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Bradford Bulls stand-off keen to make up for lost time

7:00am Thursday 29th July 2010 in


Paul Sykes is determined to make Catalans bear the brunt of his frustration after spending an agonising fortnight on the sidelines.

Having missed the Bulls’ last two games through suspension, a sense of guilt only added to the disappointment of a ten-game losing run.

In his absence Bradford have struggled to find a balance at half-back, forwards Steve Menzies and Danny Addy lining up there against Hull KR.

Now Sykes is ready to take on the responsibility of helping to guide the team round the pitch.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “With the form we’ve been in you feel like you’ve let the team down but unfortunately these things happen.

“The ban’s up now and I can’t wait to get back out there. It’s about making up for lost time. I should be fresh and raring to go.

“We should have won the last two weeks, even though we’ve had a few injuries.

“Catalans will be a tough game, they’ve got some big boys, but we’re confident we can finish the season on a high.”

Until this season, stand-off remained a relatively unfamiliar position for Sykes, having spent the majority of his career at full back or centre.

The England international had begun to strike up a promising partnership with Matt Orford until the Aussie playmaker suffered a season-ending injury, which forced Sykes to step up as the dominant half.

He said: “There is pressure on me but I’m getting used to it now.

“Everyone’s got to chip in together, it’s not about one person.

“You’ve got to help each other out in a game and if they help me out it makes it a lot easier on the pitch.

“It is hard when everyone’s swapping roles but we’ve got to deal with it. I’m learning every time I train and I enjoy playing there, although I’m not enjoying losing games.”

Comments(22)

joevolcano says...
7:24am Thu 29 Jul 10

I posted a link on the BBC 606 site yesterday, looks like we've seen the last of Orford. A new halfback partner for Sykes will probably be required for 2011

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birkybull says...
8:48am Thu 29 Jul 10

Let us all know what it said then Joe???

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Adey says...
8:57am Thu 29 Jul 10

joevolcano wrote:
I posted a link on the BBC 606 site yesterday, looks like we've seen the last of Orford. A new halfback partner for Sykes will probably be required for 2011
To be honest Joe, I wouldn't be too upset to see him go. Just means Potter has more funds to play with and an extra quota spot. Like I said last week, if he doesn't want to come back then get rid. But I definately, CERTAINLY, wouldn't be letting him go on a freebie to the NRL. Don't let the clubs down there fool ya, the majority of them are minted and they can afford the transfer fee...which I would expect to be close to £450K considering he's a Dally M winner, Halfback AND 2-years to remain on his contract.

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rough says...
8:58am Thu 29 Jul 10

Looks like Orford has joined Parammata Eeals

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Sheffieldbull says...
9:00am Thu 29 Jul 10

"THE Central Coast Bears bid has gained a new face in star halfback Matt Orford, who is poised to become the assistant coach should they gain NRL admission in 2013.
As Bears officials prepare to meet with NRL boss David Gallop today, we can reveal Orford has been in talks with the constortium over the past week to possibly become David Fairleigh's right-hand man".....Kind of thing.... soooo much smoke eh?

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Adey says...
9:07am Thu 29 Jul 10

Sheffieldbull wrote:
"THE Central Coast Bears bid has gained a new face in star halfback Matt Orford, who is poised to become the assistant coach should they gain NRL admission in 2013.
As Bears officials prepare to meet with NRL boss David Gallop today, we can reveal Orford has been in talks with the constortium over the past week to possibly become David Fairleigh's right-hand man".....Kind of thing.... soooo much smoke eh?
Problem is, we're in 2010...2013 is another 2 and a half years off. BUT, I still don't think he'll be back.

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Prycey says...
10:01am Thu 29 Jul 10

It’s as if we have struggled because Sykes has been missing. Everyone knows that we have struggled for a few years now because our halfback pairings have not been at the top of their game. All of the top teams for as long as I can remember are the ones with the best halfbacks. Always have and always will have – it’s a simple game really! The Ausie papers are certainly full with the return of Orford. I believe that if someone makes an offer for him he will jump at it. it will be a shame as I was as excited as anyone when we signed him but now with Potter coming and my admiration of him and the way he moulds a team from relatively unknown players I don’t think Orford would be a big loss. It could actually be a god send as it would free up money for Potter and maybe he could pick up a good pair of halfbacks for that money. This story will run and run till November – when Orford is due back. You are either in the “Orford is great for us” camp or the “Orford is a waste of three salaries” camp. I now doubt we will see him again. He appears to be wanting to stay down there. If he does come back it means he couldn’t get a club which means he didn’t want to come back to us. Would we want him feeling like that? How would the rest of the team and us supporters feel especially when you look at other good scrum halves on a fraction of his wage? I would let him go and get another player like Dobson at KR plus a top stand-off. This story will not go away till he decides what he wants to do.

