He might want to import advanced sun deck technology when he goes back.

Sorry to disappoint, but since [ilast[/i season (when I even did an illustrative playoffs table to explain my thinking) I worked out and have repeatedly said, that the only realistic - if still unlikely - route was to finish in the auto promotion spot. It is long odds against, but is possible (if you can beat at least one SL club plus all your Championship opponents) simply because other SL-v-SL results might all go your way.

My beef about the playoffs has been and remains that barring a Wakey-style meltdown no Championship team is ever going to beat a SL club in the MPG. And even if once a flood it did, that would just allow the RFL to "validate" their bogus promotion playoffs and claim if you're good enough etc. When in fact the dice are so loaded it's not even funny.

Yet they finished 9 points clear of their nearest rivals and a whopping 15 points points ahead of the Bulls. Anyone judging Leigh on a few games and saying they are not that much better is kidding themselves.

Ps. Not sure how the Bulls would have finished in the top 4 without the summer bash as it would have been Fev finishing in 3rd and Batley in 4th unless I am missing something?

According to you Leigh are a RL Superpower. Hands up all those teams that played them 3 times during the season. So just the Bulls then.
See above for what you are missing.

Both of you have valid points, but the truth is that, by accident or design, Leigh have improved slowly to reach a peak at the business end of the season, and have proved themselves well-equipped for the playoffs (a mirror image of what they did last season) whereas we have not. We have blown warm and cold all season, with far too much lukewarm and we have never reached any sort of peak, nor could we, given the coaching and personnel changes.

It doesn't matter whether we "raised our game" against Leigh or not, over the season they have maintained a certain level that we have not, and more to the point, come playoff time they have done the business. They spent their weekend beating Hull KR, whereas we spent ours making Swinton look half-decent. It was a pity that we hadn't signed a janitor, to sweep up all the loose balls off the floor, which must be a health and safety issue.

I know on the positive side, we belatedly have a coach, and indeed he has started off with making some fine signings, but we still have players who are not interested, and others who are frankly crap, and trying to compare us and Leigh as at September 2016 is, TBH, a bit "Black Knight" and frankly embarrassing.

The fact that we raised our game to be really competitive each time with Leigh, simply infuriates me all the more. Take that attitude to every other game (or even just one of them!) and we would have beaten Dewsbury or Featherstone or Halifax etc and be in the Qualifiers.

The fact is that the same players who raised their game each time against Leigh, inexplicably opted to be utterly gutless plenty of other times.

On balance, I feel that as fans have let our squad off quite lightly with an end of year outcome I personally consider disgusting.

That the players have to play in these nothing games is punishment for them. Fans have been voting with their feet.

If rumours are to be believed some players have been too. I guess that shows how we ended up where we are.

I prefer to look forward now to next year with a squad that actually wants to play for Bradford Bulls and a coach that can inspire them.

Leigh changed their coach at the beginning of the season. They lost their first game but went the rest of the season undefeated in the league. They assimilated plenty of new signings and overcame injuries to key players. In addition to those problems they handled the Ranji Chase meltdown and the Ryan Brierley episode. But after the Batley match they did not lose. Some performances were below their fan's expectations yet the key test was passed- gaining points. I'm not sure that Leigh had a determined policy to gradually build towards the the end of the season . It may have been force of circumstances.
Our coach has been in place since May and has had time to assess both what is for him, a new competition and his inherited squad. So I believe he is in a comparable position to that of Jukes in early 2016. Whilst Jukes knew the league and knew the squad already that's countered by Smith having a full pre season with by and large ,nhis chosen squad
I think everyone on here is impressed by the signings mid 2016 season. We seem of one mind that the "Spine " of the team for 2017 is good. We have seen all of that group except Leon play together over the past few weeks.
It is unlikely that every single one of the new signings will be a complete success but given his record so far, it's reasonable to hope that most will impress.

What is people’s realistic outcome for next year at which point you’d be willing to call it a success?

I totally understand people looking forward to a team put together in Rohan’s image, and with a desire to put in some actual effort. But my cup half empty mindset tends to think…so what. If we put together a decent squad then we finish maybe 2nd, we get in the qualifiers, and we probably lose to every superleague team, some of them by 40 points. We’d be like London this year. Are we happy with that? Because without a millionaire we can’t make a Leigh squad, can’t really compete, and can’t be promoted.

What does success look like for Bradford?

Said Eeyore.

For me i think top is a realistic target. Top 2 minimum. I'd like us to be competitive in the eights I.E The games not over after not over after 20 minutes.

I'd be happy with that, perhaps a single win versus SL opposition and maybe a shot in the MPG too.

I think we're lacking the resources to mount a challenge for the top 3 of the middle 8s but would be overjoyed to be proven wrong.

There's so much room for improvement on this year's shower that a top 4 finish and a respectable showing in the 8s would do me.

I'd like to see our young players kick on and start to look capable of being 1st team regulars.

I agree with you FA and did so last season that to get automatic promotion is an option that requires a Championship team to win 5 games. It doesnt matter what else happens, 10 points pretty much guarantees you a place. I do not agree with you that the RFL have tried to conceal this hidden route to promotion, as it clearly shows that a Championship team, having beaten two SL sides, deserves a go at more of them and validates the process, much more than the MPG.

What I and clearly other posters find difficult to understand about your position is that you seem to be saying that it is easier to gain promotion by beating two SL sides than by beating one in the MPG. Wakefield did not melt down in the MPG last season, they beat us. So why is it easier to get automatic promotion than it is to win the MPG?

Success next year should include:-

1. No WUP's or stories about people being paid late
2. All the squad makes some positive contribution, no one is brought in and doesn't see the light of day ever again
3. In the 4 and challenging for 2nd as a minimum (whether we can really challenge for no 1. depends who comes down, if its Hudds, & Davey continues to fund them, they should be the Leigh for 2017, Salford or HKR maybe different dependant on support from owners)
4. We are competitive in the middle 8's - games go into final quarter and we're still in with a chance
5. We show pride in defence every game
6. No repeats of debacles like Featherstone where it seemed like the players couldn't give a to55 (I don't want to believe that, but having witnessed it with my own eyes.....)
7. 2 of the juniors promoted into the squad for next year, nail down a first team place

From where we've been for the last 3-4 years, would be a step in the right direction, is it too much to ask.

I just assumed that it is easier to win 5/7 (71%) games over the course of 8 weeks - or 2/4 (50%) if you want to spin out the 4 SL clubs? Rather than having to win 1/1 (100%) from the mpg. The SL club will always the advantage in a winner takes all single game. It could be psychological, it could be game speed, it could be refs, intensity or all of the above. But in a 7 game mini league, those factors seem to be levelled out. I don't have any evidence based proof of any of this, it's just what it seemed to be whilst watching over the last year

Success for me next season is s top 4 finish. With a SL club probably coming down top 2 would be a triumph. Also 80 minute performances and maximum effort a must. Finally should we fail to make SL next year another success would be keeping the youngsters. Without those future stars/ a sugar daddy we could be stuck at this level for quite sometime or(hate to say this)sink lower/fail to exist