be key. If we hand over cheap ball like we have been doing then Leigh will punish us.

If Lowes decides against risking Gaskell then I don't see where the creativity will come from but I'd settle for a massive defensive effort and improved attitude. If there is even the slightest doubt re Gaskell then I'd wrap in cotton wool another week or two.

I'm sure Lowes will know which players are up for this. I would be very surprised if the players don't lift for this game after treading water for a few recently. The circumstances of the defeat will have hurt them and I'm sure they haven't forgotten.

Leigh are not supermen ,you lot already sound frightened of them you can count on Fax giving giving you as hard a game the week after , we seek revenge so it won't be easy going into the 8's.

Maybe we are not Supermen , but Fax don't seem to be able to beat us, it will be a very hard game on Sunday I expect nothing less , but it depends on what team the Bulls turn out, I love the line ,Smash Gareth Hock,who's going to do that?Big Eric

.

Exactly.

We will see,the Mighty Leythers are coming.Derek Beaumonts Army.

Good, I hope you do turn up. I want it to be a good game. We will also have to turn up to make it one.

I heard Motormouth Derek had been signed up for the half time entertainment........ that should put a few thousand on the gate.

Derek's out of the country and misses the game, sorry

Amended

Blimey Charlie, you had a bang to the head. The guy is an incompetent bafffoon, he was crap in the amateurs and hasn't improved.

But then, what do I know...Charlie knows

Hicks, Cobb and Childs in my opinion are by far the 3 worst refs out there, by some distance as well

They guess so many calls its unbelievable, as they have no idea what to do

Ah, but surely that gives them a 50% chance of getting it right?

From my perspective, it would be nice to come to Odsal and win the League there. Yet, at the end of the day, I'd much rather we beat you in the Middle 8's. Maybe, if your lads realise they aren't likely to finish top, they may be able to play with more freedom - although I sincerely hope not! If they get their noses well in front, the tiredness will vanish!

The end of our cup run, at Warrington, certainly seemed to free up our lads, with 174 points (including 32 tries) coming in the next three games.

"Teams are holding back"...

But who would coach that hybrid team

Williams, Gaskell, Clough, Pitts and O'Brien, in for Pownall, Ridyard, Emmitt, Haggerty and Beswick respectively.

Platt for Henry...

Me for Henry.

Sideboard for Henry on recent form