Massive game this IMO

We don't travel well up to Cumbria at all. This will have even more emotion than the usual lift teams have when the Bulls visit with Haven's financial difficulties. Add another 3 possibly injuries, and only having one fit hooker, could be difficult game. On the flip side, the defeat to Workington could help us as i'm sure the players will have a point to prove and Kear will want to right the wrongs of our last visit to Cumbria.

I feel all of that is right, though I confess to being a bit more upbeat about the trip than I might have done. I mainly put this down to both the pretty solid defence we've been showing and also the earlier loss to Workington - that was our last defeat and I'm certain must still be on the players' minds.

To be honest, I'm not over worried about the injuries. We've got a better squad than Whitehaven even without the injured players, though I confess I don't know who the Cumbrians will have in on DR or loans. It's also true to say all their difficulties, financial and recent poor form, will be some kind of catalyst for them but, in the right frame of mind, which post Workington should be a given, I think we'll be OK.

Onwards and upwards!

It'll be a test of how much the recent run of games against lower placed teams has affected us. We've sunk into some bad habits of switching off recently and a better side would punish them, particularly if we didn't have a big lead.

I expect Kear to be well aware of what faces us and there ought to be no complacency. We should win but this lot beat York so can beat us if we're not up to scratch.

Absolutely.

There's a saying about RL, along the lines of 'the team which runs and tackles the hardest usually wins the game'. It doesn't mean that ability doesn't matter, that would be ridiculous, but here is much truth in it, imo. For sure, no matter how hard West Wales ran and tackled they were never going to beat York or the Bulls, but many of those in the middle of the league will have to be outmuscled before they can be out thought and outplayed. Kear is right to keep reminding the players about the Workington result, for that result proves the point without doubt.

Would be good if the Bullbuilder fundraiser had met its target by the day https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bfdbullssg

Would be good if the Bullbuilder fundraiser had met its target by the day https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bfdbullssg

Thanks for link!

Thanks for the generosity you are showing by way of your Just Giving Page. It is really appreciated. For those of you travelling on Sunday the club bar is inside the ground not the one on the approach. That is owned by the people that charge for the car parking. If you could pass this one by and come for a drink inside the ground that would also help our cause! Safe journey to everyone travelling up, looking forward to a cracking game.

While that's true to some extent the Bulls also don't need Chalmers spouting guff again encouraging opposition Teams to up the ante!

Hopefully our Fans will contribute to the @Haven crowdfunding online* or via the bucket collection at the ground!

* For those paying online going via PayPal is the easiest way if you live abroad and don't have a UK postcode!

Good to see Bustin back in the squad.

Mini to do a stint at hooker I'd think with Hallas missing

Could be Gibson that does a stint if needed. He played a little hooker for Leeds and for one of the England feeder teams years back.

Didn’t Keyes play some games at hooker for Ireland previously?

Would have thought Vila can manage 60 mins just need someone to give him a breather.

Yeah he played at hooker in the two World Cup qualifying games against Spain and Russia back in 2016.

Perhaps Milnes may end up on the bench with a view to playing in the halves and moving Keyes to 9 to give Vila a rest.

Seems a good call. These days hooker is really a half with a bit of extra tackling involved, and Keyesy has already shown he doesn't mind putting his head where it hurts. He reminds me in many ways of one of the old stand-offs from years ago, Dave Stockwell, he was of similar build (though he thickened out as he matured) and also used do to far more tackling than was really good for a bloke playing in the halves.