I know i might be tempting fate, and expecting a winding-up petition, or some missed wages to destroy the optimism, but coming away from the game yesterday, and seeing the implosions of others, i can't help feeling the club is a in a good place at the moment and we are heading in the right direction (at long last).

Salford selling their best players, along with a mountain of debt and no academy, Leigh releasing the players that were the soul of the club, and replacing them with players that just don't care for the badge. Meanwhile we are chugging a long nicely.

Yes there are some issues, like social media, press releases etc But on the rugby side, i think Chalmers has got it bang on. Yes we're in L1 and have only beaten Keighley, and very luckily nicked a win against York. The wins aren't what are making me optimistic, it's the whole feel of the club. We have some very talented young players in the academy who in the main, are all on long term deals. We have a reserves to allow the young players to develop, and maybe even find another Stuart Reardon, who comes from the amateur setup to break through. We have a coach full of integrity, the players want to play for, and IMO, won't be outthought by the opposition.

The main reason though was the way the players applied themselves yesterday. The 54-6 scoreline is irrelevant. It was the actions of the players that proved to me the players damn well care for this club. A young squad who we can build with, who have a stake in our club either by HG, or are Bradford lads/fans. Celebrating a knock-on, defending a team-mate who might be roughed up. Standing up the opposition when they try bully us (i genuinely think we some of the Keighley bully boys got put in their place yesterday by the likes of Flanagan, Peltier etc)

I'm not saying this is the grand return to SL, far from it, but watching Leigh mercenaries destroy the club that Leigh built up, I can't help compare them and our 2016 mob to our current squad. The 2016 lot wouldn't have won against York. They didn't have the mental strength or the desire. Seeing players genuinely care for the badge, and have a connection with the fans, and club makes me think we have finally begun the path to rebuilding, and we have the right payers, coaches, setup to do it. I'm genuinely enjoying watching Bradford again, not because we're winning, but because the players care as much as the fans do.

Now Mr Chalmers, no delayed wages, or WUP please

Absolutely bang on. And getting John Kear was a fantastic bit of business too. My optimism grows....

On the field everything is definitely better, in fact the best it's been in a long time. And by "on field", I include coaching staff.

Financially, it's hard to say when I'm sure someone said the accounts haven't yet been published? So difficult to say if it's genuinely stable or if they're just not telling us about any impending doom or money hemorrhaging.

The fanbase could be the biggest issue the club has. With the amount of people's they've alienated in recent years and the recent issues regarding social media, organisation at the turnstiles and pricing, it's going to be a difficult job getting those people back. Hopefully once they're happy the on field is stable, they can refocus the efforts into getting fans back on board.

Nope, nope. nope.

It's all f***ed, we're going to hell in a handcart. Terrible things are just round the corner. Wheels about to fall off. Dogs and cats living together. Mass Hysteria.

I've been burnt once too often by the way this club is run to actually get my hopes up. However, that being said, the addition of John Kear as head coach along with the fact we've actually come through a winter break without WUP/Unpaid Bills/Unpaid Wages/Top Players breaking contract to leave does suggest that maybe, just maybe, things might be starting to go in the right direction for the club.

But I have to agree that the main issue the club faces is getting the fans back on side. Last year was a perfect chance to get fans to back the board and the club following the club being forced to participate in the Championship with virtually no money and no players and being fined for the privilege. If the board had called a fans forum back in Feb and said the things that were said in the end of season fans forum, I think a lot more fans would have been more forgiving of the performances and results the club had and likely would have seen a better return on the season ticket sales.

The fan base is still there, the club just has to do something to get them back through the gates of Odsal.

As I said on the match thread I think on the field we’ve definitely turned a corner. The spirit in the camp is undeniable. Without wanting to tempt fate I’m hopeful it’s not another false dawn. We’ve got the right man in charge in Kear and have a young team that’s only going to improve. Off the field there’s still plenty of room for improvement but so long as there’s steady progress I’ll remain happy.

Leigh do certainly remind me of us in 2016. To many players coming in and going out and a change of coach mid season to a man who is untried. Lots of paralells. I can only hope for their fans sakes that it’s not the start of a decline. As for Salford things there look very bad to me, selling your best players to pay bills only leads one way as we all know.

