Put player in familiar positions wherever possible

Mathers
Owen
Ryan
Walshaw
Riley
Sykes
Godinet
Anderson
McShane
Scruton
Kirmond
Washbrook
Malloy

Wildie
Moore
Smith
Gilmour

Siejka
Owen

Mathers
Owen
Sykes
Walshaw
Riley

Godinet
Sammut

Anderson
McShane
Moore
Kirmond
Ryan
Washbrook

Wildie
Scruton
Smith
Gilmour/Molloy

Siejka
Gilmour/Molloy

Torn whether to put Ryan in the centres and leave Sykes out, replacing Sykes and putting Molloy/Gilmour in at second row.

Think the likely Agar team will be..

Sammut
Owen
Gilmour
Ryan
Riley
Sykes
Siejka
Anderson
McShane
Scruton
Kirmond
Washbrook
Molloy

Subs. Moore, Smith, Godinet, Walshaw (even at 50/50 worth a punt from bench for cover for back row/centre).
Owen & Gilmour should have some understanding from their Cas time together?
Wildie & Mathers to miss.
If Raleigh was fit then he'd have to be on the bench as a third prop to counteract the big Bradford pack (then not risking Walshaw) who rolled us last time.

I put Ryan and Anderson in the wrong positions, but I wouldn't put it past Agar!!

Why on earth is Raleigh not in the squad if fit? We need 4 props to match them, going with 3 imo is madness

For all the stick Agar gets about playing players out of position I'm still seeing plenty select their teams with players who are 'supposedly' out of position....and ones that Agar tried out.....

Sammut at fullback for example.....and Daniel Smith at loose forward...Sykes at centre.....Mathers on wing....

I think nowadays players have to be versatile....the halfback playing at fullback is nothing new....it's a trend a lot of coaches are going with now and it's one I really like, and one that has brought us success.....same with Godinet playing hooker....it's not something that's totally alien to him, he's played there before for his country....a lot of halfbacks are happy to have a go and switch between both rolls.....Luke Robinson at Huddersfield being a perfect example.....Rob Burrow another at Leeds.....Sinfield is playing there at the moment through injuries.....

Folk are happy to go along with Daniel Smith (signed as, and always played as a prop as far as I know) as loose forward and yet leave our best backrower of the last couple of months (Washbrook) out of the side completely.....

Sykes is on record as saying he's happiest at six....in his time with us he's played all his best games there....he's covered all across the backline throughout his career but feels more comfortable at six....

Mathers for me is the only one you could genuinely question as it's an unfamiliar role to someone who has always played fullback.....as far as I can see he only went there due to real lacking options at wing due to injuries....now with both Owen and Riley named I'd be really surprised if Mathers was named to play on the wing...

Mathers
Owen
Walshaw
Sykes
Riley

Sammutt
Godinet

Anderson
McShane
Smith
Kirmond
Ryan
Washbrook

Wildie
Moore
Scruton
Molloy

Oops forgot about Smith

From that, I'd go with

1. Mathers
2. Riley
3. Ryan
4. Walshaw
5. Owen
6. Sammut
7. Godinet
8. Scruton
9. McShane
10. Anderson
11. Washbrook
12. Kirmond
13. Smith

14. Wildie
15. Moore
16. Molloy
17. Gilmour

Mathers
Owen
Walshaw
Ryan
Riley
Sammut
Godinet
Anderson
Wildie
Smith
Kirmond
Molloy
Washbrook

Scruton
McShane
Moore
Gilmour

Whilst I definitely rate McShane as a far superior hooker to Wildie, I do think if you're going to spell them than better to start Wildie who is solid in defence and steady going forward. Then after 20 minutes bring on McShane to exploit gaps in and around the ruck with sides tiring and to speed up the attack to utilise the likes of Moore and Scruton.

Lol Mathers on the wing. You Definitaly must sit at home instead of going to the matches

www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/art ... ack-attack? 'Bulls Manase Manuokafoa (116kg), Antonio Kaufusi (113kg) and Adam Sidlow (108kg) weigh in as Bradford's heavyweights - totaling a massive 337kg. If selected, the trio are likely collide with Wakefield opposites Richard Moore, Danny Kirmond and former Provident Stadium man Nick Scruton, who weigh in slightly lighter at 108kg, 102kg and 103kg respectively - shy of the potential Bulls' front row by almost 25kg!' They seem to be comparing their props with two of ours plus our star second row DK but forgot to mention our other two big props playing Scott Anderson (107kg) and Dan Smith (107kg) plus a decent sized back row with Matt Ryan (102kg) and Jon Molloy (100kg) which if we went with Ryan, Kirmond and Molloy would be 304kg back row ....28kg more than Pitts, Donaldson and Olbison. It's a shame that big Andy Raleigh (105 kg) isn't also on the bench. Think it'll be won and lost in the pack though by those who run and tackle the hardest not who weighs the most? Come on Trinity!

