Steve McNamara looks back on a turbulent year for the Bulls

6:40pm Wednesday 23rd December 2009

By Connor Murphy

For Bulls fans, 2009 was a year to forget but Steve McNamara is not about to wipe it from the memory banks.

Near misses, poor fortune and disappointment characterised a season when Bradford failed to make the play-offs for the first time, leaving everyone at the club thoroughly frustrated.

Save from jumping in a time machine, the Bulls chief knows there is no way to eradicate the past 12 months and he is keen to utilise the lessons learned.

Players and coaching staff are a year older and a whole lot wiser heading into 2010.

“This year was frustrating because it was a season that had a whole lot of potential for us – we showed that in a whole lot of games but, unfortunately, not for long enough in a lot of those games.

“I think we were a far better side than where we finished but, at the end of the day, the table doesn’t lie. That was the number of points we got and we need to be better this year.

“I think we’re all stronger, we’re all wiser. The game never ceases to amaze you in terms of the obstacles it throws in front of you.

“Albeit disappointing that we didn’t make the play-offs, we made some massive strides in other areas of our organisation. It’s not often the quickest way back to the top which is the best way to do it.

“Certainly a lot of the things round the place now – the new training facility, the younger players and the profile of our signings this season – suggest we’re building steadily to become a strong force.”

On the pitch, six players have arrived while eight have left and a new approach to pre-season training has the whole squad buzzing.

Off the pitch, the Bulls have invested in a new state-of-the-art training facility at Tong School, which will become the team’s training base at the start of next month.

There has also been a major influx of young home-grown talent into the Bulls squad. Now, 16 of the 29 players are academy products in a squad that has an average age of less than 24.

But the changes haven’t come easily. At a time when clubs throughout Super League are watching the pennies, McNamara is faced with a tough balancing act.

He said: “If we were a massively cash-rich club, we’d be spending as much as we could on salary cap, we’d be spending as much as we could on staff, we’d be spending as much as we could on infrastructure, on buildings, on equipment, on everything you’ve got.

“But we’ve only got a certain amount of money to work with and we have to decide in which avenues our priorities are.

“One of the main priorities is getting a winning side for Bradford Bulls, that’s very important, but the number one priority is securing the long-term future of the organisation.

“To sacrifice some money we could potentially spend on players to invest in this infrastructure for ourselves is the biggest thing.

“We’ve got some enthusiastic young players at the club now and we’re all looking forward to the start of the year.

“The training complex has been a must for a long time for us. It’s a new venue and the facilities bring us up to speed.

“We’ve had to change because we’ve changed as an organisation, the spending structures have changed and, as a coach, you have to go along with them.

“I’m more than happy to invest in that facility because, although you can invest all your money in short-term gain, nobody’s bigger than the club and what that new facility will provide now and in years to come will be of bigger benefit to the Bulls than probably a lot of things we’ve done in the past.”

But McNamara knows all the good work could soon be forgotten if 2010 doesn’t get off on the right foot.

“The players were very strong throughout the whole year,” he said. “They stayed strong, kept believing in what we were doing and found the way to be more consistent throughout games at the back end of the season.

“But a good start is important, not just for the players but for everyone involved in the club, the sponsors, the fans, it gives everyone a lift.

“Our pre-season was severely disrupted last year, hopefully we won’t have the same issues this year.”

Specific goals for the new season are yet to be set but there is a strong desire for the Bulls to return to Super League’s summit.

Bit by bit, the club are seeing the rewards from gradual developments in preparation techniques, particularly the introduction of sports science, over the past few years.

While it is easy for players to lapse into the usual cliches about pre-season – ‘training’s been tougher than ever’, ‘we’ve never felt this fit before’ – there does seem to be a genuinely positive air among the squad.

And McNamara believes this group of players are ready to fulfil their potential.

“One of the biggest goals for any coach is for their squad to stay fit, healthy and strong,” said McNamara. “If you stay fit and healthy it gives you the best opportunity that you’ve got.

“We create the right environment for this group of people and encourage this group of people and I think you’ll see this team blossom.

“We will set some goals and we have some standards but we do want to make sure we stay fit and healthy throughout the season.”