Bradford Bulls: Cummins delight as he declares Scruton in good Nick for new season (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Bradford Bulls: Francis Cummins' delight as he declares Scruton in good Nick for new season
7:00am Thursday 22nd November 2012 in Bulls
By Ross Heppenstall, Bradford Bulls Reporter
Francis Cummins is delighted Nick Scruton is finally injury free and is praying he stays that way throughout the 2013 season
Francis Cummins believes Nick Scruton’s return to full fitness will be like a “new signing” for the Bulls next season.
The former Leeds prop is gearing up for a big year after a couple of injury-plagued campaigns meant Bradford fans saw him at his marauding best only in patches.
An operation to repair ligament damage in his wrist forced 27-year-old Scruton to miss the end of the 2011 season.
He also needed regular injections in his groin and was diagnosed with type-one diabetes.
Scruton played in the opening four rounds of last season and was looking to recapture his best form until sustaining a long-term shoulder injury during the win at Hull KR on March 10.
It was another cruel setback which meant Scruton barely featured for the first-team again in 2012. But he now looks set to play an important role this coming season.
Cummins said: “Having Nick fit is almost like having a new signing because we’ve not really had him available for 12 months.
“Even when he played at the start of last year, he wasn’t able to train fully, so I’m looking forward to him continuing training the way he has since he came back for pre-season.
“We’ve talked to all the forwards individually and Nick is probably as frustrated as anyone else about not playing much. But he’s now injury-free – touch wood – and hasn’t got any issues which prevent him from doing certain things. He’s running freely and is fully fit, which I’m delighted about.
“As a squad we’re going to need Nick, along with everyone else, to be fully fit and to improve next year.”
The Bulls’ pack has been decimated by the departure of Bryn Hargreaves, Craig Kopczak, Tom Burgess and Olivier Elima.
Cummins is therefore keen to recruit at least one more prop to bolster his squad but has stressed he is no rush to make the signing.
The Bulls boss will continue to patiently scour the market and wait for the right player to become available.
For Cummins, attitude is as important as ability.
He explained: “Ideally, I’d like to have all my squad in now. But we shouldn’t forget where the club has been in recent times.
“There aren’t too many players around at this moment in time and if they are then they may not necessarily fit Bradford Bulls.
“We’ve got to be patient because we want the right player but we want the right person too.
“There’s no point me getting a couple of players in, realising that they’re not right for the squad and the environment and then players become available.”
Meanwhile, half-back Cain Southernwood, 20, has joined Championship outfit Whitehaven after agreeing a settlement on the remaining year on his contract with the Bulls.
"I'm looking forward to it, there's a lot of good players signed here," Southernwood said.
"It seems like we've got a good squad together and I'm looking forward to a big season."
Comments(28)
Solomon Grundy
says...
8:42am Thu 22 Nov 12
But that won't happen because we don't have enough front rows. He'll be playing 50 mins a game from the off and then the likelihood is that he'll get injured.
Steampig
says...
9:07am Thu 22 Nov 12
flashdonut
says...
9:56am Thu 22 Nov 12
topbombing
says...
10:41am Thu 22 Nov 12
monobrow man
says...
10:46am Thu 22 Nov 12
Uglytruth
says...
11:18am Thu 22 Nov 12
why not go in for mason? aggression, very physical and would go half way to replacing elima
barbarian mike
says...
11:28am Thu 22 Nov 12
Uglytruth wrote:Mason isn't quarter of the player elima is!
Nonsense being spoken by FC AGAIN! It's common knowledge that scruton isn't rated by anyone at bulls, he's wanted off the wage bill and he's never going to be a decent prop after too long being injured. now FC has no one else to turn to he suddenly rates scruton?? he will be injured by round 4
why not go in for mason? aggression, very physical and would go half way to replacing elima
raisemeup
says...
11:28am Thu 22 Nov 12
Can the Bulls guarantee that?
Have we not learnt anything from the Kopzuk (even forgot how to spell his name, shows I'm missing him already??) Ainscough, Elima and Crookes situation. They opted for a security deal of over at least two seasons.
So if anyone actually thinks the RFL have done us a great favour in granting a concession of a one year probationary period in SL Maybe we should see it for what it actually is???.
Perhaps like the people on here who are writing us off before we start a season, they also should learn to show a little more empathy, and support to those people and the new owners, who have taken up the challenge by letting them get on with it, without critics already sharpening the knives and getting ready for another night of the long knives.
Just a theory, but the fact of all these one year deals coupled with the loss of the yearly sum of £600k from the TV rights etc.Maybe doesn't stick well from an agents point of view. It does make it more than a coincidence!
Through all that I have the faith that despite these odds we will show 'em all - as the saying goes
"Nils Desparandum" or "Carpe Diem" or some such words to that effect.
COYB.
kitman
says...
11:39am Thu 22 Nov 12
franklyn
says...