Anyway, for us it looks like we’re on the right track. As for attracting fans back I think that will happen in time. Some probably need a break after all the goings on since 2012 but they will return eventually. Others like me are really enjoying the ride at the moment. I’d like to see the club increase its presence in the community via the Foundation. Back in 95/96 the club was in the news every day with a non rugby related story where players and staff were doing stuff with schools, junior clubs, youth organisations, old people homes, charities etc. Lets see more of that. It builds a connection and brings in more fans.

Out of all the players to come through our academy and make it, you picked Stu Reardon as your example?

You've jinxed it now. We are knackered.

Ha, i meant it in that he was playing amateur rugby league, then moved to the Bulls. Can happen again with a reserves setup. Players who weren't quite good enough at junior, go back to their amateur club and develop. I think Jake Truemans brother who plays for Wesy Bowling played in our first reserve game.

Yes I agree with you. Let's hope it gives young local lads the opportunity to have a chance of giving it a go and seeing where it takes them

Yes Jake's brother Max played for the reserves last week. A good lad, Elliot played a lot of years at West Bowling juniors with him, hope he gets a good run in the reserves and shows what he can do

He did win the 2003 Harry Sunderland Trophy and scored four tries in 5 matches in the 2004 Tri Nations, against the Aussies and Kiwis, so not to be sniffed at. I do take your point about him not being the first example I'd pick from our Academy products but he did have some success in his career and a local lad to boot.

Sometimes I wonder what could have been had Warrington not come offering all their riches. With it being held at our place I was at the reserves game last week and it was great to see young Bradford lads getting a chance. Alix Stephenson looks like he could have real potential, was at Queensbury last year before signing for the academy. Noth the tallest fullback but fearless taking the high ball and a good boot on him too.

What was especially pleasing was seeing quite a few first team players there watching and encouraging. Tells you they are all buying in and its great to see. Also the players who have first team squad numbers played in their playing shirts with names on the back, I actually think its there to show the younger lads whats to aim for and that they will get first team chances at the club should they progress. All in all very positive at the moment and when Chalmers mentioned a reserves side last year did anyone actually believe we would field one? It was up in the air and it is a credit to him that on the field we look in the best shape for a long time

Still absolutely no idea how in the hell we are paying for all this though.

The Reserves setup is obviously something the young lads and fringe players want and need. It's a travesty that other clubs choose not to have one. If we can afford it then anyone can. I hope it's something we continue with and benefit from enough to make others follow suit instead of throwing the towel in.

I too thought Stephenson was impressive, he backed up well too, the bit where he supported Andrade and made a 60m break being a highlight. Definitely one for the future in a couple of years. Rowan Milnes also looked a classy player.

In the forwards I think a reserves is even more important. It's a huge gap from 19s to Championship. I remember Liam Kirk looking v good for our 19s but it's a totally different kettle of fish playing with full grown men. He's going to take time to make the step up and that's for a big lad like him. The others will need nursing through gradually. The fact that clubs have to make a call on players at 19 is ridiculous for forwards.

There seems to be a lot more togetherness and players seem to be responding. Hopefully we'll build on it and resist the urge to recruit willy nilly, but I have confidence in Kear. There will be no Ferres vs Lowes player recruitment disagreements now.

On the side of affording it I've no clue what the finances are like but I think we only have about 7 or 8 fulltime players. The rest are part timers. I don't imagine they're on much. Even Keyes is part time (but if he carries on like he is he'll attract interest from elsewhere).

We're on about 3k season tickets sold. That's at least £300k. £75k from the RFL. I can't see us spending more than a few hundred grand on the playing budget. Definitely not more than half a million on all the players and coaches and staff. But this is just guesswork.

I'm slightly puzzled about talk of 'losing the fans'.

You'll always lose the 'glory' fans as you drop divisions, it's inevitable and recent history, admins and going bust does little to help. It's true enough, there have been rumblings about certain aspects of how the ground entrance is organised, not to mention the prices, however I think we're worrying far too much. Half a dozen moaning on a website may seem like a lot of people on the pages but it's hardly a great groundswell of opinion. Fair enough, it may be (and probably is) the head of a larger group but we've announced around 3K season tickets sold, which for a club in our league is a very significant number and suggests there is no great backlash against any of the gripes we've been hearing.

As things stand I think the 'steady as she goes' approach of the current management will only bring in more 'ex-pats'.

The first set of accounts will be interesting - look out for the income statement and Directors loans!

