^^^
This!

Before the season started, I pointed out this would be effectively only Year 2 of our rebuilding from zero, and Y1 we actually got promoted. So for a Y2 we are in a very hard school.

It takes several years to build up a collection of players into a very good team and there is no guarantee you ever will, but surely, we must have matched or exceeded almost everyone's expectations so far in 2019?

The style of rugby we need to play right now is to win games, not Harlem Globetrotters. We don't have the personnel for that anyway, and you build from the base, not from the top. I have really enjoyed this season, I mean properly enjoyed, just like bullseye said, which has made a great change. We are overall a very tough nut to crack and have had many spells where we have actually played very well indeed and shown some excellent attacking rugby - at the right times.

Some have gone on about Halifax's pace and moves, but that didn't win them the game, did it? In fact, those who complain about our attack need to work out how it was that we so often and for such long periods managed to put pressure on their line. If it was not our "boring attack" that kept getting us there, then what was it? And that was done without Peltier, whi we missed a lot.

The difference between the teams on the day was down to a bit of luck, and some poor discipline at crucial stages. Not any gulf between the teams. I am certain that if in that spell of sustained pressure we had managed to score, we would have gone on to win. If Crossley is ruled a try, we go on to win.

I was disappointed in the way we lost, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment overall of the show we put up. The issues have been already mentioned, and it's highly likely that more skill and variety on last tackle plays and kicks would have killed them off, and we are too often lacking in that department. but I think we are still heading the right way and doing it sensibly.

I don't why it is but we seem to give Murrell the run of the park whenever we play Halifax. It's no secret that he always plays well against us, yet once again on Saturday we never put him under any kind of pressure

I'm not suggesting thuggery - but maybe we need to stop letting him do exactly as he pleases, and 'get in his face' a bit more?

Wouldn't disagree, in addition make him complete a tackle every set we have the ball, tire him out

You show me somebody who enjoyed those home games against York, Dewbsury and Barrow and I'll show you a liar.

I'm not expecting top 5 and I'm not wanting harlem globetrotters, but we can't even do the basics!
I refuse to believe that these players are unable to offload the ball, or draw a man before they pass, or run some attacking lines, or vary their kick selection a little.

Yeah, Crossley and Peltier need to be picking him out and running straight at him at every opportunity

If you manage to do that then you manage to do something that most teams in this division struggle with. Hes a quality player but the way to stop Murrell playing well is to stop our pack playing well, just like any halfback, and on Saturday the Bulls didn't do that.

It would be a strange game plan to have your props running out towards the wing. Joking aside the way to tire him out would be to get him isolated against quick players, running big players at him he is just going to love, he is one of the best and biggest hitters at this level but is short of pace and despite the portly shape is not short of fitness.

I think maybe you're exaggerating a bit. I agree we were poor in attack in those games you mentioned.

However, we showed in the games versus Fax (away), the comeback versus Fev and the win against Leeds we can offload, draw a man and run a line. The kicking wasn't that bad either.

I think it's a matter of being consistent and improving. It's a young side. If we're still as bad by the end of the season I'll be more concerned but as it looks we're staying up and consolidating and I'm happy with that for the moment.

You missed Toulouse at home, hopefully the low point of the season - a cold, wet and miserable day.

Nobody was going to play champagne rugby on a day like that.

Absolutely correct.

For whatever reason the Bulls were never really at the races last Saturday and the best team won, as is usually the case. We all have ups and downs through a season though, so the last game has little or no bearing on the next, bring it on.

We lost to a team playing very well, to late breakaway try after a whole load of pressure on their line. We couldn't score a winner and sure we weren't at our best, but how is that never being at the races?

Indeed. We went set for set in the second half. They just had a more composed end to theirs and a bit more energy. There's hardly anything between the two sides.

Perhaps it's slightly unfair as we actually defended well (as is the norm, this season) but without any discernible plan to 'crack' the Fax defence, it always looked unlikely. If we'd only tried some off-loads or even had runners when we made breaks it may well have been a different story. But we didn't, and we rarely got decent field position late on because of it, then once Fax went ahead at the back end a win never really looked likely, much as they tried hard.

Not at the races, too many individuals a bit jaded, game plan perhaps not the best - call it what you will.