Elima set to come under Potter radar (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Elima set to come under Potter radar
12:00pm Saturday 31st July 2010 in
Olivier Elima will come under the spotlight at Odsal tomorrow after emerging as a potential Bradford target.
The try-scoring second-rower jetted in with current club Catalans Dragons for their Super League clash with the Bulls but is thought to be interested in a permanent move to England.
A key figure both for the Perpignan-based club and the French national team, Elima is out of contract at the end of the season and could be tempted by a reunion with former boss Mick Potter.
The Aussie coach was instrumental in taking Elima to Catalans in 2008 and worked with him for a year before departing to take up his current role at St Helens.
Potter will take up a two-year deal as Bradford boss from next season but will remain the driving force in the club’s on-going process of player recruitment and retention.
Elima began his professional career with Castleford in 2002 before moving on to Wakefield, where he spent five years.
Crucially, the 27-year-old would not count towards the overseas quota if signed by the Bulls, with French players counting as federation-trained in 2011.
Comments(28)
rugbyguru
says...
1:19pm Sat 31 Jul 10
haitch
says...
1:55pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Thing is, we don't want highly paid primadonnas and we cant have too many young inexperienced kids. Elima fits the bill nicely for me. He's a big hard man and scores trys too and is young with plenty of mobility.
Prycey
says...
2:26pm Sat 31 Jul 10
SMftS loves Ashbournes Titty Lip
says...
2:31pm Sat 31 Jul 10
mdn
says...
4:40pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Prycey wrote:from reports I've read I'd take it as elima is as well as feka, although I suspect he's probably replacing one off menzies/langley. Would make more sense if he replaced menzies imo. menzies is great but were only going to get another year out of him whereas elima could be here for next 3yrs+ giving us stability in pack plus we gain menzies quota spot to strengthen in halves/backs where we're almost certainly going to have to look overseas.
This is the first sign of how Potter will work. Elima is a good quality player who nobody would have thought of. We can’t afford big name players for a few years and Potter is very good at building a team rather than a bunch of individuals. Yes we do have a group of good youngsters but they need experience to learn from. This would be a good signing to start building the team again and possibly the first of a few like this – players who we didn’t really consider but who could just turn out to be really good for the club in the same way Smith and Elliott did 15 years ago with their first signings. I hope it comes off. Would he be instead of Feka from Wigan or as well as him? Both of them on the bench would improve our pack dramatically.
holmewood bull
says...
5:51pm Sat 31 Jul 10
holmewood bull
says...
5:51pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Prycey
says...
5:59pm Sat 31 Jul 10
haitch
says...
6:22pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Prycey wrote:You are so right Prycey. I think Potter will go for size especially in the pack. Probably on the old adage 'a good side is built upon a strong pack'. We could never get to grips with the thinking of "you know who" (I love your description!!) But I suspect we will see a Peter Fox style in Potter where he selects guys he knows can do a job in certain positions. "You know who" signed all and sundry, mainly sundry, but I feel we will see method in the way Potter works and this will be evident in the players he signs.
I wouldn't be surprised if Menzies is on his way with only 3 weeks left and nothing said of him staying. I would be tempted to keep Sculthorpe on a "pay as you play" contract as he is a good forward when fit. If he isn't fit he costs us nothing. If we sign Feka and Elima we would all of a sudden have a pretty decent pack next year without spending a fortune. A halfback and a couple of outside backs and things would then look really interesting for our first year re-building after you know who. Add them to our most important signing so far - Mr Potter!
Adey
says...
7:21pm Sat 31 Jul 10
franklyn wrote:All you need to know is that anyone is better than Mick Worrincy...it'll be a step in the right direction. Sounds like Potter feels we need more grunt in the pack!
Is this guy elima any better than what we already have? whilst not a bad player in my view,i would not call his signing IF it happens,a giant leap forward for the club.
Bulls need leadership. Orford sadly didn't work, but someone of his stature is needed to lead the team forward.
Finding the right platers at a price bulls can afford is going to be a big job for potter,and i wish him all the best;
It's going to be a long haul to get the bulls back as a force in S/L, 2 years will not be long enough,but who knows? if things are going in the right direction potter may decide to stay on and complete the job.
With more home grown players having to represent thier clubs,bulls look to be ok with the crop of promissing youngsters we have seen. and with the right blend of new additions we should start and pick up,
Here's to the future!
codeword plan -talk, thats what the board need to do.
Far Away
says...
8:44pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Sheffieldbull
says...
8:58pm Sat 31 Jul 10
haitch
says...
11:14pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Sheffieldbull wrote:Hi S/B. I suppose as long as we think players such as Platt, Halley,Sykes & co are good enough we will never see games like that at Odsal?.
Wire vs Saints, wow!, what a game. Fast open Rugby played by two well coached teams - that what draws the crowds in - have we forgotten already? Seems so long ago since we saw our team play like that.
Truth is they set their sights so much higher, as we used to. Lets hope Potter can change things around and give us the quality in every position to challenge the best?.
holmewood bull
says...
12:00am Sun 1 Aug 10
Sheffieldbull
says...
8:53am Sun 1 Aug 10
haitch wrote:Wouldn't disagree mate -we will need a clear out and i, for one, will not be sorry to see the back of some individuals. One thing i've found interesting in the Sky matches this weekend is the large number of 'youngsters' played by the top clubs. It's easy to believe the Bulls situation on having to play the 'youngsters' is unique, it is not. The quality coming through is stunning. Every team seems to have been successful in growing their young talent base.
