Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:26 pm  

NorthumbriaBull wrote:

Garside is part time, he’s got a teaching job

Well shows what I know Thanks for the info though.
Ok so 2 part timers from other clubs, hopefully there's more to come.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:29 pm  

Nothus wrote:

Well shows what I know Thanks for the info though.
Ok so 2 part timers from other clubs, hopefully there's more to come.

I think you are right to be concerned Nothus, I share that concern

So far we have signed largely the players who led us to a bottom placed finish in the league last season (albeit starting on -12 points).

Whilst I am very pleased to see that we have retained Oakes, Ryan and Chisholm against all expectations, I too expected that the shift to the 'hybrid' squad was meant to herald us signing a clutch of battle-hardened grizzled Championship players who could mix it with the roughnecks who populate many of the teams at our level. Whilst Minchella and Garside are definite upgrades to our squad they aren't quite what I had in mind as being battle-hardened and grizzled!

Forget the World Cup. Anyone worth getting will get FAR better offers (both monetary and league level) than we could offer.

When I read the RL press, various players are signing up for the likes of Swinton, Oldham, York, Keighley etc. Are we not in the market for those guys? Are they getting more money offered by those clubs? Or is the prospect of playing at Keighley or York more enticing than the Bulls?

We definitely need some experience and some grunt. Let's hope the other ten or so signings are going to provide it - because the current squad is going to get knocked about next season just as much as it was last.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Oct 17, 2017 5:09 pm  

The only thing that is concerning to me is the fact that we are only around 2 weeks of pre season training and we are where we are right now, squad not fully assembled and no idea who the coach is lol

[Bullseye]

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:17 pm  

S&C coach has moved on too. Need one of them to have any benefit from pre season training. Hopefully someone will be in post soon.

Agree we need some experienced forwards. Losing Moore and most likely Sironen leaves a big gap.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:04 pm  

When does pre-season start Nov 1st? We currently have 20 players. I don't think we'll have the full 30 until the world cup is finished. We might see players currently at clubs get moved on to bring players in from the world cup.

Of last years squad I'd still like to see us sign Magrin, Wilkinson and still holding out faint hope of Sironen

So if only Magrin and Wilkinson were to sign that would leave potentially 8 to come.

The squad still looks too young to me. We NEED 2 or 3 more older heads in the pack.

From a marketing point of view you'd like to think a few good signings would be announced towards the end of the recruitment for a final push to convince people to buy tickets.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Wed Oct 18, 2017 12:13 am  

psychostring wrote:

When does pre-season start Nov 1st? We currently have 20 players. I don't think we'll have the full 30 until the world cup is finished. We might see players currently at clubs get moved on to bring players in from the world cup.

Of last years squad I'd still like to see us sign Magrin, Wilkinson and still holding out faint hope of Sironen

So if only Magrin and Wilkinson were to sign that would leave potentially 8 to come.

The squad still looks too young to me. We NEED 2 or 3 more older heads in the pack.

From a marketing point of view you'd like to think a few good signings would be announced towards the end of the recruitment for a final push to convince people to buy tickets.

The squad is too young so you wanna sign wilkinson?

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Wed Oct 18, 2017 4:45 am  

Pyrah123 wrote:

The squad is too young so you wanna sign wilkinson?

Yeah, I did say there are 8 spots left to fill if we keep Magrin and Wilkinson and within that 8 we need 2 or 3 older heads.

Wilkinson is one of our promising young players that we need to keep hold of in my opinion.

If we don't sign a few older heads as well though we'll struggle in the same ways as we have this year when we come up against teams with older tougher blokes in the pack.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:17 am  

Did anyone else pick up on a line from Chalmers in the T&A article this morning? http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/15601281.Chalmers__Bulls_won__39_t_whinge_about_lowly_position/ Chalmers sees the squad currently being assembled as a statement of intent and said: "We've selected a team to get us out of League One. "We aim to be ultra competitive in League One or the Championship and we're going to push in the Challenge Cup. "or the Championship"? Is he still being delusional and thinking they're getting a reprieve even when the RFL stood up right next to him and said the Bulls are in League 1 next season? Or am I reading it wrong?

Did anyone else pick up on a line from Chalmers in the T&A article this morning? http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/15601281.Chalmers__Bulls_won__39_t_whinge_about_lowly_position/ Chalmers sees the squad currently being assembled as a statement of intent and said: "We've selected a team to get us out of League One. "We aim to be ultra competitive in League One or the Championship and we're going to push in the Challenge Cup. "or the Championship"? Is he still being delusional and thinking they're getting a reprieve even when the RFL stood up right next to him and said the Bulls are in League 1 next season? Or am I reading it wrong?

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:41 am  

I read that as a statement of intent? More of a'Our squad would be competitive in the Championship let alone League 1'

[Bulliac]

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Wed Oct 18, 2017 8:50 am  

Given that most of our squad have been given 2 year deals and we're apparently, 'going all out for promotion', I'd guess that he feels the players are good enough for the Championship too. To be fair, I wouldn't particularly disagree.