McNamara full of praise for players despite defeat at Hull (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

I totally agree with Macca’s comment about effort. The lads did work like Trojans. I arrived 15 minutes late so I can’t comment on that part. We did miss Orford near the line but his absence isn’t the reason we lost last night. We lost because we didn’t have any real flair or class in the team that could open them up. We were sat there waiting for them to get within 20 yards so we could get excited. We knew that we weren’t going to score from further out than that because there is no real pace in the team. Platt did actually show the only quick feet we had along with Kearney and I would leave him there with Sykes in the other centre spot. The forwards stood nose to nose with them and didn’t give an inch but it was all one man charge when we had the ball. They were better ball handlers and tried to play better rugby. When Macca says we matched them I think he means in the arm wrestle as we still play one up rugby. Without Orford we needed the number 9s to do more but they didn’t. They are also players that start to play 10 yards out because they are passers not fast attacking hookers like some teams have. Oh for another Henderson or even a Roby, Monnaghan or Budderus. I see Hudd’s want to put Robinson to 9 so he can use his attacking speed there! I like L’Estrange but he isn’t a fast attacking player that can get us out of our own half by spotting a gap.
Good effort last night. They tried their hearts out but we just don’t have the pace and flair to hit teams from distance. All they have to do is kick us back into our own half and they know we can’t score from there. Harlequins next week so that will be an easy two points – won’t it?

It should be a cracking four-pointer against Leeds at Easter though!

Is that a bottom-four pointer or a top-four pointer Tricky?

Last night was a good old fashioned war of attrition between two very evenly matched sides. Absolutely nothing to choose between the two sides in the first half and but for a coplue of slip ups by the lads in the second half the result could have been different.
I was unaware of any bug that has been doing the rounds at the club and if that is true the lads put in a huge defensive effort last night against a very strong Hull FC side who themselves produced a good defensive performance.
Had we had the creative spark of an on form Orford (second half against Wigan type Orford) and the slight rub of the green decision wise we would have won last night.
That was probably the best Hull have got to throw at teams this year in terms of a performance and we more than coped with it for a large chunk of the game but for the times they crossed the whitewash.
If that is Hull at there most creative going forward then come the end of the season we will finish above them in the table as better sides than us will easily cope with what they have to offer.
So it was disapointing not to get the result last night but the one crumb of comfort that can be taken is that although we lacked the creative spark to get through the effort and commitiment for the shirt was there and when hopefully the creative spark of an all singing all dancing on form general like an on form Orford returns the results will follow.
We should win next week and we will never have a better chance given their own injury problems to go to Headingley and chalk up an easter win. Couple that with victory over the Crusaders on easter monday and three weeks form now things should look a hell of a lot rosier.

Seven weeks on, 4 losses 3 wins. Looking good Bulls.

am now starting to wonder if the good come back against wigan that raised all our hope wasnt down to the bulls playing well but more down to wigan putting the cue on the rack at half time thinking they had won the game?? we have played warrington who hammered us, and hull who got pasted by wigan??

if we say we missed orford that much does this mean we are a 1 man attacking team and we cannot break down a defence without him. others need to start to stand up and be counted.

for me i was giving the team the benifit of doubt, but now the doubt is creeping in again, not good enuf im affraid.

Yes we will probably beat quins next up but who hasnt this sesson.

we need to be improving against the so called bigger teams and for me we are no where near yet.

I think we will continue to be "nearly there" this year. I agree about that Wigan result possibly giving people more hope than we should have. You only had to take away the 100% endeavour last night and there wasn't enough left to be a top team. We some of that attacking flair, pace and skill that Saints seem to have in their DNA. We are a solid, predictable team. We need to be more flamboyant in attack to really worry the top teams. Hull probably won't get in the top four and are a mid-table team but they dealt with us fairly easily. Orford will make a difference but he isn't exactly a lightning quick player who will break from his own half and set up length of the field attacks. He is good about 20 yards out along with Heath and Wagga.

One thing that really stood out for me last night particularly in the second half was the way Long simply banged the ball down the field to Halley, knowing that he would get tackled close to his line. Every time we got possession we had the length of the field in front of us, which is why we got so little quality possession.
I like Halley but its already been said on this site that his size is a problem and I think its time to try Reardon in the Harlequins game.