Sheffieldbull wrote: Wire vs Saints, wow!, what a game. Fast open Rugby played by two well coached teams - that what draws the crowds in - have we forgotten already? Seems so long ago since we saw our team play like that.Hi S/B. I suppose as long as we think players such as Platt, Halley,Sykes & co are good enough we will never see games like that at Odsal?. Truth is they set their sights so much higher, as we used to. Lets hope Potter can change things around and give us the quality in every position to challenge the best?.
Tricky Dicky
says...
10:19am Sun 1 Aug 10
So, we are going for players playing in position and a strong pack. Now, there's a novelty. No need for a Sports Science degree to figure that one out. I just hope that Mr Elima doesn't decide to display his full range of talents during the game today. A first win for Mr St Hilaire I hope!
haitch
says...
10:47am Sun 1 Aug 10
The sad thing is, today, Bulls go into the game on a level playing field with a chance of a result..They are playing the bottom side!
Prycey
says...
10:53am Sun 1 Aug 10
13aside
says...
1:20pm Sun 1 Aug 10
franklyn
says...
2:19pm Sun 1 Aug 10
thats why this season we have had to put up with paying good money to watch poor players like the ones mentioned.
Don't like to pour cold water on the hopeful situation, just hope money can be found but from where i just don't know.
Just hope mr potter has not been brought here to a helpless situation.
pass word idea -year. we'll need one.
Far Away
says...
5:10pm Sun 1 Aug 10
Also just listened to the biggest piece of rubbish from Odsal I ever heard. Who the h**l gave Sykes another contract? If it was Potter then he has gone well down in my estimation already. Sykes lost us the game singlehandedly by the worst kicking game I have heard. He can not kick penalties more than 10'' and insists on kicking out to touch on the full when kicking off. The rest of the team were dire without any ideas of what to do at the line. If this is the best Hillaire can turn out then he might as well pack up as well. Totally inept and ineffectual.
Adey
says...
5:30pm Sun 1 Aug 10
Far Away wrote:Harsh...cos it's not all Sykes fault for the poor defence and the knock-on's....or the very very dubious refereeing! Best thing James Childs did today was send Worrincy off for 10mins. But the team got in front and the team threw it away, knock on from kick-off from Menzies, kick out on the full, pass into touch, Platt knock on...list is endless. Definately need a clear out...a new backline and some beef in the pack!
What does 'come under Potters radar' actually mean? If you come under the radar you will not be spotted!! To be viable, radar needs to 'see' what is there. What a stupid headline.
Also just listened to the biggest piece of rubbish from Odsal I ever heard. Who the h**l gave Sykes another contract? If it was Potter then he has gone well down in my estimation already. Sykes lost us the game singlehandedly by the worst kicking game I have heard. He can not kick penalties more than 10'' and insists on kicking out to touch on the full when kicking off. The rest of the team were dire without any ideas of what to do at the line. If this is the best Hillaire can turn out then he might as well pack up as well. Totally inept and ineffectual.
holmewood bull
says...
5:45pm Sun 1 Aug 10
Tricky Dicky
says...
5:48pm Sun 1 Aug 10
We all look forward to a new season. Mr St Hilaire has shown he has no better ideas than his mentor and obviously is not the magical Mr Motivator we require. We are between a rock and a hard place. I think a lot of the players do not expect to be wearing those proud Northern colours next year and are playing as if. I am the eternal optimist - we will win the League next year. And to show the way, we will beat Wigan and Saints in our final two games.
Stiff drink now ready. Dream mode now playing.
haitch
says...
6:10pm Sun 1 Aug 10
Tricky Dicky wrote:Can't argue with your comments Tricky. I was spared as had just started listening, Bulls were already 6 nil down after 4 minutes (so much for Godwins 'Quick out of the box' thread!!) When visitors arrived and had to switch off.
Well St Hilaire is a "you know who" clone so did you expect anything different? During his stint at Odsal, our National coach assembled the most disjoint and inconguous side on record and instilled a loser's mentality through the squad. Quite simply disasterous, we have lost to the bottom three, two of them at home! Fortress Odsal?? But my daggers are out for the silent Mr Hood who allowed "you know who" free rein to continue for so long. I'll keep on repeating it. He should have walked with the recently sacked coach. We all look forward to a new season. Mr St Hilaire has shown he has no better ideas than his mentor and obviously is not the magical Mr Motivator we require. We are between a rock and a hard place. I think a lot of the players do not expect to be wearing those proud Northern colours next year and are playing as if. I am the eternal optimist - we will win the League next year. And to show the way, we will beat Wigan and Saints in our final two games. Stiff drink now ready. Dream mode now playing.
You are so right about the debacle "you know who" left us.
I have never known a Coach make so many inept signings. He couldn't afford the best so he just felt he had to sign whoever was available. Hence the ramshackle of a side we are left with.
I think they have hit rock bottom being unable to beat a weakened bottom of the league Catalans who must surely have had one eye on next week. Dreadful!
t'old man
says...
6:35pm Sun 1 Aug 10
dibsy
says...
7:35pm Sun 1 Aug 10
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franklyn says...
12:32pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Bulls need leadership. Orford sadly didn't work, but someone of his stature is needed to lead the team forward.
Finding the right platers at a price bulls can afford is going to be a big job for potter,and i wish him all the best;
It's going to be a long haul to get the bulls back as a force in S/L, 2 years will not be long enough,but who knows? if things are going in the right direction potter may decide to stay on and complete the job.
With more home grown players having to represent thier clubs,bulls look to be ok with the crop of promissing youngsters we have seen. and with the right blend of new additions we should start and pick up,
Here's to the future!
codeword plan -talk, thats what the board need to do.