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bulls2win says...
10:28am Thu 29 Jul 10

i say lets say bye bye to orford, make them pay a massive transfer fee which will only be more pounds in potters pot to buy new players and rebuild the bulls squad

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birkybull says...
11:33am Thu 29 Jul 10

No one will pay a big trasfer fee for a 32 year old. We only got it for burgess because every NRL club wanted him and he is 22. Burgess will stay at souths for years.

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Adey says...
11:38am Thu 29 Jul 10

bulls2win wrote:
i say lets say bye bye to orford, make them pay a massive transfer fee which will only be more pounds in potters pot to buy new players and rebuild the bulls squad
If Leeds can demand £100K for Greg Eastwood, then we can demand £300K for Orford. Time for these Rugby League to know what a contract means!

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haitch says...
11:42am Thu 29 Jul 10

How come they can do it so differently at Rhinos?
Eastwood becomes unsettled, wants to return to NRL. Leeds speak to the player, place him on the transfer list and suggest a fee of £100,000 end of story. No speculation.
Is this yet another example of other cubs doing it right and Bulls don't seem to have a clue?.

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Adey says...
11:47am Thu 29 Jul 10

birkybull wrote:
No one will pay a big trasfer fee for a 32 year old. We only got it for burgess because every NRL club wanted him and he is 22. Burgess will stay at souths for years.
It's apples and oranges! Burgess was a 22-year old forward with a reputation in SL but no background in NRL. Orford may be 32, but he's a playmaker, he's won medals, he's won player of the year in the toughest comp in the world...he has history and reputation in the NRL. If they want him that bad, then the Bulls would be ridiculous to let him go on a freebie and hold his registration "in case he returned" (which lets face it, he wouldn't!)

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Sheffieldbull says...
12:06pm Thu 29 Jul 10

Adey wrote:
Sheffieldbull wrote: "THE Central Coast Bears bid has gained a new face in star halfback Matt Orford, who is poised to become the assistant coach should they gain NRL admission in 2013. As Bears officials prepare to meet with NRL boss David Gallop today, we can reveal Orford has been in talks with the constortium over the past week to possibly become David Fairleigh's right-hand man".....Kind of thing.... soooo much smoke eh?
Problem is, we're in 2010...2013 is another 2 and a half years off. BUT, I still don't think he'll be back.
Thanks for the Calender update Adey- you had to read the whole article to understand the point...
I'll do all the work in future lol!
I never thought he'd be coming back by the way.

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Prycey says...
12:43pm Thu 29 Jul 10

I don’t think we would get much for Orford. We can ask but if he doesn’t want to play for us there is absolutely no point in having him here on those wages. Potter would love £200K extra to spend on top of what they must have told him was available – unless he knew then that Orford was off! An unsettled player is worthless to us especially at his price. He could come back for two years holiday and earn half a million doing it and then go back and coach. We are actually powerless here. We can’t sit him in the second team and pay him and he knows it. Sponsors won’t touch him here or want their names associated with him. We might get a few tens of thousands but just saving his salary would be the main aim if he does want out. The Bulls may not want to reveal what is going on till Potter has someone else lined up. If agents know we have lost him and are now desperate for a replacement their demands go up. Better to let this sort itself out quietly and not in the press. Potter will be working behind the scenes talking to possible replacements if he is going. No doubt some will want statements every day from the Bulls but we won’t hear anything till everything is done and dusted but it is starting to look like he prefers Sydney to Bradford. Very odd!

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t'old man says...
3:28pm Thu 29 Jul 10

haitch wrote:
How come they can do it so differently at Rhinos? Eastwood becomes unsettled, wants to return to NRL. Leeds speak to the player, place him on the transfer list and suggest a fee of £100,000 end of story. No speculation. Is this yet another example of other cubs doing it right and Bulls don't seem to have a clue?.
I agree its always the same Haitch everything the club does is behind closed doors and veiled in secrecy....they operate on a need to know basis and as far as they are concerned we the supporters dont need to know but just turn up each week and spend our hard earned cash....

