52 replies to this topic

[goldcard]

If it's any help, you're going through now what us Wires fans had constantly until very recently.
Swings/roundabouts, sporting cycles, whatever, all clubs have them.
Once a team hits the top, the only possible way from then is down.

[Tommy The C5t]

If it's any help, you're going through now what us Wires fans had constantly until very recently.
Swings/roundabouts, sporting cycles, whatever, all clubs have them.
Once a team hits the top, the only possible way from then is down.

This is different Bill, Warrington didn't have the foundations where we've had the 15,000/14,000 average gates, which have halved.

[Bulliac]

Oh I can. More than once!

Between my first full season of watching them in 1982 up to the birth of the Bulls brand in 1995, Northern had some really barren years that make the past couple of seasons look like a picnic.

Lowlights include getting stuffed at Odsal by Hull in front of a crowd of less than 2,000 during the Barry Seabourne coaching era. Almost managing to lose a Cup tie against Highfield under the dreadful tenure of Aussie coach Ron Willey. The cries of 'Willey Out!' during the game being the only thing that lightened the mood that day. And best (worst) of all, the debut of our £80k RU signing Terry Holmes away at Swinton. He got injured in the first ten minutes and missed the rest of the season, we lost the game 8-0 and went bottom of the league.

But you know what? It wasn't the end of the world.

Oh yes John, I wondered about the club apparently starting in 1996, I can remember, good and bad, from long before then too. There does seem to be a number of people who have lost sight of the fact that sport is competitive and that NO-ONE has some god given right to be at the top all the time. The day I go to a match thinking we have so pre-ordained right to win is the day I'll not bother.

We were poor, beyond poor if you like, chasing shadows and the referee to moan about decisions which might or might not have been wrong, and which wouldn't have mattered in the slightest if they'd just concentrated on the game. We're having a bad run; too many injuries, short of confidence, too many mistakes, giving away far too many silly penalties. When players of the quality of Steve Menzies are back chatting the ref it shows just how 'down' the side is at present.

On the good news front: despite losing several players covering for injuries in the first team and having to put academy lads in, the under twenties WON 28 -18. The journey wasn't wasted after all!!

[Johnoco]

Sorry lads but I don't think saying 'by we had it really bad in my day' is a good thing to do and not a good yardstick to set yourself. Manchester United were once a local side, I'm sure having lost the title to Chelsea they aren't just saying 'ah well, sport is cyclical, we have had our share', they will be planning to get back up there ASAP.

Don't get me wrong, I don't expect (or even want) to win every game, I don't mind a bit of variety (would I still be here if I did?) that encompasses good times and bad but the current attitude at the Bulls just seems to be 'ah well, what will happen will happen' as though it were the weather we are talking about. We are not rich but with the players we have, we should be doing a hell of a lot better. Not neccesarily winning trophies, just not playing so ###### and losing all the time. And if we are in the mire, Mr Hood should come out and tell us 'We are skint, expect a few years in the wilderness' It would be better than pretending we are still a player.

[Bitofaboogie]

parksider it was ok for wigan, finish bottom or break salary cap , easy

Wigan has never broken the salary cap.

[goldcard]

Wigan has never broken the salary cap.

Really?

[Bitofaboogie]

Really?

You shouldn't always believe everything that you read in the papers, although if you take the trouble to read that article it does tell you (amongst some untruths and non-facts) of what Wigan was found guilty.

So yes, really, Wigan has never broken the salary cap.

[Tommy The C5t]

Sorry lads but I don't think saying 'by we had it really bad in my day' is a good thing to do and not a good yardstick to set yourself. Manchester United were once a local side, I'm sure having lost the title to Chelsea they aren't just saying 'ah well, sport is cyclical, we have had our share', they will be planning to get back up there ASAP.