www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/art ... ack-attack? 'Bulls Manase Manuokafoa (116kg), Antonio Kaufusi (113kg) and Adam Sidlow (108kg) weigh in as Bradford's heavyweights - totaling a massive 337kg. If selected, the trio are likely collide with Wakefield opposites Richard Moore, Danny Kirmond and former Provident Stadium man Nick Scruton, who weigh in slightly lighter at 108kg, 102kg and 103kg respectively - shy of the potential Bulls' front row by almost 25kg!' They seem to be comparing their props with two of ours plus our star second row DK but forgot to mention our other two big props playing Scott Anderson (107kg) and Dan Smith (107kg) plus a decent sized back row with Matt Ryan (102kg) and Jon Molloy (100kg) which if we went with Ryan, Kirmond and Molloy would be 304kg back row ....28kg more than Pitts, Donaldson and Olbison. It's a shame that big Andy Raleigh (105 kg) isn't also on the bench. Think it'll be won and lost in the pack though by those who run and tackle the hardest not who weighs the most? Come on Trinity!

I'll be at Odsal don't you worry mate

How about

Full back - Smith
Wings - Ryan and Walshaw
Centres - Sykes and Gilmour
Half backs - Godinet and McShane
Props - Washbrook and Kirmond
Hooker - Mathers
Back row Scruton Moore and Molloy

Subs seijka, sammut Owen and Riley


There I think that's it!!

A commendable effort at justifying Agars bizarre selections.

When Luke Robinson goes to hooker Hudds still have some quality at half back.
When Rob Burrow goes to hooker Leeds still have some quality at half back.
In addition Robinson and Burrow still get their hands on the ball and are pivotal.

We remove potentially our two best quality halves,put one to full back and the other on the bench,neither are pivots anymore and replace them with Sykes and Seijka.Against Warrington we had plenty of possession in the first half but Agars halves created nothing.Indeed a glance at the points scored column since Agar paired Seijka and Sykes makes for pretty dismal reading.

The red herring - Daniel Smith,thats totally different,Wigan,Leeds,Saints,Warrington are among a few clubs that have been using the loose forward position to actually play another out and out forward rather than a more traditional loose forward.The teams doing this still want the player to perform the same role that they would when playing prop.
It wouldnt surprise me in the least if Mathers was still on the wing and Riley or Owen were left out.

Yep, can go with this.
Maybe to answer UpTheCats, Godinet may have been swayed to come over to be starting first choice scrum half?
He left the Warriors because of being interchange hooker.
Probably prepared to give it a go in the short term but if things don't improve, would expect him to be asking questions after the start he had, why he is not first choice HB?
As for Washbrook, don't worry, now Tautai is going to Wigan, he will get another contract for making 35 tackles as 3rd man in. Statistics, don't you just love 'em!

Sykes
Owen
Ryan
Walshaw
Riley
Sammut
Godinet
Anderson
McShane
Moore
Kirmond
Molloy
Washbrook

Smith
Scruton
Wildie
Mathers

The only place for Mathers is at fullback...if he's not there, then he shouldn't be anywhere else in the 17 !!

Anybody continuing with Mathers on the wing with Riley and Owen available needs their heads read! Mathers at fb, Sammut and Godinet in the halves, McShane & Wildie rotating at hooker. Job done.

You fool man!
Can't apply logic like that on here!
Like The Spirit of Dark Waters used to say:- 'Sensible children, I have no power over them'.

Copied off the bulls site
"Similar to what I would go with. Though I'd go though with:

1. Kear
2. George
3. Blythe
4. Purtell
5. Foster
6. Gaskell
7. Gale
8. Kaufusi
9. Diskin
10. Sidlow
11. Baldwinson
12. Pitts
13. Donaldson
14. O'brien
15. Nas
16. Fakir
17. Ferguson

[uOur pack should blow Wakey away[/u. I'm sure Cummins will find a way to include Walker (who shows plenty of effort, but just not big enough.) wouldn't surprise me to see Gaskell at FB, Addy at stand off and Henry on bench.''

So with borrowed backs, halves out of position and their pack 'blowing us away' it could be a long afternoon.

Seems logical to me.

I hope that's the way we line up sunday.

went down this morning for a nosey. only allowed in for a few minutes. what they were doing looked incredibly radical - players in all sorts of positions and running around all over the place. we were politely asked to leave as they wanted it to be a closed session. had my dog with me but they were not prepared to swop him for mathers - who did look as though he was operating at full back - is that the one that stands at the rear flapping his arm left and right?

You must be mistaken, training on a Saturday surely not that would indicate commitment, I bet they were accessing who would get to the Costa coffee first for their order. It is what some on here have indicated is all that they do during the day. I bet you did not see Agar he would have been at home deciding on what to wear tomorrow.
For those of you such as Willzay etc. I am being sarcastic just in case you did not get it.