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bartsbull says...
4:18pm Thu 29 Jul 10

There is a piece in the Daliy telegraph
that Matt Oford that says he is looking for a club

As he is struggling to adapt to life in the Uk if he wants to stay in Oz let him but make sure we receive a payment for him

Leeds arwe willing to let Eastwood go but they want cash for him and we should do the same

IF these players are not sure they want to play overhere then they should take a long hard look at themselves

It does not do the clubs any good who have spent money getting them here and the publicity they should stand by there contracts otherwise they are not worth the paper they are printed on

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Reading Bullette says...
4:26pm Thu 29 Jul 10

t'old man wrote:
haitch wrote:
How come they can do it so differently at Rhinos? Eastwood becomes unsettled, wants to return to NRL. Leeds speak to the player, place him on the transfer list and suggest a fee of £100,000 end of story. No speculation. Is this yet another example of other cubs doing it right and Bulls don't seem to have a clue?.
I agree its always the same Haitch everything the club does is behind closed doors and veiled in secrecy....they operate on a need to know basis and as far as they are concerned we the supporters dont need to know but just turn up each week and spend our hard earned cash....
But how do you know there is anything to tell. Eastwood has asked Leeds for his release and they have accepted it. As far as I am aware Orford has not said to anyone at the club that he is not returning, so until he does, then we will all have to wait. It's interesting that a Bulls player told me three month's ago that Eastwood wanted to go home, so by your reckoning Leeds have kept their supporters in the dark for that long. I am sure that once the club knows any more about the situation, then they will tell us. Always half empty?

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Prycey says...
4:57pm Thu 29 Jul 10

Reading in the Sydney daily Telegraph it says that Orford is sniffing round for a two year contract as he can’t settle in England.
The statement said:
“We revealed last Friday that Canberra were favourites to secure the 2008 Dally M medallist, and it now appears a meeting between Raiders management and the halfback will happen next week”. Florimo also confirmed that Orford had attended a coaching seminar last week.
I find this a little disappointing as he is still our player being paid by us. Why isn’t he here coaching our young half backs, assisting Lee or even visiting schools rather than touting himself down under to other clubs and letting us pick up the bill for it. Years ago at Warrington there used to be a chap as you were queuing to get in with a sandwich board that said “The end is nigh”. I feel that he wouldn’t be out of place at Odsal with an accompanying picture of Orford along with that statement.
Good point about Eastwood and Leeds. We aren't the only club that keeps things quiet till they deal with it in private.

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sellrise says...
5:33pm Thu 29 Jul 10

I am curious to know what Sykes is going to do differently that he hasn't done in the last 5 months? Has he found another skill after his suspension?

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Reading Bullette says...
6:37pm Thu 29 Jul 10

Prycey wrote:
Reading in the Sydney daily Telegraph it says that Orford is sniffing round for a two year contract as he can’t settle in England.
The statement said:
“We revealed last Friday that Canberra were favourites to secure the 2008 Dally M medallist, and it now appears a meeting between Raiders management and the halfback will happen next week”. Florimo also confirmed that Orford had attended a coaching seminar last week.
I find this a little disappointing as he is still our player being paid by us. Why isn’t he here coaching our young half backs, assisting Lee or even visiting schools rather than touting himself down under to other clubs and letting us pick up the bill for it. Years ago at Warrington there used to be a chap as you were queuing to get in with a sandwich board that said “The end is nigh”. I feel that he wouldn’t be out of place at Odsal with an accompanying picture of Orford along with that statement.
Good point about Eastwood and Leeds. We aren't the only club that keeps things quiet till they deal with it in private.
I agree mate but there was all sorts of stuff in many papers over here stating that Brian McDermott had got the Bulls job. So did the club keep the fans in the dark about that? It turned out to be just garbage so until Mr Orford, or his agent state that he is wanting to leave - and they may not have done so- the club can't really say anything. I am sure the question will be asked at the fans forum and i am also sure that unless something has happened in the meantime, then the answer will be what it has always been; that he is contracted to the club and has given the club assurances he will be back.

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bullinrhinoland says...
9:57pm Thu 29 Jul 10

Sykes is the worst regular half-back in Superleague. There are better players in the lower leagues. If there are some supporters expecting a big improvement because he's back - where have they been for the last 3 seasons? Certainly not watching the Bulls.

Our best player this year has been Scruton. I wonder where he will be playing next season.

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jonnyk says...
11:39pm Thu 29 Jul 10

http://www.dailytele
graph.com.au/sport/n
rl/matt-orford-joins
-central-coast-bears
-push/story-e6frexnr
-1225898161830

link above.

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