11:50am Thu 22 Nov 12
As for him being fully fit, i'd like to know which genius is able to tell this when he hasn't played any regular rugby for 12 months.
Scru owes a lot to the bulls,and i just hope he can prove us wrong and have a great season.
Can't help thinking, i can see why leeds let him go.
liverpoolbull
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12:10pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Uglytruth
says...
12:22pm Thu 22 Nov 12
liverpoolbull wrote:I think FC knows why Leeds got shut of scruton!
Rather have Scrutes on board , someone who stays because he wants to , also has a debt to pay and a point to prove , or would you rather have another Kopout , I think not
I dont think any club would pick him up quite like young donaldson as they are both well and truly knackered.
the club need to free up scrutons wage in order to find an alternative prop who can go the whole 30 mins per half as otherwise we are going to struggle.
he may have been in the england set up back in 2009 but that is mr mcnamara for you!!!
doctor.t
says...
1:29pm Thu 22 Nov 12
topbombing wrote:http://www.sportingl
Keith Mason is without a club, he could do a job.
ife.com/rugby-league
/news/article/480/82
66616/keith-mason-le
aves-huddersfield
The above link may explain why F.C. hasn't made a move for Mason.
THEMANOFSTEEL
says...
1:38pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Mumby was the best
says...
2:47pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Uglytruth wrote:Absolute garbage!! Until his illness and wrist injury Scruton was a standout prop for the Bulls.
liverpoolbull wrote:I think FC knows why Leeds got shut of scruton!
Rather have Scrutes on board , someone who stays because he wants to , also has a debt to pay and a point to prove , or would you rather have another Kopout , I think not
I dont think any club would pick him up quite like young donaldson as they are both well and truly knackered.
the club need to free up scrutons wage in order to find an alternative prop who can go the whole 30 mins per half as otherwise we are going to struggle.
he may have been in the england set up back in 2009 but that is mr mcnamara for you!!!
By your theory we should have ditched Paul Anderson when he did his cruciate in a pre season match, because prior to that while at Halifax he had a serious life threatening illness. Good job people who know better than you didn`t.
Tricky Dicky
says...
3:20pm Thu 22 Nov 12
As for Mason, leave him to Wakefield. Go look for a hungry mid-twenties prop in the Championship. The meaner the better.
Videoref
says...
3:47pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Tricky Dicky wrote:Crossley??
It's a very big year for Nick Scruton. Live up to his former potential and he will be a big bonus and could even become our resident prop for the future. But another injury-plagued, low performance season will mean thank you and goodbye. Mr Cummins is placing a great deal of faith in the Leeds old boys. Good luck.
As for Mason, leave him to Wakefield. Go look for a hungry mid-twenties prop in the Championship. The meaner the better.
Tricky Dicky
says...
4:03pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Videoref wrote:Ours is not to reason why.
Tricky Dicky wrote:Crossley??
It's a very big year for Nick Scruton. Live up to his former potential and he will be a big bonus and could even become our resident prop for the future. But another injury-plagued, low performance season will mean thank you and goodbye. Mr Cummins is placing a great deal of faith in the Leeds old boys. Good luck.
As for Mason, leave him to Wakefield. Go look for a hungry mid-twenties prop in the Championship. The meaner the better.
Shelfrhino
says...
7:08pm Thu 22 Nov 12
liverpoolbull wrote:Deluded fool, Scrotum stayed with your club because no-one else wanted him, especially if the reports of him earning 100k+ are true. TMFMISL will smash him.
Rather have Scrutes on board , someone who stays because he wants to , also has a debt to pay and a point to prove , or would you rather have another Kopout , I think not
Mumby was the best
says...
8:19pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Shelfrhino
says...
8:32pm Thu 22 Nov 12
I could understand it if you were reading vikings or sheffdulls posts though.
Or is it just the fact you have nothing interesting to say....again?
ifallwerelikemumby
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9:37pm Thu 22 Nov 12
-HCK3R-
says...
9:39pm Thu 22 Nov 12
ifallwerelikemumby wrote:Still no sense from the voices I see......
Mumbly could send a glass eye to sleep shelf.
Mumby was the best
says...
10:07pm Thu 22 Nov 12
ifallwerelikemumby wrote:I keep hearing this duck break wind.
Mumbly could send a glass eye to sleep shelf.
Shelfrhino
says...
11:04pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Mumby was the best wrote:That's HCK3R you can hear. I don't think it's a duck though, more like a ****.
ifallwerelikemumby wrote:I keep hearing this duck break wind.
Mumbly could send a glass eye to sleep shelf.
hx3bantam
says...
5:58am Fri 23 Nov 12
Good Luck to Scrutes. He deserves it. A great character to have around. I watched the 2008 WCC again yesterday and he's at the front leading the singing after the game. Mad as a box of frogs!
ifallwerelikemumby
says...
7:14am Fri 23 Nov 12
bullybullman says...
8:20am Thu 22 Nov 12