Not sure which part of Bulls history you mean when you refer to myth.

The myth that the Bulls were innovators who embraced SL creating a 'people's team' remember that?

When in fact they ripped off The 'Cougars' and used the oldest trick in the book by borrowing huge amounts of money that they could never repay once the success ran out.

You had a good run I'll give you that and your timing was impeccable but it was hardly groundbreaking.

Can't take it away from the team but off the field it was a kind of cheating because it was simply unsustainable. When you look at Leeds who's revival coincided with yours I would be far more satisfied with what the Rhonos achieved than what the Bulls did.

Don't want to appear holier than though because had my own club done the same I'd have probably gone along with it, at least at the start.

So there you are, I'm sure you won't agree so ho hum.

At least with JK you will have honesty back on the pitch.

Isn't there a saying, I think in the newspaper business, about everone has their own truth but the facts are sacred?

My own truths, I confess are a little at odds with yours. However, first off, no.1; no the Bulls weren't truly innovators, since most would accept that there is little 'new' under the sun and the vast majority accept the influence of 'Cougarmania', which itself 'ripped off' American practices. The Bulls did though take it to a new level, mainly because they had more money to throw at it - not borrowed btw, THEIR own money. I also think much of the 'bull' came far more from the Sky team than it ever did from the club, it was them who whipped up Bullmania as a sort of flagship for their own TV coverage. I would never blame fans for embracing success though, who wouldn't love it?

The success was bought though, that is undeniable, and it was bought at great detriment to the club in the long term. The Rhinos renaissance wasn't contemporary with the rise of the Bulls though, they were five or six years behind and continued for quite a few years after. There was actually very little overlap.

You look to have recruited quite well, btw and I hope nothing but the best for your season. Best of Luck.

What a crank

Damn. Just come back and you've said everything I was going to say.

On a more positive note...

Reports suggest we have sold at least 500 Season Tickets in the past week - which means that announcing John Kear as coach and extending the deadline has brought in the region of £100,000 into the club in the past week.

Those asking where the money has come from to be appointing a coach of Kear's calibre now have an answer

I suspect you're well and truly in the minority with those opinions, and you're in the wrong forum to start converting others to your RL worldview!

Many of our clubs have murky events if you want to dredge them up. I think promising to make your ground superleague standard on promotion and then getting away with never doing it is pretty shoddy too. Especially when other clubs (Hunslet and Dewsbury?) were told to whistle when they were in the same boat. Like I say, how many clubs come up smelling of roses in a p1ssing contest?

I believe that particular ruse has been done at least 3 times by the same club too. As you've alluded, people in glass houses and all that.

"The people's team" came late in the piece and wasn't much of a factor at all. The Bulls invented Sl and anyone who says otherwise is talking utter nonsense. if you want to delude yourself that Bullmania and 20,000+ crowds never existed then that's your prerogative.


That is also a highly exaggerated and ridiculous rewriting of history. What they did do is the masterstroke of appointing Peter Deakin and it was his marketing genius that put it all together. To suggest he "copied" everything he did from Keighley is frankly bizarre.


Specify these loans then. (Surely you didn't just make that up?)


Except, SL history does indeed indisputably confirm that it WAS groundbreaking. We don't care about your jaundiced view.


But we DID sustain it so again that's nonsense. Things changed massively in recent years but it was not as a result of any huge borrowings or any such in the early years. It was a catalogue of things but largely centred on the Harris farrago. After that, we ended up with a string of owners who made a string of disastrous financial decisions.

None of that in any way detracts from the golden years. You're just bitter.


Like taking Jamie Peacock out of our team? (And that was a ridiculous Bulls management cockup too). Leeds revival was also based on the proverbial sugar daddy who we've never had so the cases are not comparable.


It's not that we don't agree, it's that you're talking largely bitter and jealous nonsense, and trying to talk down and denigrate the achievements of a once great club. I don't quite know why, but you just come across as a bit of a ywaat if I'm honest.i


WTF?? So up till now we've had dishonesty on the pitch? You need to take more water with it.

Nice one FA, thanks for replying on my and plenty of others behalf.

Perfect response FA. My thinking almost to the letter. (If I knew how to 'quote' as you do)
Thank you.

I'd just like to add to FA's response regarding Leeds resurgence as that never really got into gear until around 2007 and their second SL title and the full maturity of their golden generation of home grown players. That was also the time when McBanana had control at Bradford and the Bulls were about to begin their slide down the leagues in following seasons

Wankfield have gone bust in the past too but it doesn’t stop their fans taking the moral high ground.

Kear is pretty universally liked at Wakefield. In his first term some lost faith when the money ran out and he had to go to basic rugby tactics as his team was taken apart but most in hindsight know he was one of the best 'signings' in Wakefield history. If he hadn't arrived when he did, I have no doubt we'd be right where you are now.
Coming back he was part of a resurgence that is still building.

His role isn't the only thing Bradford have to do to get back up the leagues but he will be a big part of it.I'd like to see Bradford competing in Super League again and I'm glad you've made a sensible appointment in Kear. In your position, I'm not sure I can think of a better guy.

As for the history.....I knew Peter Deakin and talked to him often when he started. He took ideas from all over - Chicago Bulls might have had a little more input than Cougars - but he took ideas from everywhere and applied them to Bradford if they fit.
No one can deny the success. It was entertaining times at Odsal and the crowds proved it was worth watching.
The fact that it ended is a whole other story.

Good luck for the season. Hope to see you soon on your way back up.