Don't get me wrong, I don't expect (or even want) to win every game, I don't mind a bit of variety (would I still be here if I did?) that encompasses good times and bad but the current attitude at the Bulls just seems to be 'ah well, what will happen will happen' as though it were the weather we are talking about. We are not rich but with the players we have, we should be doing a hell of a lot better. Not neccesarily winning trophies, just not playing so ###### and losing all the time. And if we are in the mire, Mr Hood should come out and tell us 'We are skint, expect a few years in the wilderness' It would be better than pretending we are still a player.

Spot on John and that is what I'm getting at.

[The Future is League]

i'm not fully aware of the situation as regards Bradford young players, but with nothing to lose wouldn't it be a good idea for Bradford to blood some more young players, or give some more experienece to young players who might have appeared in only a few games for the Bulls?

[Johnoco]

i'm not fully aware of the situation as regards Bradford young players, but with nothing to lose wouldn't it be a good idea for Bradford to blood some more young players, or give some more experienece to young players who might have appeared in only a few games for the Bulls?

Thats what some of us would like to see but then we said that last year....and the year before that.

[Johnoco]

I'll tell you another thing that bugs the ###### out of me about Bradford - this ludicrous wall of silence that exists over every major movement. Thus we have Robbie Paul playing his last game without any 'official' acknowledgement, or Noble leaving whilst everyone seems to pretend he isn't etc etc

And now we have a situation where they know who the new coach is yet probably won't announce it for another 5 years.

[Kenilworth Tiger]

Where do I start before my battery dies on me?

Well for one it's not just about what I've seen tonight which I can categorically say has been the worst Bradford Bulls performance since that first game back in March 1996 when we beat Castleford by 30-12 in front of over 10,000 supporters at Odsal.

The truth is and however painful it may be, is that this club is dying a slow death. Forget about Mick Potter and what the new coach will offer, the facts are that we have now had two seasons with no play-off finish.
This surely for a club the size of Bradford has to be at the bare minimum requirement with the player personal on board.

The crowds will be down again next season as people who have been following the club since the 50's, 60's and 70's turn their back on the club, meaning even less money coming into the club, to spend on players.

The players are badly underperforming, showing no effort or determination whatsoever, they don't look interested when out on the field.

We have now failed to win in nine weeks, I can't remember Northern going through such a bad patch. I'm actually ashamed to be wearing the the famous red, amber & black right now, such was the embarrassment that I've just seen.

Tonight is the night when my last ounce of confidence in Steve McNamara has gone and he should now do the right thing and just walk away and concentrate on getting England ready for the Four Nations, letting Paul Medley take over for the rest of the season, which can't come soon enough.

A Super League side should have put 40 past you

So that's Cas, Hull and Quins who in your book arent Super leasgue sides yet both have beaten the once mighty Bulls handsomely

[Bulliac]

Sorry lads but I don't think saying 'by we had it really bad in my day' is a good thing to do and not a good yardstick to set yourself. Manchester United were once a local side, I'm sure having lost the title to Chelsea they aren't just saying 'ah well, sport is cyclical, we have had our share', they will be planning to get back up there ASAP.

Don't get me wrong, I don't expect (or even want) to win every game, I don't mind a bit of variety (would I still be here if I did?) that encompasses good times and bad but the current attitude at the Bulls just seems to be 'ah well, what will happen will happen' as though it were the weather we are talking about. We are not rich but with the players we have, we should be doing a hell of a lot better. Not neccesarily winning trophies, just not playing so ###### and losing all the time. And if we are in the mire, Mr Hood should come out and tell us 'We are skint, expect a few years in the wilderness' It would be better than pretending we are still a player.

Hood did tell us we're skint, when he said we aren't paying up to the cap.

I think most the clues were around since Caisley left, along with or around the time of Leon Pryce, Stuart Reardon, Brian Noble, Stu Fielden, Les Vainikolo, Shontayne Hape and the chief exec (shortly after implementing austerity measures), when you add in the losses being announced under the old regime, what is surprising is that the proverbial took so long to hit the fan. To be utterly fair to everyone now, you won't win much with half our (somewhat lower than we're used to) salary cap sitting in the stand.

