Transfer Rumour Mill 22/23

[Futtocks]

Warrington captain Jack Hughes among six departures at end of season: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/62658330

[Saint Toppy]

38 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Warrington captain Jack Hughes among six departures at end of season: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/62658330

Would anyone want any of these underperforming Wire Players ??

[LeytherRob]

12 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

Would anyone want any of these underperforming Wire Players ??

Because by the very definition, if a player is underperforming they are capable of more. Still boggles my mind that sports fans in 2022 are still don't know what 'form' is.

 

edit - even more so a Saints fan, who had to endure much of the same team they have now looking like bang average plodders under Kieron Cunningham.

Edited August 25, 2022 by LeytherRob

[Ragingbull]

44 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

Would anyone want any of these underperforming Wire Players ??

I doubt it, only Widdop is still half decent.  The rest of them will end up in the Championship which is their level to be honest.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Ragingbull

[Futtocks]

5 hours ago, Ragingbull said:

The rest of them will end up in the Championship

You mean they're staying with Warrington after all?

[bar red]

The Sammut Johnson/Carter combination have been as good as anyone this season. 2 local lads learning their trade off a master.

[Bulls2487]

On 24/08/2022 at 14:49, Rockingchair said:

I think the first part of the season he was perhaps not fully committed to the defensive side of the game but I wouldn’t question that now , he took crossley down one on one in the Bradford away game who probably weighs 7/8 stone more . Keyes has a slight build so yeah sometimes he gets rolled but not for the lack of trying.

That's no big deal with how Crossley has played this year. Keyes is much better than Lilley

[phiggins]

9 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

Would anyone want any of these underperforming Wire Players ??

Because they might perform better elsewhere?

[Wolford6]

Welsh rugby union is going through a cash crisis and loads of good players are available. Many would thrive at Champioship level; a few would be really good at Superleague level.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/53-players-whove-left-welsh-24128668

 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/grave-concerns-raised-exodus-young-24841971

[Rockingchair]

Tom holmes signs for Bradford, good signing that https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/bradford-bulls-tom-holmes-sheffield-24879225?utm_source=leeds_live_newsletter&utm_campaign=rugby_league_lve_newsletter&utm_medium=emahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.examinerlive.co.uk%2Fsport%2Frugby-league%2Fbradford-bulls-tom-holmes-sheffield-24879225%3Futm_source%3Dleeds_live_newsletter&utm_campaign=rugby_league_lve_newsletter&utm_medium=email

[LeytherRob]

 

Keighley putting together a strong team for next year. 

[The Blues Ox]

49 minutes ago, Rockingchair said:

Tom holmes signs for Bradford, good signing that https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/bradford-bulls-tom-holmes-sheffield-24879225?utm_source=leeds_live_newsletter&utm_campaign=rugby_league_lve_newsletter&utm_medium=emahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.examinerlive.co.uk%2Fsport%2Frugby-league%2Fbradford-bulls-tom-holmes-sheffield-24879225%3Futm_source%3Dleeds_live_newsletter&utm_campaign=rugby_league_lve_newsletter&utm_medium=email

Yeah good signing for them that. Would have liked him at Fax as back up to Moore but not to be and he probably wanted a regular starting spot which he will get at Bradford. Keighley making some good signings as well and look like they are poised to do well next season.

[Anonymouse]

Salford Forward Jack Wells to Barrow is a rumour doing the rounds.

[The Phantom Horseman]

57 minutes ago, The Blues Ox said:

Yeah good signing for them that. Would have liked him at Fax as back up to Moore but not to be and he probably wanted a regular starting spot which he will get at Bradford. Keighley making some good signings as well and look like they are poised to do well next season.

Holmes is difficult to assess right now. In 2019 he had a tremendous season at Fev, seemingly helped by playing alongside Martyn Ridyard, and played a big part in Luke Briscoe's record-breaking scoring spree that year.

I didn't think he was anywhere near as consistent on his return in 2021  - he did some good things but didn't seem to get the passing movements going anywhere near as well as he had before, and he lost his place to Morgan Smith early on this season, was soon out of the equation and shipped out to Sheffield.

He's only 26 so there's still time for him to come back and he's a very good player on his day but you do wonder whether Bradford is the place for a half back to resurrect his career.

[Bulls2487]

2 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Holmes is difficult to assess right now. In 2019 he had a tremendous season at Fev, seemingly helped by playing alongside Martyn Ridyard, and played a big part in Luke Briscoe's record-breaking scoring spree that year.

I didn't think he was anywhere near as consistent on his return in 2021  - he did some good things but didn't seem to get the passing movements going anywhere near as well as he had before, and he lost his place to Morgan Smith early on this season, was soon out of the equation and shipped out to Sheffield.

He's only 26 so there's still time for him to come back and he's a very good player on his day but you do wonder whether Bradford is the place for a half back to resurrect his career.

The Bulls team next year will be very different to this year.