We’ve had, without doubt, the toughest seven fixtures the competition has dished out to any team,” he said.

“Some of the fixtures we’ve had, we’ve hit some of the top teams straight up.

this is probably be the case but we have come up wanting in the majority of these games, it will not really get any easier as the season roles on, we had the excuse of a sickness bug this week, what about if we start to pick up injuries? will that be another excuse ? we can not keep using excuses, the truth is we havmt been good enough to win the games we have lost. nearly winning or battling hard and almost winning, or winning 1 half is not good enough, that said i feel we will win this week, keep up our 50% record.

the only bonus is that the whino's also lost, and the thing that makes that a bonus is that it keeps Howard quiet every week!

Q. 1. Is there any SL team who would swap their coach for Macca ?

Q.2. When you've answered "no" to Q.1, what does that tell you about Macca ?
It's killing me every week is this.

Yes I was at the game last night and the main difference in the BULLS was that they kept at it for the full 80 minutes, all the effort and field position we had in the 1st half though could not be converted into points.
Hull got their breakthrough just before halftime and I felt it came with a bit of good fortune as the ref seamed to miss a knock on, you could see the frustration in the lads while we waited the conversion.
This good fortune seamed to run through the second half too but the lads didn’t give up and kept on battling and were rewarded with a Reardon try in the last couple of minutes.
If the lads perform like this against the Quins next week it will be a BULLS win without doubt.
COM’ON YOU BULLS.

Yes we have played some of the top teams, and only 1 of the rubbish ones. There are probably 8/9 teams who are all very similar this year though (Leeds probably should be the stand out team, but for some reason are not performing yet). Bulls, both Hull teams, Saints, Wigan are probably all similarly talented. Wigan have had a good start, but are not a special team, Saints are not the team they were. Hudds are coached by probably the best coach in the league who has a very effective style, Warrington have a shed load of stars, somehow under the salary cap ;) ... and the rest i feel are below us.
Injuries to our pivotal players permitting, we are battling for probably 3rd-8th place with similar teams. We will run better on firm grounds, our plays off our halves will be more effective the more they play together. We will be ok, and all the teams around us ability wise (in my opinion) will beat each other.
We can't expect to be like we were (and no other team either, am sure most fans are passing similar comments on their teams as we are), the reduction in standards due to Salary cap has seen to that.
Our defence has massively improved, so not too worried about that. We have probably the best half back pairing in the league, and one of the packs. Our wingers are ok as wingers, there are very few good wingers in Super League, Richards is the only one i can think of off the top of my head. Our centres probably need some work or swapping around, we were spoiled with Shonny and Les, there were few to match them then (Jamie Lyon maybe) and there are few around, if any, now.
What we blatently lacked last night was an impact player, our Vagana/Anderson/Burg
ess to come and smash it up in the middle. We have good players but they are all so similar, no-one that can come on and change how a game is going, just people who can freshen it up fitness wise.
We were better team first half, they were second half in a defensive game, we stopped playing any kind of rugby for some reason until the last play, and there was no-one to bring on to change that until he decided to bring on L'estrange at scrum half and move Kearney out, it worked, the ball moved quicker, we scored, just too late!
Things will be ok!! It's all going to be down to injuries and luck as to who beats who when in our mid-table battles.

