We need the positions, taken this season by loanees and DR, to be filled by proper signings (whether we are full or part time) who will be here all season. We will also need to replace the regulars who get a gig elsewhere, probably Ryan, Oakes and Bentley from the youngsters and at least a couple of our better players who decide to go. It will mean a fair bit of expenditure just to do that, to be fair, so replacing our already signed players who wish to remain, however much some people have a down on them, is unlikely to be much of a priority imo. Indeed, I'd think it may well be a financial bridge too far.

If we can do that we should be in reasonable shape. Just not having to worry about loanees turning up will, in itself, be a big boost to our fortunes. As will having a 12 point advantage on the board when we kick off...

And also the fact we can earn promotion by what we do in that league. Not playing 23 games to then start on zero and try beat teams in a league above us.

A very generous interpretation, IMO of course.

So dragged down from where, exactly?

It's been obvious for the past three seasons that teams raise their game when they play us. We've seen it time and time again. A good part of that has been the attitude of some of our players during that time, who appeared to think that they simply have to turn up to beat teams who - in [itheir[/i perception, as much as anyone else - are on a lower level. Many of those players have now departed and seem to be doing quite well at various SL clubs. Why they couldn't seem to play at that level when they played for us in the Championship is a mystery that is quite difficult to unravel...

I think we've seen less of that this season - but there are still players and [isome[/i of the fans (not all) - who seem to think that we have some sort of divine right to be beating teams like Swinton, Oldham and (season season) Keighley and Hunslet.

If you go back to my original post, the point I was making was that this attitude needs to go. As the saying goes 'We are where we are'. Given the history, full-time setup, fanbase, player budget etc we [iought[/i to be on a higher level than those teams. But the fact is that we are not!

Can you honestly not see the difference in intensity between SL matches and Championship games?

The danger of playing an entire season of champ games is that you become accustomed to the slower pace the game is played at, ptb is far slower, refereeing is far more lenient of infringements - especially when games are full time vs part time.
So to go through a whole season of that and then try to play SL at their pace can be incredibly difficult. That is exactly how you can find yourself trapped in this division, and that is what he meant by being dragged down to this level.

What Bullseye was saying and meaning is that we were an SL side for 19 years. We were then relegated as we weren't good enough. Due to a b@t crazy system we were then expected to earn promotion by beating SL sides while playing in the championship. We had to try and keep an SL style intensity. We didn't. He's not saying a featherstone or a Batley are now a lower team than us NOW...

You're a bloody touchy so and so.

At the start of 2015 we were comfortably the 2nd best side in the division. A year later we were top 4. By the end of 2016 we were also rans. Now relegation fodder.

Many of our players went backwards in that time.

I hope in 2018 we go with Butterworth as our starting 7. Keyes jist not up to it sadly. Oh and never sign anymore London players.

And by my calculations we are now officially relegated (I think)

With only 12 points available we'd need to win all our remaining games and Swinton to lose all theirs with points difference being the decider, so yes we're effectively relegated.

At least the club can now end the pretence that they don't know what league they're playing in next year or its time for the RFL to come clean with their restructure. I hear the major stumbling block is Rimmer, who is vehmently against a change for next year to save the Bulls, with the sports credibility on the line.

Cue the Bulls crowds falling off a cliff for the foreseeable, wake me up when we're no longer a joke please!

And, at least on this one occasion, he is absolutely correct in his opinion