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Oops the Bulls slip up tonight


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We don't really have another half back after Gaskell. Siejka isn't great.

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Bradford haven't exactly been rolling teams over recently - the question is, will they bounce back like Leigh did after losing to London or could there be further problems with games against Sheffield, Leigh and Halifax still to come?

"I am the avenging angel; I come with wings unfurled, I come with claws extended from halfway round the world. I am the God Almighty, I am the howling wind. I care not for your family; I care not for your kin. I come in search of terror, though terror is my own; I come in search of vengeance for crimes and crimes unknown. I care not for your children, I care not for your wives, I care not for your country, I care not for your lives." - (c) Jim Boyes - "The Avenging Angel"

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I have to say that this loss is a surprise. They need to be careful.

I have to say it really isn't. Been coming all season. O'Brian and Gaskell been papering over the cracks all season. Absolutely lethargic tonight, at times worse than last year. Bulls to lose a few more before the 8s and to do not very much when we get there.

Well played to Fev. Didn't put a foot wrong all night.

SQL Honours

Play off mini league winner - 2002. Bronze Medalist - 2003. Big Split Group Winner - 2006. Minor Stupidship - 2005, 2006. Cup Silver Medalist - 2008, 2009

CHAMPION - 2005, 2009, 2010

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I have to say it really isn't. Been coming all season. O'Brian and Gaskell been papering over the cracks all season. Absolutely lethargic tonight, at times worse than last year. Bulls to lose a few more before the 8s and to do not very much when we get there.

Well played to Fev. Didn't put a foot wrong all night.

What do you put it down to AA, Gaskell aside, on paper you have a very good squad, is it lethargy from the players or is it the game plans ie the coaches?

"If Rugby League had never been Invented, today we would only have Rugby League"

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I have to say it really isn't. Been coming all season. O'Brian and Gaskell been papering over the cracks all season. Absolutely lethargic tonight, at times worse than last year. Bulls to lose a few more before the 8s and to do not very much when we get there.

Well played to Fev. Didn't put a foot wrong all night.

 

Spot on.

.

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This has been coming, fev obviously saw how batley did against our right edge of addy, Henry and shaw (who was in no mans land) because Bulldogs scored 2 and rovers 4. All the league now know we're beatable, but so do Jimmy lowes and the boys, better we mess up now than when it really matters. I dunno how fev have rotated their squad - I reckon 11 or so played on Sunday - but the Bulls were very very tired. All credit to rovers, they were grand, much like every team raise their game against us so far. I'm not as miffed as I thought I'd be tbh, a much needed wake up call. I'd give the whole team a rest til Hunslet on Sunday, and then play Baile at centre and recall Petersen today and walshaw in a few weeks from their loans. If we raise our game and end up promoted then this won't matter. Jimmy just needs to sit down and play a proper team because we have the depth, not a half back who is instructed not to run the ball and play a spell at 9 with purtell at 6. Graeme Bradley he isn't. It's not the end of the world, it's a stumble to learn from. When cummins was in charge he was inexperienced and we were losing, he didn't seem to know how to fix it, this time we're in a situation where we are winning most games but with an inexperienced coach, this is where lowes can turn to harrison for assistance with this loss.

Ramble over.

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After Sunday's poor show at the Hawks I thought we'd get hammered. My lad and I had a bet, I took the Bulls and gave him 30 start! Great game, couldn't believe how easily we cut through them first 40,  And they kept dropping the ball under no pressure.  I have to say it they were terrible. 

“Few thought him even a starter.There were many who thought themselves smarter. But he ended PM, CH and OM. An Earl and a Knight of the Garter.”

Clement Attlee.

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What do you put it down to AA, Gaskell aside, on paper you have a very good squad, is it lethargy from the players or is it the game plans ie the coaches?

 

James Lowes policy of playing the same 17 players every week was always going to be a gamble and it has gone horribly wrong. What we now have is a situation where our players looked absolutely mentally fatigued, yet the fringe players out of the 34 man squad have not played, instead being loaned out.

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I have to say that this loss is a surprise.  They need to be careful.

 

Tonight's result has been coming for a good month. We have looked physically and mentally fatigued ever since we struggled to beat Whitehaven at the Rec.

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What do you put it down to AA, Gaskell aside, on paper you have a very good squad, is it lethargy from the players or is it the game plans ie the coaches?

Interesting question. One that has been talked about in the debrief in the pub a lot tonight. I think the forwards are there or thereabouts. Not amazing but will do the job at this level. I think the backs let us down - tonight for example was a night the backs needed to step up and help the forwards in a tiring game, and yet there wasn't much at all. It doesn't help we've had our first choice halves play together for about 100 minutes max all year, and the fact that Gareth O Brian decided to stay at Wire (fair enough) and yet we've utterly failed to build any sort of team around Gaskell and basically panic buy a scrum half who is clearly unfit.

The Bulls have spent a lot of money this season, but any of it wisely? Out best players were all in our SL squad last year. Who have we signed of note? Danny Williams does a job but can't see him breaking the line in SL and when Mullaney is fit he is probably our second choice scrum half never mind full back and that speaks volumes. Don't get me started on that pudding Laukai - the biggest waste of Bradford's cap space since Tame Toupu.

This time last year I questioned if Jimmy was the right man for the job, and now more than ever I think he was Nobby on a budget - a link to the club's past that would satisfy the (then restless) fans. For me, as alluded to, his squad rotation and recruitment process has been poor - why buy so many players and send them out on loan? He didn't know this division before and Harrison doesn't seem to have guided him that well. Maybe he has a long game and I hope he proves me wrong, but currently Jimmy needs to have the man management skills to turn around a side who have two genuinely great playmakers for this level into a squad capable of promotion. If he does that, to me he will be a better coach of the Bulls than Brian Noble. At the moment I don't see it.

