Well, as our season is all but over in terms of either a protracted cup run and the possibility of making the play-offs, I thought I'd give a little bit of an overview from my perspective.

To start with, my view on this year was, from the outset, one of lets just try and enjoy it. But let us start with our recruitment for 2013 as well as an overview of RL recruitment in general as I think there's a few on here who don't fully understand the ins and outs.

Given how late in the day we came out of administration, our recruitment was never going to set the world on fire. As, I assume most people know this, recruitment begins round about this time of year. Yes, there's an anti tamper deadline, however the harsh reality of it is that a player's agent knows his client is OOC at the end of the year and it's his job to make sure he gets a new deal. Most will contact clubs at the start of the year and say "I've got X, Y and Z on my books who might be open to a move for next season." The clubs look at that and give the agent an idea on what they'd be willing to offer the player should he move to the club. So even if that player doesn't want to move clubs, he and his agent still have the bargaining position of being able to say he could get so many £££ or what have you.

As for the clubs, they tend to tell OOC players round about now if there's a deal on the table for them or if they should start looking at a move. You can see this in certain players and how their form can dip round about June/July as their clubs have told them they will not be playing there the following year.

So, with all that in mind, back to the Bulls recruitment and how administration affected it. TBH, we were buggered like an altar boy locked in a room with a priest. We couldn't offer new deals as the RFL refused to recognize the validity of new contracts offered by the Bulls. Case in point, Whitehead's extended deal wasn't confirmed until after the club had been bought. We couldn't even put out feelers to players on the strength of maybe getting the club sold as there was a great deal of uncertainty over the future of this once proud club. Cummins was left with the unenviable task of picking up the pieces of what seemed like the shoots of renewal that were sprouting under Potter but were cruelly trampled by the steel-toed boots of administration.

Cummins seemed determined to start cutting away at the dead wood at the club, something many on here have been calling for for some time. Even though it left us short of additional players, he allowed players such as Briggs and Southernwood to leave for Championship clubs even though this would, and has, left us short for cover at half back, Pryce and Ainscough two other SL experienced players were shown the door, Joseph, even though he only had sporadic appearances the previous year, you might have thought would be retained given the losses of Hargreaves, Burgess and Kopczak but no he was also waved goodbye.

Adding to the uphill struggle of recruitment was the slashing of Sky money for Bradford, forcing the club to look elsewhere to shore up the shortfall. As you'll see if you visit the stadium, if there's a flat surface it's sold as advertising space. TBH, I think if you stand still for too long at Odsal YOU'LL be used to hang advertising on. But anyway, Cummins has brought in some solid, if not spectacular players in his first year. Although these players are on loan, there is some talk of them being retained as permanent members of the team. But it's what Cummins does in this off-season and who he brings in that will truly show where the club is and what they feel is achievable.

I think the way the Bulls came firing out of the blocks this year has given people rose tinted glasses as to what this current crop of players is capable of. Fully fit, without any bust ups behind the scenes then we seem to able to punch above our weight. But as the year's gone on, we've had individual players having dips in form as well as a seeming failure to even be able to do the basics right. Our paper thin squad has been hit by injuries both slight and major and I'm sure there's more than one player being picked each week that, if we had a bigger squad, would have been rested to ensure any injury was 100% healed before going back out onto the field. But we do not have that luxury this option as things stand.

There are promising noises coming from the club in terms of backroom recruitment. No doubt Cummins feels that the small coaching team that's presided over the club over the last 8 years or so of failure is not adequate and you would be hard pressed to say he's wrong on that count.

So let's move onto our coach. Although there are some comparisons to the last British coach we had, there are a number of differences. For one, McNamara did not have the apprenticeship as a coach that Cummins has had. Cummins spent 5 years as assistant at Leeds during what could be seen as one of the Rhino's brightest periods in terms of success. Cummins was also recommended for the role by the outgoing coach, Mick Potter. A coach who I'm sure many would agree was good for the Bulls. Whereas McNamara's coaching pedigree was about 2 years in charge of the academy team. There is a case for saying he pretty much undermined Noble, though how culpable he was in that is had to say, but Noble was pretty much shown the door by the club he had brought so much success to in favour of an unknown element, at least in terms of being a first team coach.

We went backwards for the 4 years McNamara was head coach at Odsal. The two years of rebuilding under Mick Potter were thrown out of the window by administration. The long road of rebuilding the club was probably double in length by that dark period and though it's painful to watch as fans, we have to stand by the club as it struggles it's way back up the hill. TBH, those who bemoan the lack of on field success and talk of not returning are quite myopic as what the club needs now, more than ever, is the fans to come together and keep turning out for the club. Even if the club isn't currently delivering. Birth is painful, this rebirth of the club is no exception.

So, in conclusion, keep going Bulls fans. If you stop running, the Bulls stop running and no-one wants that.

Absolutely. Said this pretty much all along.

I don't think they have any interest in the club whatsoever and are merely there to give themselves the publicity.

I could never trust a politician but even then I reckon he is the more solid of the two.

The players have often referred to a 'leadership group', which I guess means the more senior players. I don't know if this group was ever officially set up or not or whether it was just these players trying to do their bit to help the younger ones. Seems a pity if that has been lost though, whether by being 'officially' disbanded or by simply falling apart.

Did you ever take a look at GS's claimed expenses published on the Internet?

Interesting food/mortgage payments bill.

I don't think either of them are gonna put much in and PUBLICITY,imo,was the driver.

That's why I don't think either have longevity.

Someone at the club told me they are going to bring in Morrison & move Cummins upstairs a la Darryl Powell at Leeds.

Is this Sir Ken we're talking about..... , I don't think dual reg covers coaches..