[The Blues Ox]

Ryan King to Fax from Haven another rumor doing the rounds. Haven must hate us after these last 2 seasons.

[The Phantom Horseman]

24 minutes ago, Bulls2487 said:

The Bulls team next year will be very different to this year.

I don't doubt that's true. Whether they will be any better remains to be seen.

[Ovenden Grunt]

On 20/08/2022 at 22:34, The Blues Ox said:

Latest one on the Fax board is Jordan Lilley to Fax for next season.

Noooooooo️

[Ovenden Grunt]

On 23/08/2022 at 13:51, Wolford6 said:

Elliot Kear and Jordan Lilley are two players who we should be keeping. Neither disappears when we are losing.

Saying Lilley would be a back-up player at Halifax is a joke, founded on Bulls rivalry and Bulls envy. He's probably in the top three halfbacks in the Championship; definitely the best cover-tackler. What the Bulls lack are a creative stand off and loose forward who can work with him. Despite the useless pitch, we have created overlaps but the link play has been non-existent.

Elliot Kear gives everything and, even as a bench player, would cover centre, wing, fullback and, I reckon, hooker. He's an elusive runner, tackles and still has a bit of pace.

Dec Patten is an interesting case; brilliant kicker but, to me,  doesn't appear desperate to do much more in games. He knows he's a Superleague player and, in fairness, he belongs there.

It seems we will lose Ben Evans and Ant Walker next season ... our two best forwards until Chester Butler arrived on loan.

We have got exciting young players who can step up to the mark at fullback or halfback, in George Flanagan Junior and Myles Lawford. I'm not sure what has happened to Elliot Hall and Brandon Pickersgill but I'd love to see them back and firing next season. Up front, I've a lot of time for Samy Kibula and Ebon Scurr. To me, Rhys Evans would make a better second row than centre and vice-versa for Brad England. We could do with these lads forming a skeleton for padding out with talented young guns from the academy.

Look how many former Bulls juniors are plying their trade in Superleague. With a shift from our sterile Five-Drives-and-a-Kick game plan (to be fair, there is a Plan B ... Six Drives) we could bring young kids in and play an expansive game.

At first, we won't reach the playoffs  but we haven't won anything under Kearball either. It would at the very least stop the decline in spectator attendances. I would think that most of the current regulars only attend because they've got season tickets. In all honesty, who would pay £20+ to watch the current dross on offer? It would also be good for the other Championship teams because, when the local interest is there, Bradfordians will always travel to away games in big numbers.

In a couple of years we could be promotion contenders again.

Bradfordians always travel in big numbers. Where were they yesterday?

[Wolford6]

3 minutes ago, Ovenden Grunt said:

Bradfordians always travel in big numbers. Where were they yesterday?

I actually went yesterday ... couldn't face a third day of solid drinking followed by a curry at our student's reunion.

The fact is, our home attendances have fallen off a cliff since it was apparent that we weren't going to make the playoffs. Season ticket holders are disillusioned about the performances, the pitch and the lack of communication from Nigel Wood and his co-directors.

Yesterday, we had chances but were off the pace. If we spend next season playing like that, we'll really be in the soup. The council is talking up overhauling Odsal with money from a £19 million government grant. That sort of work will take more than the winter months so maybe we'll spend another season on the road. Or, more likely, the council won't come up with the goods.

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, Wolford6 said:

I actually went yesterday ... couldn't face a third day of solid drinking followed by a curry at our student's reunion.

The fact is, our home attendances have fallen off a cliff since it was apparent that we weren't going to make the playoffs. Season ticket holders are disillusioned about the performances, the pitch and the lack of communication from Nigel Wood and his co-directors.

Yesterday, we had chances but were off the pace. If we spend next season playing like that, we'll really be in the soup. The council is talking up overhauling Odsal with money from a £19 million government grant. That sort of work will take more than the winter months so maybe we'll spend another season on the road. Or, more likely, the council won't come up with the goods.

Overhauling ? 

Some new wheels and a paint job ? 

[Wolford6]

The council stooge who writes under several pseudonyms in the Telegraph & Argus was talking about building a new stadium on the site! Shows exactly how out of touch the ruling Labour Group are.

Odsal is set at the base of a bowl. The best way to improve the current situation would be to raise the pitch by 8 metres, giving enough room for the stock car track and a full-size pitch. You could do that comfortably for under £19million.

[Snowys Backside]

Will it cost 19 million to fill Odsal in

[Bulls2487]

2 hours ago, Ovenden Grunt said:

Noooooooo️

Looks like the Bulls are having a new 6/7 for 2023 so the Lilley rumour might be true.

[The Blues Ox]

1 hour ago, Bulls2487 said:

Looks like the Bulls are having a new 6/7 for 2023 so the Lilley rumour might be true.

He might be happy at this stage in his career to play a similar role to what Aston/Wood have done this season and in that sense hes probably as decent as anybody we will find who is happy to accept he won't be first choice.