(Talking of rotation - can the Bulls fans start a campaign to give Adam o Brian a rest. Im genuinely worried the poor lad is going to get burned out)

Sorry for the negativity, but the thoughts of the fans chatting out of Odsal after the match are that the Bulls have ridden their luck a lot this year and relied on superior fitness. Tonight that came back to bite us and it felt like the genie was out of the bottle and the floodgates were open. It wasn't the loss, it was the way we lost. Sure, we might recover at the weekend but there is nothing massive this season that gives me confidence the long game is in us this year.

SQL Honours

Play off mini league winner - 2002. Bronze Medalist - 2003. Big Split Group Winner - 2006. Minor Stupidship - 2005, 2006. Cup Silver Medalist - 2008, 2009

CHAMPION - 2005, 2009, 2010

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Thanks for that AA as a fervent Bulls supporter which you obviously are there is a concern from you that comes out loud and clear between the lines.

What really surprises me is the theme that is running through this thread is that the team is fatigued, really, being one of three full time teams in the division that really surprises me, tiredness can express itself through many different aspects, physical fitness being one but without attitude and lack of direction with fresh and new ideas as a stimulus from those in charge is a massive factor, it seems - from what I have gleaned over the season on these pages- that there has been a total reliance on Gaskell from both the player's and coaching staff to be their guiding force and main strike weapon, without him there is no Plan B.

Back to the tiredness issue, and please forgive me for bringing Leigh into this thread, but it is an observation relating to game last week v Wire I think is relevant to the discussion, in 95% of their games this season they have had the luxury of playing their games at a pace that they have dictated, having the ability to slow or speed up the proceedings as they wished, it was very apparent last week they were being forced out of their comfort zone and for the first time this season we saw a lot of players struggling to get back in line.

The point of this being that the Bulls (as Leigh) in preparation for the 8's need to play flat out in their remaining games, get their attitude right and guidance in the right direction, or they are going to be completely embassresed come the "SL" fixtures.

Just an observation.

"If Rugby League had never been Invented, today we would only have Rugby League"

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Still don't get why Gaskell is playing championship. Can someone enlighten me?

Because he had some awful seasons in SL both with Saints & the Bulls.

The pace & intensity of SL was such that he was continually getting caught in posession and either losing the ball or making panic decisions, resulting in poor passes & kicks. When the Bulls then switched him to full back he was a turnstile in defence and terrible under the high ball.

 

A year in the Championship has probably done him the world of good. In most games this year he's had the time & space to play how he wants. It will interesting to see how he now performs in the middle 8's against SL teams (all be it the 4 weakest teams), as he'll get closed down quicker and will have to speed up his decision making again. Lets see if he's learned from his past mistakes at SL level or whether he capitulates again when the pressure is on most weeks.

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Because he had some awful seasons in SL both with Saints & the Bulls.

The pace & intensity of SL was such that he was continually getting caught in posession and either losing the ball or making panic decisions, resulting in poor passes & kicks. When the Bulls then switched him to full back he was a turnstile in defence and terrible under the high ball.

 

A year in the Championship has probably done him the world of good. In most games this year he's had the time & space to play how he wants. It will interesting to see how he now performs in the middle 8's against SL teams (all be it the 4 weakest teams), as he'll get closed down quicker and will have to speed up his decision making again. Lets see if he's learned from his past mistakes at SL level or whether he capitulates again when the pressure is on most weeks.

In the game at POR when the Bulls virtually brushed us aside second half, Gaskell was the difference.  He didn't play last night and the Bulls looked clueless.  But the amount of balls they dropped under no pressure at all surely can't be explained by his absence.  And of course Fev didn't have their first choice half backs out and were missing several n their pack.  TBH up to the last twenty I thought we'd tire and they'd snatch it, but that never happened. Once we put the drop over to give us a four score lead the Bulls seemed to turn it in.

“Few thought him even a starter.There were many who thought themselves smarter. But he ended PM, CH and OM. An Earl and a Knight of the Garter.”

Clement Attlee.

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As previously mentioned this result has been coming for weeks, performing in 15-20 minute spells against part time opposition is simply not good enough, and when we come up against SL opposition they will wipe the floor with us, simple as. 

 

Fair play to Fev, the best team won on the night, they carved up our right edge defence with ease, but even more worryingly out-enthused us from the kick off.

 

I don't doubt we may over rely on Gaskell, he's a quality player, particularly at this level, but with the squad we have we should be able to cope with his absence. Seijka, for me is simply not good enough, he creates very little but even worse his kicking game is poor, which being a SH should be a major part of his game!

 

Without trying to look for scapegoats, and I'm not for one minute suggesting he is the reason we lost last night, I cannot for the life in me understand how Karl Harrison is in a job, they guy is a dinosaur! Batley, where I believe his brother is/was on the board, didn't renew his contract, spoken to Halifax players and fans, who have said they couldn't wait to see the back of him. I always remember seeing him on super league super stars a couple of years ago, where he practically begged for a job, so why we gave him one is beyond me.

 

One game wont define the season, and it could be the kick up the backside we need, lets hope so!

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I was following updates on Radio leeds and twitter while i was working............sounded like and incredible performance and one i really didn't expect......and considering the list of absentees.....


 


Bostock, James, Bussy, Moore, Cooke, Wood, Carvell, Sharp.....all missing.....fantastic effort


 


Full time against part time on the hottest night of the year mid week.............just brilliant.


 


UP THE ROVERS!!!!


england_identity2.jpg1921_button.jpg

 

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