Why on earth should you send just your academy team to keighley and a decent team to Dewsbury. The game against Cougars is a game in memory to a player who played for both teams, and was a good loyal servant to the then Northern. Have a bit of respect for all your local teams and if your club has decided to play in these games then they should send a team that reflects your club. Keighley is in the same league as Dewsbury this season, in fact Dewsbury should of been relegated if it had not been for other teams going into administration and having points docked, or choosing to drop down a few leagues, therefore the team you use for these games should show each club the same level of respect. Of course its hard if the club has agreed to play lots of friendlies/pre-season matches, but that is your clubs choice and they should still honour the other teams who are playing against the bulls the chance to play against players that will be playing for the bulls team that season. No disrespect meant to the academy team, but Cougars have an under 21's too and they can arrange friendlies with the bulls academy on their own terms.

I think the reason would be because the Keighley game was arranged a bit late in the day and has clearly been stuck into a weekend in which we already have another game at Hull. I don't think any club would put out the same 17 twice in one weekend. The Dewsbury game, on the other hand, was arranged ages ago and therefore has its own weekend.

Good point regarding the Keighley game.

I would imagine we'll be at full strength (baring the injuries) for the final 2 friendly games as it'll be an academy side that plays at Keighley.

Because as someone else has said, we play Hull the same weekend and it's a week befoe the season. Asking us double up our first team squad a week before the new season is just ridculous.

Havent i read that Potter thought we had too many friendlies arranged for this year?

my point is that you should try to be a bit fairer with all the games, you have a large squad and yes of course the squad against hull should be your strongest, but at the same time you have more than 17 super league players. So a few, like ones returning from long standing injuries could play against Keighley. This game has been a pre-season friendly against each other for most seasons since around 1995, so it is one that the bulls should take into account when arranging their pre-season games. it was only confirmed by the bulls late due to them not being sure when they would play hull due to hull's ground sharing arrangement. It is hard for the cougars to advertise and sell a game against the bulls to potential fans from both sides when it is not really the bulls - super league team that is coming.

We do have a decent sized squad this year so I expect the Keighley fixture will contain some familiar names, but perhaps not our first choice 17.

I've been to the last few Keighley friendlies but I prefer a visit to Dewsbury where I find the atmosphere and banter among fans is a little friendlier.

hull game keighley game

kearney sykes
ainscough crookes
lulia platt
purtell hawthorne
kear pryce
briggs sammutt
gale jeffries
hargreaves mcavoy
lestrange obrien
kopzcak joseph
elima donaldson
walker addy
langley bateman
burgess olbison
sibbit payne
diskin aitchison
scruton murphy

Lulia, Elima, Kear all injured?

I am glad that people understand my post. It would be crazy for cougar fans to expect bulls to send their first team, it would not happen even if bulls had no other game that weekend, as that is not really what pre-season games are for. they are more about coaches being given the chance to try different combinations of players, and to give all players game time before the season. I was just annoyed that some fans seemed to be showing the fixture little respect by saying things like just send the academy. As for people enjoying dewsbury more, I hope that if you do come to Keighley you have a enjoyable trip out to a ground where there is a great atmosphere, good ale, and fantastic bar staff to help you enjoy the experience.

lulia/elima should be back hopefully kear as well.

Lulia - already said he would be fit for Hull game
Kear - said in T&A he would be OK by Hull game
Elima - probably not

No chance of this being played Wednesday now due to Featherstone's game at Headingley on Friday night so it's looking very much like it'll have to take place in 2013.

The forecast for next Sunday is 2 degrees.

Don't worry we'll be sending a strong side with at least one player making his Bradford Bulls debut.

That alone should see 300/400 maybe even more make the trip over.

It would have been great to see how we would have coped against you. Shame really.