Well let's just hope things improve at Cas. I seem to remember Peter Fox once saying you've got to build a winning side on good defence, no point scoring 50 if the other team scores 51. I'd definitely swap that boring 80's team defensively for the teastrainer defence we've got now. Who does the defence coaching is it Santa Claus? because it's Christmas every day at Odsal these days. By the way, shame on the hundreds who left at half time on sunday, that gateman was just having a coffee out of his flask when he had to let you out, and it was stone cold by the time he got back to it.

just what ive been thinking for the last few years. when we were under noble one of his main points was the defence and look what we did when he coached us

But was the team good defensively just due to being coached, or maybe it just had players many of whose chief attribute was a mean defence? I mean, as perhaps the prime example, Kearney does have a lot of ability but we have him as a last line of defence whereas Foxy had Sir Keith

The players showed they can defend when minded to do so, remember our big win versus Hudders last year? Or was that just a flash in the pan?

Under noble we had the likes of ben harris, scott naylor who were both brilliant at defending but could also bust a tackle, the other side used to do the creating.

If teams went down the middle they got smashed by baloo, vagana, peacock etc..if they went left they got hurt by naylor..if right they had to run at vainikolo, hape..

Now teams arent scared off who they run at bradford as we havent got that kind of team anymore..our props are weak and not aggressive enough..they dont scare the oppo so they just run at them..some of the attempted tackles wouldnt win a game of bulldogs charge let alone a game of rugby

Flash in the pan it seems sadly. One good defensive performance all season shows how bad we are.

Noble had great players at his disposal. But that doesn't make a great team. He instilled discipline, pride. Teams feared Bradford. Now all they fear when they play us is that they might not be one of the players who scores against us. Under Noble, I wouldn't even say we were an aggressive team, but we bullied teams off the park.

If Noble came to coach us now i guarantee our defence would tighten up. We wouldn't win the league, but we would make the play-offs, and the opposition would know they've been in a game with us. We would be competitive most of the season, not just against Leeds and when we've been mullered the week before.

I don't want a Potter sacked debate after one game of the season, but after yet another poor season, followed by two pathetic performances against Catalans & Hull, he has got some work to do. At the moment he's not doing a good enough job. Hopefully he will pull it off.

It's also easier to defend if you have the ball instead of the opposition. Didn't we aimlessly kick on third tackle last week in the second half.

Very well said, absolutely Noble would have coached every team we've put out in the past 3 seasons to the play offs.
Yes, Noble did inherit a great team but teams don't coach themselves and he took us to heights that no recent previous coach for us has been able to.

And those that say would struggle to build a team, look at what he left at Wigan for the new coach to work with.

All of which begs the question as to why he has been out of work for 18 months - despite apparently having applied for several vacancies

Just saying

Yes he did work wonders at Pieland, but it was in the days of "Uncle Mo" when the SC applied to everyone else bar them, till they got caught but dragged us down with them

Nobby would still have struggled to do much better with the Bulls due to the now lack of finances compared to what he was used to and he never volunteered to come back apart, from giving Macca advice

Karl Harrison would definatly bring a HUGE shock, players would think twice before being lathargical on the pitch if they knew they had him to deal with at Half Time

16 out of 17 from last week yet a totally different defensive performance. How come? Genuine question.

The pitch was described as a mud bath. That evens the teams out. Not taking anything away from our defence, but the real test will come next week against Wigan when the pitch isn't like the a swamp