vanginger wrote:
Yes we have played some of the top teams, and only 1 of the rubbish ones. There are probably 8/9 teams who are all very similar this year though (Leeds probably should be the stand out team, but for some reason are not performing yet). Bulls, both Hull teams, Saints, Wigan are probably all similarly talented. Wigan have had a good start, but are not a special team, Saints are not the team they were. Hudds are coached by probably the best coach in the league who has a very effective style, Warrington have a shed load of stars, somehow under the salary cap ;) ... and the rest i feel are below us. Injuries to our pivotal players permitting, we are battling for probably 3rd-8th place with similar teams. We will run better on firm grounds, our plays off our halves will be more effective the more they play together. We will be ok, and all the teams around us ability wise (in my opinion) will beat each other. We can't expect to be like we were (and no other team either, am sure most fans are passing similar comments on their teams as we are), the reduction in standards due to Salary cap has seen to that. Our defence has massively improved, so not too worried about that. We have probably the best half back pairing in the league, and one of the packs. Our wingers are ok as wingers, there are very few good wingers in Super League, Richards is the only one i can think of off the top of my head. Our centres probably need some work or swapping around, we were spoiled with Shonny and Les, there were few to match them then (Jamie Lyon maybe) and there are few around, if any, now. What we blatently lacked last night was an impact player, our Vagana/Anderson/Burg ess to come and smash it up in the middle. We have good players but they are all so similar, no-one that can come on and change how a game is going, just people who can freshen it up fitness wise. We were better team first half, they were second half in a defensive game, we stopped playing any kind of rugby for some reason until the last play, and there was no-one to bring on to change that until he decided to bring on L'estrange at scrum half and move Kearney out, it worked, the ball moved quicker, we scored, just too late! Things will be ok!! It's all going to be down to injuries and luck as to who beats who when in our mid-table battles.

Yes having seen all 7 games I think so far you assessment is spot on, the key to the season is definitely going to be personal fitness and this will come with the more games the lads play.
I feel certain we will be in the mix come the end of the season.
COM’ON YOU BULLS.

It's about time Macca gave it up.

graham smith wrote:

vanginger wrote: Yes we have played some of the top teams, and only 1 of the rubbish ones. There are probably 8/9 teams who are all very similar this year though (Leeds probably should be the stand out team, but for some reason are not performing yet). Bulls, both Hull teams, Saints, Wigan are probably all similarly talented. Wigan have had a good start, but are not a special team, Saints are not the team they were. Hudds are coached by probably the best coach in the league who has a very effective style, Warrington have a shed load of stars, somehow under the salary cap ;) ... and the rest i feel are below us. Injuries to our pivotal players permitting, we are battling for probably 3rd-8th place with similar teams. We will run better on firm grounds, our plays off our halves will be more effective the more they play together. We will be ok, and all the teams around us ability wise (in my opinion) will beat each other. We can't expect to be like we were (and no other team either, am sure most fans are passing similar comments on their teams as we are), the reduction in standards due to Salary cap has seen to that. Our defence has massively improved, so not too worried about that. We have probably the best half back pairing in the league, and one of the packs. Our wingers are ok as wingers, there are very few good wingers in Super League, Richards is the only one i can think of off the top of my head. Our centres probably need some work or swapping around, we were spoiled with Shonny and Les, there were few to match them then (Jamie Lyon maybe) and there are few around, if any, now. What we blatently lacked last night was an impact player, our Vagana/Anderson/Burg ess to come and smash it up in the middle. We have good players but they are all so similar, no-one that can come on and change how a game is going, just people who can freshen it up fitness wise. We were better team first half, they were second half in a defensive game, we stopped playing any kind of rugby for some reason until the last play, and there was no-one to bring on to change that until he decided to bring on L'estrange at scrum half and move Kearney out, it worked, the ball moved quicker, we scored, just too late! Things will be ok!! It's all going to be down to injuries and luck as to who beats who when in our mid-table battles.

Yes having seen all 7 games I think so far you assessment is spot on, the key to the season is definitely going to be personal fitness and this will come with the more games the lads play. I feel certain we will be in the mix come the end of the season. COM’ON YOU BULLS.

you say other teams backs are no brtter than our's , don't know where you've been looking.
every team we have played this term have looked far stronger than bulls in the backs.
without ox last nite not one player had any idea how to break down hulls defence. being honest,apart from the consolation try late on we never looked like scoring a try.
hull were not a good side. they just kept to the basics, completed thier sets and kicked down to keep bulls in thier own half.
the try just before the break came from a scrum due to a daft mistake. and bulls looked a very tired team mid wat through the second half.
it just seems any one of our top players missing and the team go to pieces.(langly at warrington).Don't know if sculthorpe is ever going to be fit, some people say he's on a pay if you play contract. I'd like to know how that's possible under the salary cap.

thats my point, hull weren't special..2 tries from kicks and 1 that should have been tackled..another day,diff pitch, orford in, we'd win that.
it's an average super league and we're average in some areas, better than in others.
only hudd and warrington look a lot better than us in the games i have seen and from what my friends supporting other clubs say about their games.
there's not many hudd players i'd swap with ours either, their success is down to the best coach in the league

Steve Mac for the Sack. wrote:
It's about time Macca gave it up.

