Given the state of your pack, I'd say having Lynch back would offer more to the side than Menzies in taking the team forward and giving you some shape in the middle of the field. Another player who hasn't been adequately replaced - who was responsible for that decision? This must be the softest Bradford pack in my living memory. It is a shame you finally have more quality in the backs and halves when a blind eye has been seemingly turned to forward recruitment. Most other SL clubs seem to have a lot more options in the pack - even the likes of Salford.

There's still Manuofakoa to come in to the side, hopefully quite shortly and also Olivier Elima to return, both from injury, so hopefully that will stiffen the pack. I'd like Nick Scruton to get back to his best form but he's been a bit disappointing and losing Donno hasn't helped as both have been strong tacklers previously. I'd hope with a (somewhere near) fully fit first choice pack things will look up.

His replacement hasn't even pulled on a Bulls jersey yet - give him a bloody chance!
I still think we'll see Langley moving into a prop position before too long, Manase might even come in as a second rower rather than a prop. It's such a shame Donaldson got his injury because I really thought he could push on and make the 13 jersey his own.

We let Lynch go because "it was good business" to quote Potter. I don't think he was happy about it from a playing perspective but we apprently did very well out of it financially given Lynch's age.

Trouble is he was the main workhorse in the pack. Kopczak appears to have stepped into those shoes this season but we would've been much stronger with both on board. Especially so with Scruton struggling for any kind of form, Burgess still very raw and Hargeaves steady at best.

Since 2008 we've had a sub standard squad that has become imbalanced with every season. We've either had a solid pack and no outside backs or no halfbacks and this year we're light up front even before injuries hit (6 forwards out injured at the moment). In some ways it's a reflection of us having no money but also some mistakes have been made, Menzies one of them.

As much as I'd like like Lynch back, our pack needs a Bailey type player more than a workhorse. I'm happy with Koppys development and he has a bit more aggression than he used to, but when someones knocking us about (eg hock on sunday) we have noone to step in and give him a seeing to. Elima will when he's back, but we need a nasty prop too.

If you ask me,

The problem we face and that causes us trouble is INJURIES!! every bloody year we get 3/4 first team players injured.

Its a joke.

I think we will start to do well once these injuries go and haunt another club.

ont blame injuries every team has them we had dobson green and galea out against saints and lost our 2 hookers during the game so all 5 playmakers gone we still got a draw . I would say its more down to coaching and team spirit myself

and we have 7 back row and centres out, including several of our better tacklers (Purtell, Elima, Donaldson, Sibbit), something that Wigan exploited fully at the weekend. about a third of the squad are injured. So it is a factor, even if not the whole reason.

I'd agree with that. There's a thread on VT about who's out injured for SL and we are far from alone in having important players out already this season.

We lost Gale after 10 minutes but even without him we were still in the game at half time. The capitulation in the 2nd half was not down to injuries. It was down to a lack of motivation, focus and desire.

im not saying it doesnt play a part im just saying other teams have injuries as well and do a lot better

You're doing the typical fan thing of looking at the game entirely form your own team's point of view. We all do it, and I guess it's the just way we are to be honest, but you have to try and look beyond it and see the bigger picture.

There are two teams involved in every game and it's how [iboth[/i of those teams play or approach the game that really has to be thought about. So fine, HKR obviously got stuck in and played very well and I've no wish to say otherwise, [ibut [/iI dare say that Saints fans will be moaning like hell about how their side 'took it too easy' and 'thought they could win without trying', 'couldn't be bothered tackling' etc etc, I've not checked but again, it's just the way fans are, only looking at the game from their own team's point of view.

The truth is usually composed of elements from both sets of fans: Bulls didn't play very well and Wigan were merciless, result big Wigan win; HKR played well and Saints were somewhat 'off their game', result draw.

Pretty reasonable, as long as you don’t expect it too many times! In fact, we’ve been doing just that sort of thing in the last couple of seasons, on the odd occasion. Like the near win by the juniors at Saints a couple of years back. The fact that we are on occasion capable of it just makes the rest all the more inexplicable.



This. I have been banging on for years that I [imainly[/i have blamed the players, (and that is not absolving the rest of the setup) but MAINLY the players for, in too many cases, too many times, a lack of exactly these qualities. And the fact that we are, despite much changed personnel, still a side that can go walkabout conclusively shows that whatever the malaise is, we aren’t on top of it.

Despite injuries, esp. Gale, despite Wigan running fairly hot, despite suggestions of other clubs’ backhander top-ups, we still have a squad of players that we are paying up to the cap limit so they are not mugs, and I don’t expect them to ever capitulate like they sadly regularly have been doing, and like they abjectly did in the second half on Sunday.

It’s again a theme I have kept returning to, people [icould[/i have gone home reasonably happy despite a defeat by Wigan, or anyone, if only they had the feeling that the team had put in their best efforts and done their best. In fact I spent decades on and off doing just that. It would be fine. What isn’t fine is your team being made fools of for 40 minutes, and the feeling they are making fools of us.

Or if the second half v. Wigan really truly was as good as that particular combination of players can do, then maybe it’s time to pack it in.