It's not about the individuals, it's about how Bradford are going to structure their play - where do they like to attack, what sort of set moves they put on and how they structure sets.

That kind of knowledge enables you to gameplan accordingly and makes it easier to defend against, because players know what's coming at them.

Not having that kind of scouting because it's the first game of the season means you're "winging it" to an extent in defence, and gaps occur when you ask players to make quick decisions under pressure without anything to base them on other than what's unfolding in front of them.

Agreed! Should be a good one! Let's just hope, for all our sakes, that there isn't 2 points in it with a minute to go!!

Exactly. That's my whole point (but much better put!!). We might know the players, but not how they play under this coach. In reality, we have no clue what's coming at us.

10 new players, same old coach... yes, we can prepare.

Same old players, brand new coach (like us!)... yes, we can prepare.

Combination of both?! Makes it very interesting indeed.

Hope Potter has got that pinned to the wall at the training base.

And not as a lesson in poor spelling, either.

Who's "Hope Potter"? Harry's cousin? Forgive my ignorance but I haven't read the books.

If he's relying on Gotcha to provide him with motivational material, he's got bigger problems.

Will he have taken down those boards with the "BULLS" acronym on them from the dressing room?

Besides, the players would probably take Gotcha about as seriously as we do.

I can't tell if you are been serious or just trying to have a go for the sake of it? I had you down as more credible than the above Andy.

You could pull a video out of any match that Saints have played for the last 2 years, or Catalans before it, to see what structures the Bulls will play to this weekend.

The assistant coach has just been with us coaching for the last 6 seasons, so if we don't know what his input is then we will have seriously missed the boat somewhere.

Five of the players in the likely line up have all played for Leeds in the last few years.

Out of all the teams we play this year, this weekend will be the least surprise on us for how the oppossition will play. Whether we counteract it, well that's another issue.

1 Brent Webb
2 Lee Smith
3 Brett Delaney
4 Keith Senior
5 Ryan Hall
7 Rob Burrow
8 Kylie Leuluai
9 Danny Buderus
11 Jamie Jones Buchanan
12 Carl Ablett
13 Kevin Sinfield
14 Ali Lauitiiti
15 Ben Cross
16 Ryan Bailey
17 Ian Kirke
18 Luke Burgess
19 Kallum Watkins
20 Weller Hauraki
22 Jay Pitts

The squad in full is:

1 Brent Webb
2 Lee Smith
3 Brett Delaney
4 Keith Senior
5 Ryan Hall
7 Rob Burrow
8 Kylie Leuluai
9 Danny Buderus
11 Jamie Jones Buchanan
12 Carl Ablett
13 Kevin Sinfield
14 Ali Lauitiiti
15 Ben Cross
16 Ryan Bailey
17 Ian Kirke
18 Luke Burgess
19 Kallum Watkins
20 Weller Hauraki
22 Jay Pitts

JJB,Bailey and HAURAKI all included

Hauraki's paperwork has been due all week....hopefully arrive in time for kickoff!

Most noticeable thing for me is NO McSHANE!!!

One hooker baby!!

For Me;

1 Webb

2 Smith
3 Delaney
19 Watkins
5 Hall

13 Sinfield
7 Burrow

8 Leuluai
9 Buderus
16 Bailey
11 Jones Buchanan
4 Senior
12 Ablett

14 Ali Lauitiiti
15 Ben Cross
20 Weller Hauraki
17 Ian Kirke

To miss out;
18 Luke Burgess
22 Jay Pitts

or, put Senior in Centre, Burgess in pack, Watkins to miss out.

I could see that squad also. I'll have no problem Watkins starting centre and with Hauraki and JJB having fitness concerns Senior could be a good bet to start 2nd row. Nobody knows if Cross will be a starting man as yet, but I would predict he will start with Bailey been on the bench.