I really think if we get top 5 we would see what Kear is all about. Sheff should have never won that cup final. Wakey should never had stayed up when Cas went down. I would be delighted if as a promoted side we could finish in the top 5 I think that would warrant a very good season. I actually wonder if promotion would hinder the progression the club has made should we over achieve this year and manage it

As long as we don't get giddy, I don't see promotion to SL as a negative thing. I don't honestly think we'll do it, the team is just a step to low in quality in certain areas, but a couple more older heads next year and retaining the core of the lads who've come through the Odsal ranks should see us in good stead.

After all, if Toronto go up this year, it'll be a very different playing field in the Championship next year.

I agree, Geeing them up is certainly a John Kear speciality. One off games are what he's known for. Top 5 would be a brilliant season. I'm confident we can make it there, but I won't be disappointed if we fall short valiantly.

I don't see how it would hinder us personally. It would definitely be our best chance of keeping our best and brightest around. We won't keep trickling our youngsters to other clubs, all of a sudden they'll all want to be playing Super League for us again.



Yeah, a more level one. Can't see anybody coming down with the financial muscle that they have.

Finances. Before the Batley game, Diskin made some comment about us have triple the budget of Batley. So on central funding of approx £100k this year, we've about a £600k spend (I think).

If we could get into SL, and our central funding went up to £1.8m, we could spend the cap, easily. There are still some SL clubs who aren't spending the full cap.

And I don't know if this would count as "tapping up", as it is very general, but I would love it if we just said "to all players who feel they have unfinished business at Bradford, or have been through our academy but had to leave due to the club's off field issues, keep us in mind when your next contract is due"

To be honest I’d have been looking at Thomas Minns as a signing but he’s probably already been signed up somewhere decent.

But crowds would go up as well as central funding. Struggling to see how promotion would hinder anything.

Yeah Minns is a good player. That'd be a good capture for us.

Personally I think talk of promotion this season is getting rather carried away to say the least. Results wise if not performance wise I think we've over achieved so far, and we might come down to earth with a bump tomorrow. At the start of the season I'd have settled for finishing 8th. Now I hope we will be higher and maybe even cling on to our 5th spot and a play-off place, but there's an awful long way to go yet. To be honest I'm just happy to be watching competitive matches every week instead of last season's often one sided affairs. As for the players, it would be great hold onto the youngsters, particularly Ethan, instead of seeing them go to SL clubs. Hopefully the failure of Bentley and co to hold down a first team spot at their new clubs might persuade some to stick with us - if Chalmers can find the money. And I wish when some fans are giving stick to the likes of Kirk and Milnes they would remember just how young they are.

I agree with all of that. 6 out of next 7 league fixtures are versus sides with designs on a top 5 finish. How we perform over May and June will decide our season. We’ve just had a run versus some of the weaker sides and this might have put us in a false position. There’s a long way to go yet.

Beginning of the season I said if we won more than we lost I’d be happy with that. Still think the same.

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Might want to cut and paste that to the other thread, buddy

Well after Toronto we've played everyone and I expect we will be in the top 5 still by that point, so it not a false position from halfway. But yes plenty of the season to go and we've still got some very tough away fixtures like Toulouse, York, Fev, Leigh etc.

Yeah, agree with that. We can dream if we wish but it's hardly likely to come true.