Confirmed now that our opening game will be against Leeds in Cardiff on Sunday February 13th.

Link rlHERErl.


Order of the day for Sunday:

Midday: Salford v Crusaders
2pm: Bradford v Leeds
4pm: Hull FC v Hull KR

Mixed feelings for me - will be a great opener, but not sure we'll be ready for it given the squad turnover. Would have preferred an "easier" tie to be honest.

I've every Confidence that Brian Mac can bring Leeds down to our level in the off-season. We may well make a game of it.

Total shìte IMO. Distorts the competition. I have never agreed with these extra games - however they are structured -and I do not now. We will have a whole new team and the first match is contrived against a team viewed pretty generally as much stronger than ours. These contrived ties are not fair, and should not count for SL points IMO.

If its "local derbies", why is it not Wire/Crusaders? And Salford/Hudds? Orf Wire/Salford? Maybe because they thought the games would be too uneven?

Would I say the same if roles were reversed? Probably not - I'd take any opportunity for points that presented itself. Being entirely partisan here.

I suppose if we managed to win I'd be one of the first trumpeting "the Bulls are back"...so I'm happy to admit total partisan hypocrisy up front before the Substandard trolls point it out.

Sent an e-mail to the RFL asking why it is fair to give Bradford a harder start than any other SL club. We play a side who finished 6 places above us, whilst the rest are 1 or 2 space gaps, with 1 four space gap.

Be interesting to see if you get a response - more so if they can justify it!

Bear in mind that the clubs will have voted for this. It's not an RFL decision, it's a majority vote by the clubs.

I can see us getting a pile of injuries in this game too.

The whole concept of MM was flawed beyond the first novelty season.

I think there is very little appetite for this concept now.

Im glad we're starting the season with a tough game. Will get us right into the swing of things.

i think its a great way to start the season, with an easy victory over a depleted leeds side

It will show who has had the best pre season. New Coaching Staff will bring in different ways and even a settled side like the Whinos will need time to get used to it just like the Bulls will have to, also it could be in the Bulls favour having so many new players, the new Coaching Style will have a less negative effect!

The Pies won't like this one at the start, with a WCC just round the corner and Stains seeking revenge and a new Coach to impress!

As long as the refereeing decisions are <cough>"right"</cough> then it's a good chance to test ourselves.

That's true. don't suppose we'll ever find out but it would be interesting to find out which clubs were in favour and which not. Leaving aside the (perceived) fact that it does us no favours, I think, taking a long term view, it is the correct decision as it will attract bigger crowds. Whether it will be sufficient to turn round the more apathetic response to the whole 'magic' event I don't know.

While I can see peoples point about us being at a disadvantage playing a team that finished 6 places above us, I dont think the gap between us and leeds in real terms is that big. Results over last couple of years are 2 to them, a draw and 1 to us. And there wasnt a massive winning margin in any of the games tbh ( Iirc the biggest one was the result of a last minute leeds try in last few minutes and uptil then game was pretty much in the balance).
At the end of the day as long as RFL persist with this fixture there isnt an ideal way to set the matches and make it fair and also attractive as an event. If they'd have gone down route of basing it on league positions , ie 1v2,3v4 etc , then that is based on last years teams and takes no account of off season team strengthening or players leaving - so again not fair. Fairest route is a draw but then you risk an unnatractive set of matches such as last year and correspondingly poor attendances.
Only other option They could try which may be fair and also get the crowds in would be a random draw done on the day, so people are already commited to going if their team gets a unnatractive opponent but then you get problem off the people who only go for a day not knowing which day their team will be playing.

Its a flawed concept at the end of the day but as long as RFL and clubs agree to it we're [retty much stuck with it. As someone said would certainly be interesting to see which clubs voted for return of derbies and which were against. Am I right in thinking that the total gate is split evenly between all 14 clubs? in which case the 'smaller' clubs are effectively getting some financial benefit from the better supported derbies.

Only potential problem I see from our point of view is if we lose badly and then have a tough opening few fixtures then it could have a negative effect on the goodwill built up so far with pledge campaign.

Derbies always bring out the better in teams so im pleased that we (Leeds), get a tough opener to test our new coach and newish squad. It will be a tight game, despite the gap between the teams last year.