I'm sorry to say that "what will happen will happen" to some extent. Yes we can influence it, but everyone else is trying for the same goal, and most are probably better equipped financially that we are. We are at a low ebb right now, for me the best thing would be to get the new coach named asap, that at least would be one thing out of the way.

I suppose we could 'pray' for a sugar daddy to come in with a pot of gold, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Tommy The C5t]

Hood did tell us we're skint, when he said we aren't paying up to the cap.

I think most the clues were around since Caisley left, along with or around the time of Leon Pryce, Stuart Reardon, Brian Noble, Stu Fielden, Les Vainikolo, Shontayne Hape and the chief exec (shortly after implementing austerity measures), when you add in the losses being announced under the old regime, what is surprising is that the proverbial took so long to hit the fan. To be utterly fair to everyone now, you won't win much with half our (somewhat lower than we're used to) salary cap sitting in the stand.

I'm sorry to say that "what will happen will happen" to some extent. Yes we can influence it, but everyone else is trying for the same goal, and most are probably better equipped financially that we are. We are at a low ebb right now, for me the best thing would be to get the new coach named asap, that at least would be one thing out of the way.

I suppose we could 'pray' for a sugar daddy to come in with a pot of gold, but I'm not holding my breath.

We are spending 220k under the cap and are losing 22k every home game .

[Bulliac]

We are spending 220k under the cap and are losing 22k every home game .

Which, assuming that is correct, would leave us, not bottom but definitely in the bottom quarter on spending and with a big slice of it hobbling on the touchline. Without Matt Orford we've looked lost, in fact the losing run started on the day he got injured at Edinburgh. I always try to be optimistic, but I must say it does get hard sometimes. The best thing about the match at Quins was that the under 20s won, which when you think they had a number of academy lads in due to first team injuries, was a good result.

There, I've convinced myself I'm happy again

[PC]

i'm not fully aware of the situation as regards Bradford young players, but with nothing to lose wouldn't it be a good idea for Bradford to blood some more young players, or give some more experienece to young players who might have appeared in only a few games for the Bulls?

Crossley
Wardle
Donaldson
Addy
Southernwood
Crookes
Olbson
Whitehead

All played this year, average age 19 1/2

I'd say we've seen some very good young players come through this season.

[Amber Avenger]

Crossley
Wardle
Donaldson
Addy
Southernwood
Crookes
Olbson
Whitehead

All played this year, average age 19 1/2

I'd say we've seen some very good young players come through this season.

Exactly - people use this as a solution to any club's injury problems, and that's fine to an extent. But then the club can't win because you only have to look at recent results and performances to see that we've been on a hiding to nothing recently.

Sure it's good experience for the kids - and I'm not suggesting for a second it isn't a good idea to let them make the step up when oppertunities arise, but you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. The very best it can do is paper over the cracks at the moment at Bradford, and it isn't even doing that currently (not the fault of the kids I must point out, who have been very impressive considering)

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

And the latest rumour doing the rounds is that Potter isn't going to coach you next season, after all and that Brian McDermott's back in pole position. I wouldn't normally take much notice of this (it's the sort of thing that tends to circulate in these situations), but not only did BM not do the post-match interview yesterday but he also didn't do the coach's piece in the programme. We shall see.

[Tommy The C5t]

And the latest rumour doing the rounds is that Potter isn't going to coach you next season, after all and that Brian McDermott's back in pole position. I wouldn't normally take much notice of this (it's the sort of thing that tends to circulate in these situations), but not only did BM not do the post-match interview yesterday but he also didn't do the coach's piece in the programme. We shall see.

Who needs Eastenders or Hollyoaks when you have the latest goings on from Odsal

[The Future is League]

And the latest rumour doing the rounds is that Potter isn't going to coach you next season, after all and that Brian McDermott's back in pole position. I wouldn't normally take much notice of this (it's the sort of thing that tends to circulate in these situations), but not only did BM not do the post-match interview yesterday but he also didn't do the coach's piece in the programme. We shall see.

Wasn't we told that the Bulls coach for next season would be annouced this past week?