And about time you changed your record and gave up repeating yourself. If you can't be positive and constructive why bother posting on here. Should Leeds sack their coach as they have lost 4 also? Gone are the days when a team could guarantee a win and there will be plenty of upsets this year, so get behind the team and support them, win or lose. COYB

Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club wrote:

Steve Mac for the Sack. wrote:
It's about time Macca gave it up.

And about time you changed your record and gave up repeating yourself. If you can't be positive and constructive why bother posting on here. Should Leeds sack their coach as they have lost 4 also? Gone are the days when a team could guarantee a win and there will be plenty of upsets this year, so get behind the team and support them, win or lose. COYB

But that's the problem Ashbourne. Our so called supporters can't understand why we are not like we were five years ago- steamrolling sides. The game has changed - a lot of people would say for the better - but some Bulls supporters can't accept that. We've got what we've got and there aren't too many Vaganas/Andersons and Burgess's around to smash them up the middle.
I keep reading this is McNamara's team-well it is but within the constraints he's been given. Does anyone really believe he wouldn't have Morley or King or Webb in his side. Please be realistic.

Ashbourne and Reading, this is a forum to discuss the Bulls and the Coach is probably the most important element of that. Reading, you say that "we've got what we've got", but so does John Kear (working with a lot of rejects)at Wakefield, but he get's better results than Macca. Where were the Giants before Nathan Brown took over ? Has Tony Smith improved Warrington? The fact is that Macca has not shown himself capable of improving the Bulls and it is so frustrating to see it week in, week out....for the last 3 years. Possibly with the exception of Brian McDermott, I would choose every other coach in SL above Macca....and when the coach isn't up to it, the team can never be. Anything to the contrary, is just wishful thinking on your part.

Ashbourne Bulls Supporters Club wrote:

Steve Mac for the Sack. wrote: It's about time Macca gave it up.

And about time you changed your record and gave up repeating yourself. If you can't be positive and constructive why bother posting on here. Should Leeds sack their coach as they have lost 4 also? Gone are the days when a team could guarantee a win and there will be plenty of upsets this year, so get behind the team and support them, win or lose. COYB

No it's not. It's about time he gave it up, he isn't goood enough.

Why do I have to post something positive and constructive..we live in a democracy, I can post what I like and not post something just so the majority agree with it. If you don't like it then don't read it.

Leeds should not sack their back to back championship winning coach and nor will they, theyve got a man that can get it done, as proven.

There will be plenty of upsets allright none more so than the Bradford faithfull when they miss they playoffs - AGAIN.

What makes people like you who won't here anything sad said about the coach think people dont support the team because they do? We attend, we buy merchandise, we cheer, we support. We want a change for the better of the club - we support.

Just can't cut the mustard can't Macca.

Leeds will drop McLennan like a stone if they don't improve. They have sacked better coaches than him.
But I expect them to come good again, they have too many good players.



It is totally unfair to compare Macca's performances to those of the coaches at Wigan or Wire who have far more cash to spend (somehow within the cap) also Giants have spent heavily too.



Wakefield with John Kear are the same every season, Fly out of the blocks and finish mid to low table.

Whilst Macca has a lot to prove and would indeed love to have Morley, King etc., It doesn't alter the fact that he has achieved precisely nothing and in the end it is the results upon which he will be judged and not his shortage of funds.

OK, I'm not calling for his head because we knew it was going to be tough going for the past 3 weeks. I will say though that effort simply isn't enough. We've now played 120mins of Rugby and only scored one try and that tells it's own story. The lack of strike, the lack of a recognised finisher and the lack of impact off the bench to put pressure on opposition is starting to tell. I know it sounds like a broken record, but the pack lay the platform and the shortage of an impact prop off the bench is where it lies. Hull, Warrington & Huddersfield are massive...relying on Kopczak and Hall off the bench isn't enough. Too little too late but we might have been better signing Thackray when he was a free agent instead of Sculthorpe.

