Bradford Bulls must not allow ‘magician’ Chase to cast spell (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Good news on the John Bateman front, I reckon he has the ability and potential to be very much in the mould of Paul Sculthorpe.

The problem is, if we keep an eye on Chase too much then there is also a lot of quality that will hurt us as well.
If we stick to the basics in defense and one tackles low and one tackles high to stop them releasing the ball then that is half the battle. In attack, if we can break he line then let's have players supporting the man with the ball. If other teams can do it then so can we.. As I said let's stick to the basic and the rest will take care of itself.

birkybull wrote:
Good news on the John Bateman front, I reckon he has the ability and potential to be very much in the mould of Paul Sculthorpe.

The problem is "birky" if the side continues in the same vain ,"Bateman","Whitehea
d" e.t.c wont be sticking around to find out.You are more likely to see them playing for one of the top four clubs,which we are certainly are'nt in that postion at the moment.
I know Warrington were sniffing around earlier in his career.

Missed the first game due to being on holiday,but watching the video back.The same old mistakes were there to the fore again?
Soft underbelly in the middle and some players still not looking fit enough!!!?
I know its "Old Chesnut" , but the buck stops with " Mr Potter".
How come so many players are still not right to play barring the new Prop & "Ellima"?

"Why is his crap defensive coach still at the club? The guy has had more reprieves than "American Serial Killer".

We are not going to win big games with players like "Sibbot " "Crookes" "Walker"&
"Sykes" in the squad!!

I also agree about the previous statements about "Hargreaves & Scruton".
I really wish they would do their talking on the pitch instead of in the T&A?

We need to have a far more mobile pack!!
"Langley" is now a "Prop" playing at Loose Forward?
I said that last season on this website!!
I would play "Donaldson" there now for a few of the matches and see if he can get some continuity in his play.
"Let's face it the kid was meant to be something special when he arrived"?
Personally I think he needs half a dozen games at that position to see if he can make it?
The current & previous "Blue -Print" certainly is'nt working.
Also Last season, I would have gone & got in "Karl Harrison " earlier to gee the troops up ,but we at this club have kept the same old "nut-megs on the coaching staff.
" O for Brian Smith again"?

How about letting the opposition worry about us for a change, by being solid in defence and creative in attack!

" O for Brian Smith again"?

Whats he going to do??even Wayne Bennett a far better coach couldn't make silk purse out of this present sows ear!
MP has still got hard job to turn round what went wrong and not having a Club which cannot spend beyond the Salary Cap is not making it any easier.
Its the usual start of season optimism over realism lets hope some pragmatism kicks in soon

HANLEY IS A LEGEND wrote:

birkybull wrote:
Good news on the John Bateman front, I reckon he has the ability and potential to be very much in the mould of Paul Sculthorpe.

The problem is "birky" if the side continues in the same vain ,"Bateman","Whitehea

d" e.t.c wont be sticking around to find out.You are more likely to see them playing for one of the top four clubs,which we are certainly are'nt in that postion at the moment.
I know Warrington were sniffing around earlier in his career.

Missed the first game due to being on holiday,but watching the video back.The same old mistakes were there to the fore again?
Soft underbelly in the middle and some players still not looking fit enough!!!?
I know its "Old Chesnut" , but the buck stops with " Mr Potter".
How come so many players are still not right to play barring the new Prop & "Ellima"?

"Why is his crap defensive coach still at the club? The guy has had more reprieves than "American Serial Killer".

We are not going to win big games with players like "Sibbot " "Crookes" "Walker"&
"Sykes" in the squad!!

I also agree about the previous statements about "Hargreaves & Scruton".
I really wish they would do their talking on the pitch instead of in the T&A?

We need to have a far more mobile pack!!
"Langley" is now a "Prop" playing at Loose Forward?
I said that last season on this website!!
I would play "Donaldson" there now for a few of the matches and see if he can get some continuity in his play.
"Let's face it the kid was meant to be something special when he arrived"?
Personally I think he needs half a dozen games at that position to see if he can make it?
The current & previous "Blue -Print" certainly is'nt working.
Also Last season, I would have gone & got in "Karl Harrison " earlier to gee the troops up ,but we at this club have kept the same old "nut-megs on the coaching staff.
" O for Brian Smith again"?

I think the use of " " around everyone's name is a little "OTT" I mean after all these aren't "Cliches" are they? They are "human beings" and despite what "everyone" thinks, it's not completely "unfixable"

The backrow is way too light. Sibbit maybe defensively sound but he's not gonna bust tackles, likewise Donaldson and for the best part of 80mins, Langley too! Elima & Whitehead are first choice backrowers and I'd rather see Joseph moved to the backrow to add some sheer size to the pack and he's pretty mobile on his feet too. The frontrow isn't the biggest in the league and Manuakafoa coming back will be a welcome boost, but Catalan isn't the make or break game of the year. But things need to be addressed and the size of the pack is one of them. I'd start with Hargreaves, Diskin & Kopczak, Joseph, Whitehead & Langley to start with Burgess, Scruton & Donaldson off the bench. Add some real size to the pack!!!

We are not going to win many with the present pack, sorry but they are to weak to compete with top sides in S/L.
Coppy looked no better than ordinary last week, scru isnt up to it (thats why leeds let him go) and its now clear why saints let hargreaves go, he's also short of being good enough. donno isnt liiving up to what he looked like being as a youngster, and as for sibbit you can forget him. langers isnt half the player he was, just have to hope the new aussie prop is ok, and joseph turns up trumps for us.
Its going to be a long hard season.

