A change at the top could be the catalyst for a sea change at Odsal.

After 14 years of promoting from within, the Bulls finally look set to focus their gaze elsewhere when Steve McNamara departs the coaching hot-seat to lead England full-time.

Brian Smith’s appontment in 1996 started a chain of continuity that has served Bradford well throughout the Super League era. He passed the baton to assistant Matt Elliott, who in turn handed it to Brian Noble before McNamara became the man in possession during 2006.

But, come the end of the season, it’s likely we’ll be saying ‘bye, bye bootroom’. Whether that’s a good thing remains to be seen.

Although McNamara has been the least successful of the four in terms of cold, hard results, his departure still feels somewhat premature.

The 38-year-old has existed under entirely different circumstances to each of his predecessors yet, even without the same kind of resources, has implemented several long-term strategies which should form the basis of a bright future.

Following his appointment in April 2006, McNamara led the club to three consecutive top-five finishes before the aberration of last year’s ninth-place.

That was a significant blot on his record but he will leave a strong legacy, particularly in terms of youth development and creating an environment in which players can thrive.

The facilities available in Bradford’s new training complex at Tong School will prove particularly appealing to any potential successor and they will inherit a squad rich in spirit and enthusiasm.

But, having escaped a period of uncertainty over McNamara’s future, the Bulls have been greeted by yet more uncertainty, an end to one avenue of speculation only opens up months of more endless speculation.

At this stage, nobody knows who will be putting the Bulls through their paces come the start of pre-season training for 2011 and, while haste in choosing a replacement would not be wise, precision and speed would.

The new man needs time to take stock of the club’s strengths and weaknesses, to formulate plans for the future before actually settling into the hot-seat.

Due to the nature of rugby league, the time to start thinking about next season’s squad will soon be upon us and there is little point recruiting heavily without the input and guidance of the new coach.

If the Bulls are to break from the bootroom, they should be bold.

As McNamara was preparing to take up his new role, his England predecessor issued a stark warning to everyone involved in English rugby league.

Usually a great champion of the sport in this country, Warrington coach Tony Smith begrudgingly admitted the NRL was currently light years ahead of Super League.

He said: “It is like watching another sport.

“It hurts me to say this because I want us to have the number one product. I have no interest in going back to the NRL, but I have to say that their game is ahead of us at the moment and I don’t like it.”

Those words should resonate with the Bulls as they seek out the right man to take them forward, as should the fact that McNamara is set to spend time Down Under studying coaching techniques that might be able to advance the national team.

Still the Australians are ahead of the curve when it comes to preparation and development of players – where they lead, we tend to follow.

Sports science, nutrition and the application of technology are key to methods in the NRL and, incidentally, have been key to McNamara’s own coaching style during his time at Bradford.

A quick glance across the Pennines shows the impact Michael Maguire has had at Wigan, transforming them into strong Grand Final favourites, and, closer to home, Nathan Brown has transformed Huddersfield into a force to be reckoned with.

But it will not be easy to replicate that kind of success. Both of those clubs had significantly more moolah to throw at their chosen candidate and deeper pockets with which to fund squad-building efforts.

Whether from home or abroad, the Bulls’ anointed one must be happy and able to work with a tighter budget. It should also be a priority to pick someone willing to give youth a chance, as too much work has been done bringing through the next generation of playing stars for that to go to waste now.

There is a long and arduous road ahead.