Adey wrote:
OK, I'm not calling for his head because we knew it was going to be tough going for the past 3 weeks. I will say though that effort simply isn't enough. We've now played 120mins of Rugby and only scored one try and that tells it's own story. The lack of strike, the lack of a recognised finisher and the lack of impact off the bench to put pressure on opposition is starting to tell. I know it sounds like a broken record, but the pack lay the platform and the shortage of an impact prop off the bench is where it lies. Hull, Warrington & Huddersfield are massive...relying on Kopczak and Hall off the bench isn't enough. Too little too late but we might have been better signing Thackray when he was a free agent instead of Sculthorpe.

How I see it,the problem lies in the lack of strike power in the outside backs more than lack of impact off the bench. The pack is not the problem. Yes they would benefit from Scully being fit, but until a couple of big fast centres with ability come along with at least another Winger of similar stature they will remain short of what's required. Another big strong prop will only add to the frustration as all the extra yards will count for nothing if the backs can't finish.

It's not the backs fault that the ball isn't getting to them in good positions. Blame the FB playing 6 and blame the past it HB we're paying mega bucks.

That's now five halves of rugby where we have failed to score a try. Forget the excuses of illness before this game, that can't apply to previous matches where we have looked equally inept.

The lads are trying their backsides off, i can't fault them there but we are not close to being a top side and the offensive structures McNamara has us playing to are just indicative of the fact that he is not a good coach.

I've had enough quite honestly - we'll probably mop up against some of the lesser sides but that does not make us a well coached team - when we come up against the best our coach's lack of quality lets us down as much as the lack of quality in our backs.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH! MCNAMARA OUT!

haitch wrote:

Adey wrote: OK, I'm not calling for his head because we knew it was going to be tough going for the past 3 weeks. I will say though that effort simply isn't enough. We've now played 120mins of Rugby and only scored one try and that tells it's own story. The lack of strike, the lack of a recognised finisher and the lack of impact off the bench to put pressure on opposition is starting to tell. I know it sounds like a broken record, but the pack lay the platform and the shortage of an impact prop off the bench is where it lies. Hull, Warrington & Huddersfield are massive...relying on Kopczak and Hall off the bench isn't enough. Too little too late but we might have been better signing Thackray when he was a free agent instead of Sculthorpe.

How I see it,the problem lies in the lack of strike power in the outside backs more than lack of impact off the bench. The pack is not the problem. Yes they would benefit from Scully being fit, but until a couple of big fast centres with ability come along with at least another Winger of similar stature they will remain short of what's required. Another big strong prop will only add to the frustration as all the extra yards will count for nothing if the backs can't finish.

Reardon doesn’t seam to have a problem going over the goal line when gets hold of the ball, he showed this on Friday night.
Give him more ball and I’m sure we will see some of his talent come through, we’ve all seen it, we all known what he is capable of and soon the rest of the team will, and may be start to trust him to do his job, score try’s.
COM’ON YOU BULLS.

It's true Reardon has the ability but the other three 3/4's have problems against the best.

It's no coincidence the runaway leading scorers in S/L ...Richards, Roberts, Riley, Walker and King are all Wingers who know how to finish and have some smart Centres to serve them. Bulls look good up front and in the halves but without the essential ingredient at 3/4's it's going to be a hard season against all but the lower teams. It's no coincidence either the Bulls better only the bottom 3 teams for points scored.

Seven games gone,five against so called top sides,that leaves seven games against the lesser sides presumably excepting Leeds.But even they look an average side now that they have a few injuries.In my opinion if they do not win five of these games then unfortunately Macca has to go.As I have already stated on here if Orford does not shine we are totally devoid of any ideas how to score tries.Accepted this is only based on watching on Sky but i have to admit I am not too sure we have improved much from last season.I hope I am proved wrong but I foresee another long hard season for all you regular supporters.

Mr MacNamara will go but not till the end of the season. The Aussie guys need to influence his predictable coaching style and add a bit of flair to the proceedings. It could all come good. Has anyone seen those green shoots appearing now that it is officially Spring? And as for Macca, his contract must be tighter than my mate Alf's wallet!