Unless you're a shareholder you won't be seeing an income statement, they won't be filing full accounts at companies house.

I may be wrong here but I seem to think that the announcement that we are running a reserve side this season is actually ahead of schedule.

I remember that PowerPoint presentation that outlined the growth of the playing staff being something to the similar.

16s
18s
23s
Reserves(Are we at this point already, or ahead of the game ?)
First Team

Also I think Joe Lumb was picked up from Bowlings open age set up. Again may be wrong.

Someone quote this please, so coward HC cannot hide.

I predicted a good year or so ago that things on the field would get better, at that time you were in the grips of suicide. And yet you don't want to hear what I say, despite being a good year ahead of you.

No the accounts haven't been published. I said that when they are it I will analyse them to show where the miracle of last years survival as a club came from, despite no season ticket sales, having funds withheld to repay RL debts, having to pay for an academy and all the other impositions from the RFL. Yes, these all were happening when you were in dummy spitting mode.

So if we have survived last year, the outlook for this year is fairly positive period as our transatlantic cousins say.

My conclusion for the season-and-a-bit under chalo is that they know that winning teams (men's and women's) brings fans through the turnstiles, virtual or otherwise. Because they have set out their stall to do so. Players that they want, that fit the budget, and most important WANT TO PLAY FOR US. And they also know that the future is in young'ns not old farts like the majority on this forum however proud we may be to be described as such. And those youngns are so much more forgiving of a bit of dyslexia, freedom of expressing, wingdingbats and all that stuff.

Final comment: do you understand reflecting? Here is a definition for you:

What is Reflecting?
Reflecting is the process of paraphrasing and restating both the feelings and words of the speaker. The purposes of reflecting are:
To allow the speaker to 'hear' their own thoughts and to focus on what they say and feel.
To show the speaker that you are trying to perceive the world as they see it and that you are doing your best to understand their messages.
To encourage them to continue talking.

I am seriously thinking of turning my icon/avatar or whatever it is from "don't throw out the baby with the bath water" to "look in the mirror AH!"

Thereagain, if HC is happy, perhaps I should: let sleeping dogs lie. double-entrendre intended.

Sorry, despite the massive amount of common sense in your post, I have to pick you up on just one point. a business is lead from the top. Kear is not the top of the Bulls business. it is Chalo. they stated their intentions well before kear made a skidmark in the toilet pans of Odsal (Hallowed be his skids) (and apologies to any RC's amongst us). Kear has simply put the icing on the cake of chalos recruitment. So i have confidence in Chalos ability to recruit, and in Kears ability to assess their policy. to put it another way, you have put the cart before the horse, although a very fine cart.

oh bentbongo where are you when we need some idiosyncrapsy?

Feeling better now Mr Wildbull?

Last weekend 4 of us who went over to Keighley and have supported the Northern / Bulls for decades all believed the fans would return.
As far as what annoys fans I wouldn't blame the media announcements or lack of them from Mr Chalmers. Out of 4 ST holders 2 of them don't have a computer and the other one hasn't heard of this site or use any other. Only I come on here and don't give a damn about getting a young lad doing the press to save money to spend on the players and coach.
Chalmers and whoever is clearly helping him financially are doing the important things first. I am happy to see penny pinching being done. What a shame we didn't do it 10 years ago. It will get sorted when we can afford it.
I enjoy reading peoples thoughts on here but it is just a tiny handful of those near 3K ST holders. What happens on the field is what will enthuse the rest of the 3K and that is looking very encouraging to me.

Interesting quote in League Express a couple of weeks back. Sounds as if Kear's really had a positive impact since he arrived.

It's already feeling like it was well worth taking time over the coaching appointment

To be honest, I take no issue with just about all of that.

Where I part company with you is over the press/website statements. This is one area where, 'doing it on the cheap', to cut costs is self-defeating; the press/website is the business shop front, it is where initial judgements are made and first impressions of the club are formed. Misspelled and ungrammatical press releases and web pages are not the way to attract businesses to be sponsors or to give an impression of being business like. In general, to be blunt, it's fair to say most other businesses don't do it that way for a reason.

Thing is, it's not necessary. There is already a well-qualified journalist (Stu Duffy) at the club, though I confess he is busy doing other duties and may not want to go over old ground, he is though the perfect choice to mentor our, 'new recruit', and in the interests of the club, to just run his eyes over the stuff before it is published for the world to wonder at.