Looks like Angela Powers has cast her vote

I've gone for 6th for entirely negative reasons. I don't think the teams in the middle of the table are any good and despite being largely dire for three years we've finished 10th whilst playing without a scrum half and two of our best forwards hardly playing as well as having centres who can neither make or break a tackle. The more i think about it the fact we haven't been stranded at the bottom of the table is a damning indictment of SL.

If Gale is even average he will improve us massively. I don't think we're weaker in the forwards as Lynch was over rated and the return of Scruton and Langley is much more noteworthy.

So, overall, the panel is generally of the view that we'll [iprobably[/i just about scrape the 8, but it's a bit close to call.

Does this comparative pessimism reflect a general feeling that we've either not recruited well, or that Potter can't coach, or a mixture of both, I wonder?

Bit of a mixture IMO as well as having a squad that has a fair few players that have grown too used to losing over the past 4 or 5 years.

I think Potter is still worth backing but it really is make or break for him now, we need to see some tangible improvement in performances. As for recruitment the jury is out until we see them in action. However we are paying for poor recruitment in the past, some players are still with us and we've let some go that we should have kept.

I don't think we have the quality and more importantly the sense of enthusiasm or urgency in our play to get into the 8. However, I'd love to be proved wrong. At the very least I settle for an end to horrendous performances like we saw too often over the past few seasons e.g Salford (a) and Warrington (h).

Maybe more to the point, it reflects a substantial raising of the bar by various other teams - so we HAD to improve a fair bit, just to stand still.

That's how I see it too.

Compared to the top sides, Bradford just don't have ANY marquee players to justify predicting anything higher than 6th in my opinion. Of course, several of the signings are unknown quantities, we could see a new breed of elite young players emerge that McNamara/Medley prophesied, and some of the inconsistent players you have (e.g. Sammut) could become more consistent - all of which *could* see Bradford finish higher. That said, finishing outside the top 8 with the squad at Potter's disposal would definitely be a disappointment.

It's a mix of 'all of the above' IMO

* poor recruitment over a period of years
* good players let go too soon
* losing mentality from some longer standing players
* youngsters not as good as hyped up to be
* coach with everything still to prove
* other teams having recruited well / improved

There's never one simple reason, its a mix of things

No you dont! Warrington, Wigan, Saints, Leeds, Catalan, Huddersfield and Hull all have better squads than you for sure. Your fighting it out for a top 8 position with Cas, KR and London. Probably finishing 10th!

Bradford finishing 6th is about as likely as Margret Thatcher being the next Labour Party Leader!!

"For sure"? Are you from Shweden?

Whatever - not it's not "for sure". The top teams - oh, go on then, FOR SURE - but (for example) Huddersfield is surely a good example of the old Bulls-style squad/team that plays as a team a whole lot better than the sum of its parts would suggest.

We are "on paper" before a game is played and on paper Huddersfield have signed:
Jason Chan (Crusaders), Aaron Murphy, Tommy Lee, Luke George (all Wakefield), Greg Eden (Castleford) and Tony Tonks (Featherstone).

Whereas the Bulls have signed:
Manase Manuokafoa (Parramatta), Keith Lulia (Newcastle Knights), Luke Gale (Harlequins), Jarrod Sammut, Elliott Kear (Crusaders), Adrian Purtell (Penrith Panthers), Karl Pryce (Wigan).

What all these guys will actually play like (and I wish them all the best and all a great season), to say Huddersfield (for one) have a "better squad" is most definitely not "for sure".

I sort of felt snug and secure predicting about 10th for us. But I didn't think Widnes or Wakey looked like easybeats last night so people nailing them on for 13th/14th may have an element of doubt in their minds. On the basis of that game I'd say places 7 to 14 might be a right old scrap.

I shudder to even consider it, and yes its pretty unlikely but I just wonder what odds the bookies are offering on us to finish bottom.