AdeyG'man wrote:

HANLEY IS A LEGEND wrote:

birkybull wrote: Good news on the John Bateman front, I reckon he has the ability and potential to be very much in the mould of Paul Sculthorpe.

The problem is "birky" if the side continues in the same vain ,"Bateman","Whitehea d" e.t.c wont be sticking around to find out.You are more likely to see them playing for one of the top four clubs,which we are certainly are'nt in that postion at the moment. I know Warrington were sniffing around earlier in his career. Missed the first game due to being on holiday,but watching the video back.The same old mistakes were there to the fore again? Soft underbelly in the middle and some players still not looking fit enough!!!? I know its "Old Chesnut" , but the buck stops with " Mr Potter". How come so many players are still not right to play barring the new Prop & "Ellima"? "Why is his crap defensive coach still at the club? The guy has had more reprieves than "American Serial Killer". We are not going to win big games with players like "Sibbot " "Crookes" "Walker"& "Sykes" in the squad!! I also agree about the previous statements about "Hargreaves & Scruton". I really wish they would do their talking on the pitch instead of in the T&A? We need to have a far more mobile pack!! "Langley" is now a "Prop" playing at Loose Forward? I said that last season on this website!! I would play "Donaldson" there now for a few of the matches and see if he can get some continuity in his play. "Let's face it the kid was meant to be something special when he arrived"? Personally I think he needs half a dozen games at that position to see if he can make it? The current & previous "Blue -Print" certainly is'nt working. Also Last season, I would have gone & got in "Karl Harrison " earlier to gee the troops up ,but we at this club have kept the same old "nut-megs on the coaching staff. " O for Brian Smith again"?

I think the use of " " around everyone's name is a little "OTT" I mean after all these aren't "Cliches" are they? They are "human beings" and despite what "everyone" thinks, it's not completely "unfixable" The backrow is way too light. Sibbit maybe defensively sound but he's not gonna bust tackles, likewise Donaldson and for the best part of 80mins, Langley too! Elima & Whitehead are first choice backrowers and I'd rather see Joseph moved to the backrow to add some sheer size to the pack and he's pretty mobile on his feet too. The frontrow isn't the biggest in the league and Manuakafoa coming back will be a welcome boost, but Catalan isn't the make or break game of the year. But things need to be addressed and the size of the pack is one of them. I'd start with Hargreaves, Diskin & Kopczak, Joseph, Whitehead & Langley to start with Burgess, Scruton & Donaldson off the bench. Add some real size to the pack!!!

AdeyG man, I think you have to play "horses for courses",but too often now are the Bulls undone by bad discipline, poor general play,poor personal fitness & by players who are not good enough and cant step up to mark.
I know its early days but the warning signs are there again for all to see?
Even the press and media feel sorry the Bulls now.
"How the mighty has fallen".
Really do hope come mid -season me and the other people who seem to able to read the game and understand the sport are'nt saying we told you so?
All I am looking for is some fresh signs of progress from the club!!

Our more junior players now need to step up to the plate and poor squad players need to be shipped out.
That said I think "Jeffreys" should be the one to be shipped out to Fev and not Kyle Briggs, but its about opinions.

Just seen the squad for Sunday on the Bulls website:

Burgess, Crookes, Diskin, Donaldson, Gale, Hargreaves, Jeffries, Joseph, Kear, Kearney, Kopczak, Langley, L'Estrange, Purtell, Sammut, Scruton, Sibbit, Walker, Whitehead.

Only change is that Whitehead has come in for Bateman.

Disappointed that there's no Ainscough as I don't think Crookes was good on Sunday but having said that he didn't have much service.

Need a win on Sunday because I don't fancy our chances against Wigan at home next week.

Koppy wasnt good becuase he thought he was james Graham, taking it to the line n turning it up before contact. He needs to be more direct. Phil Joseph isnt a 2nd rower in a month of sundays he would be cought out, out wide where its a more 1 on 1 tackle. He is in the middle because he is a big lad to do the hard yakka.

Nar then sheffield!
You better tell that neighbour of yours!
Mr potter! stop rangi chase .
Stop castleford! Simple! Like you!

birkybull wrote:
Koppy wasnt good becuase he thought he was james Graham, taking it to the line n turning it up before contact. He needs to be more direct. Phil Joseph isnt a 2nd rower in a month of sundays he would be cought out, out wide where its a more 1 on 1 tackle. He is in the middle because he is a big lad to do the hard yakka.

Birkeybull u talk nonsense, are you a proff rugby league player?? To be dishing out advice on how players should play makes you look like such a tool

birkybull wrote:
Koppy wasnt good becuase he thought he was james Graham, taking it to the line n turning it up before contact. He needs to be more direct. Phil Joseph isnt a 2nd rower in a month of sundays he would be cought out, out wide where its a more 1 on 1 tackle. He is in the middle because he is a big lad to do the hard yakka.

Good call. I watched Phil at Cas, difficult to make an assessment due to the opposition that day. he looked a solid unit and was as keen as mustard. I know i keep bang in on about tackling, but last weeks debacle showed this present squad up for what they are!!Last night Salford for an hour looked a good team against Saints. I thought before the season started 10th was probably where we would finish. It could be worse. I know we are 1 game in but it's the same rubbish that was served up last season.

Good win last night but still much work to be done. And with due respect to wakey they are not in the same class as wigan or warrington. Defence in parts was poor again but improved as the game went on. on the whole much better than last week. Thought koppy got through a lot of work. Was also good to see jeffries have a good game. we need the halves playing well.