Sunday 11th January sees us play our first pre-season friendly away at Castleford to celebrate Andy Lynch's testimonial. Squads should start to crop up next week. Luke Gale will probably have a blinder for Cas. Big question: Will Chev Walker play at prop?! Ticket info: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/art ... n-friendly

Sunday 11th January sees us play our first pre-season friendly away at Castleford to celebrate Andy Lynch's testimonial. Squads should start to crop up next week. Luke Gale will probably have a blinder for Cas. Big question: Will Chev Walker play at prop?! Ticket info: www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/art ... n-friendly

My team:

1. Mullaney
2. Williams
3. Blythe
4. Purts
5. Uisele
6. Gaskell
7. Siejka
8. Clough
9. O'Brien
10. Sidlow
11. Ferguson
12. Pitts
13. Addy
----
14. Baile
15. Davies
16. Lauaki/Tahraoui
17. Mellor

Obviously, in your Team....No.... Happy New Year..

I expect both Coach's to field a 13 that represents something akin to what they think could start the season proper at sometime during the game with the majority of the rest of squad being given some game time. Both Coach's will say the result is not important but they both don't like to lose. It will be a similar exercise for the other two friendlies with the last one approaching a starting 17-18 for the game at Leigh. The usual injuries not withstanding and also early season form with some players can also impact on how the Team finally shapes up.
Still its good that the Fans have something to fret and worry about on the field as opposed to off it!

I tend to the view that, with players from both sides coming and going on and off field every few minutes, the result in friendlies doesn't really matter over much, though as said, the players involved would no doubt hope to come away with a win. For me, and I'd guess the coaches, it's much more important to see how people play, how they fit together, and maybe work out what the starting line up is likely to be when the season proper starts. With that in mind, I wonder if we'll get the squad list before the 11th?

how many subs in the squad for friendlies?

all 30 of the squad will play over the 3 friendlies so I would like to see as many of the "unknowns"/understudies getting a go in the first two friendlies, without having too many on the pitch at one time. For example giving Mullaney a spell at half back and therefore Ulugia/Uisele at FB would best be done earlier rather than later. We already know what Addy is like at ??? (add any position of your choice) so finding out about Petersen at LF is important,, etc etc.

I think we'll start with a side a bit like how dddooommm has come up with but then give quite a few lads a chance as the game goes on. As a result I'm not expecting a great spectacle as lots of subs can disrupt things. I'll be there.

Not even going to attempt to pick a 17 for the game as I have no idea who Jimmy regards as his strongest for each position.
However, from some of the things he's posted on twitter, I kind of get the impression that Blythe has picked up a back injury and probably won't be featuring in this game, at least.

Castleford Tigers squad to face Bradford Bulls:
1 LUKE DORN
2 JAMES CLARE
3 JAKE WEBSTER
5 JUSTIN CARNEY
6 BEN ROBERTS
7 LUKE GALE
8 ANDY LYNCH
9 ADAM MILNER
10 GRANT MILLINGTON
11 OLIVER HOLMES
12 MATT COOK
13 NATHAN MASSEY
16 JUNIOR MOORS
17 SCOTT MOORE
19 SCOTT WHEELDON
20 DENNY SOLOMONA
21 LIAM FINN
22 JORDAN TANSEY
23 MICHAEL CHANNING
24 MIKE MCMEEKEN
25 STEVE CROSSLEY
26 ASHLEY GIBSON

We can lose these three games and the first four league games (seven) as long as we win the last seven games of the season. That will do me nicely.

The result at the end of these three games is utterly irrelevant - how we perform is not.

Widnes had three players sin-binned in their friendly tonight against Wire. I suspect the refs may be using these friendlies to hammer home whatever rules they've been told to focus on this season.

Bulls 22-man squad: Mullaney, Tahraoui, Brook, Shaw, Walshaw, Addy, Uaisele, Siejka, Clough, Sidlow, Walker, Baile, Ulugia, Davies, Halafihi, Conroy, Mellor, Pitts, Olbison, O'Brien, Gaskell, Purtell.

So, looking at the team list, possible starting line up

1. Jake Mullaney
2. Chris Ulugia
3. Adrian Purtell
4. Jean-Philippe Baile
5. Etu Uaisele
6. Lee Gaskell
7. Harry Siejka
8. Adam Sidlow
9. Adam O’Brien
10. Paul Clough
11. Tom Olbison
12. Jay Pitts
13. Chev Walker

Subs
Danny Addy, Nathan Conroy, Karl Davies, Vila Halafihi, Alex Mellor, Ryan Shaw, Samir Tahraoui, Lucas Walshaw, Adam Brook

The trouble is the back line, we seem to have a lot of guys who have centre as their preferred role but only 2 who pick the wing.

But I suppose that's what's good about having these friendlies, Jimmy can swap around and see what works and what doesn't in an actual game.

Mullaney, Tahraoui, Brook, Shaw, Walshaw, Addy, Uaisele, Siejka, Clough, Sidlow, Walker, Baile, Ulugia, Davies, Halafihi, Conroy, Mellor, Pitts, Olbison, O'Brien, Gaskell, Purtell.


Mullaney
Shaw
Purtell
Ulugia
Uaisele
Gaskell
Siejka
Sidlow
AoB
Clough
Pitts
Olbison
Addy

Subs: everybody else

Really exciting trying to work out my starting 13 from that squad, and that's still with the likes of Blythe, Fleming, Ferguson, Petersen, Lauaki, Williams and Henry to come in!