Good aricle that, some honesty and a realistic view on next season. 4000 fans as a base is probably about right, (makes a change from hoping for 10k!)but with a winning side and lots of "new" local derbies I think we could easily achieve 5000, which considering the club will actually be getting more central funds next year than we've had should see the club well able to rebuild within our means.

Leigh are well ahead of us at the moment for next season I think, but looking accross the other teams we'll likely be competeing against I dont see any reason (provided we keep a decent number of our current squad jimmy wants and add some appropriate quality) we cant get into the top 4 which is the first target to reach the middle 8. How many of the other championship clubs are even going to be full time next year? Us, Leigh, Halifax (?) London, Fev probably not now that idiot has bailed out with his fictional cash.

Now its a reality Im getting strangly excited by the change, new teams to play, probably more wins than this year, and a target we can realistically aim for whilst rebuilding with a club legend in charge of the team....sounds better than another season of admins and thumpings!!

agreed DM, exciting - thats why I set up the topic. Very realistic too, him and Green have noses that could have drilled out the Hadron Collider tunnels in a day. Interesting to note he doesnt mention the home grown player £40k cap, as plenty of posters have said thats a good place to start to help pay for quality non hg players within the total spend that the 4000 fan income base allows. One downside of this regime, the obsession about Odsal, but I guess thats longer term news from the hard noses.

Obsession with Odsal? Do you mean not considering alternatives such as VP? If so I suspect its just that for all the downsides Odsal is the cheapest place for the Bulls to play in the short to medium term. We could benefit quite significantly from the new home grown player rules in time, but I suspect its not too much of an influence for next seasons squad.

I would have thought that, at the start of this season, our highest earners would have been (roughly in order)

Carvell
Kearney
Scruton
Purtell
Ferguson
Gale
Diskin
Sammutt

We shed three before the season really got started. We know Gale is leaving, and the Aussie guys could well depart (who could blame them?). I hope we'll use the 'SL contacts become null and void' to get rid of Ferguson, and Diskin will probably either retire or join the coaching staff.

I think there are two conclusions to make from that list. Firstly, we aren't going to be significantly worse off talent-wise next year from losing most of that lot, and secondly, we can free up a large chunk of money from shedding those guys.

I'd be happy to see us shedding ALL of those remaining from that list, frankly, and investing the money saved in making sure that home grown talent such as Donaldson, Addy, Olbison and O'Brien are tied into contracts. I certainly hope that those guys will give us 12 months - I feel they owe us that much! Fair enough, if we don't come back up after the first year, then release clauses to enable them to sign for SL clubs would be reasonable, but I'd like to think they'll stick around and try to get us back up.

announcement(s) start in a few days time rather than weeks. Presumably current players that have agreed new contracts will feature heavily to start with before new players.

Source?

rlhttp://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/11336948.St_Helens_loss_only_serves_to_quicken_Bradford_Bulls__relegation_fate__which_could_be_just_a_week_away/rl

edit - "expected to start". translated as the TnA have had the nod about announcements

London have today put out a statement that 23 of their 31 man squad will not be staying with the club in 2015.
That is a frightening number of departures and a relatively small player pool from which they now have to find replacements.
Denny Solomona has confirmed he will be joining Castleford next season.
London have also confirmed they will remain full time next season.

Now, without any disrespect meant to Solomona here, but if SL teams are snapping up players of his ilk, what chance do we have of retaining the bulk of our squad for next season?

To be fair London have a large number of players in their squad on loan from other clubs and they will presumably return to their parent teams.

But you make a fair point about Solomona. He is average at best, so what Castleford are seeing in him is a mystery. They would do better going for Kear. Maybe they already have, who knows? We've really got no idea what is going on with our squad have we?

updated for Sam Wood tna today. His dual reg could be viewed either way, to preview how he would do in SL2 or to offload a bit of cost, or maybe both. Whichever, he seems to be at the right place for his own development.

Confirmed in the t&a this morning that Fakir will go back France and play for Lezignan next season.

Looks like Nas is going as well, I reckon Sidlow will go to Salford.

So looks like we need to sign 5 new props. Moore looks like a done deal as Wakey not offered him a new contract.

more announcements on the business strategy and squad next Wednesday according to the TnAhttp://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/11358256.Bulls_track_down_tearful_young_fan_and_reward_him_with_chance_to_lead_the_team_out_before_Wigan_clash/rl

Dan Fleming added 2 year contract. 5 signed up so far.

Building well , with another player Monday and meant to be a few signings on Wednesday at the meeting could have 10+ players by next Thursday. That's not bad going

Come on you bulls !