Edited for accuracy

Squad sees Johnny Walker and Steve Crossley returning in place of Joe Lumb and Oscar Thomas:

Jay Pitts, Matty Blythe, Adrian Purtell, Rhys Lovegrove, Johnny Walker, Kris Welham, Alex Mellor, Lee Gaskell, James Clare, Adam O’Brien, Steve Crossley, Adam Sidlow, Omari Caro, Mitch Clark, Richie Mathers, Danny Addy, Tom Olbison, Kurt Haggerty, Dale Ferguson.

Mathers
Caro
Welham
Purtell
Clare
Gaskell
Addy
Sidlow
AoB
Lovegrove
Olbison
Ferguson
Pitts

Clark
Crossley
Blythe
Haggarty

Walker and Mellor to miss out.

I'd go along with that 17 but swap Lovegrove with Crossley so we've some more quality on the bench to come on.

I'd also consider having Haggerty in the starting 13 with Ferguson as sub. I think Ferguson, Clark and Lovegrove would give us a real boost off the bench.

www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/pos ... nouncement

www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/news/pos ... nouncement

Would prefer to have Walker ahead of Crossley. Crossleys had no pre-season and think this will be too fast a game for him to come into. Also needs to fight his way into the team as he didnt do enough for me last year

I like Walker's offload but he's got a lot of rough edges to his game.

If we play Walker against Leigh, their forwards will just target his short fuse and get him sent off. He's too rough around the edges for me like Bullseye says. I know it's early days to be writing a signing off but I wasn't impressed by what I saw against Featherstone and his lack of game time since then suggests to me that the coaching staff don't think he's good enough yet either.

And now that I've said all that, I fully expect him to be in the 17 on Sunday

Think Haggertys probably got a shorter fuse. Clark's certainly being getting stuck in and added some much needed aggression. Certainly going to be tasty! I don't mind Walker, although anyone is an improvement on our dross bench last year. Think he's behind Sidlow Clough Clark Kavanagh and Lovegrove, although I would have him ahead of Crossley and Lauaki.

Can't argue with that 17, but I am a little disappointed to see Oscar Thomas dropped. I though he did well, and I'm a little concerned that Leigh could take full advantage if Mathers tires towards the end of the game like we saw him do against Fev. That being said, I suppose he could always have blown away the cobwebs by now.

Seems like Leigh are still missing a few, Ridyard and Beswick are still not ready (unless it's mind games and they get drafted in at the last minute).

Leigh squad:

Higson, Worthington, Spencer, Brierley, Moimoi, Weston, Hansen, Hock, Paterson, Higham, Pownall, Maitua, Acton, Foster, Hopkins, Chase, Smith, Whiting, Emmitt

No Ridyard is a big blow for them. They've a huge pack so ours really has to stand up. Think we're better in the backs but not really any good if we can't get out of our own half.
Markers Need to be switched on with Higham running from dummy half as he slaughtered us last time we played them at home.

Game on!

No mind games, and although it is an important game I don't think we have the same "must win every game" mentalility.
Should have enough skill in the squad to make the top 2 (worst case scenario top 4), hopefully lessons have been learned from last season and peaking for the 8s is paramount.

I'd go with the following...

Mathers
Caro
Welham
Purtell
Clare
Gaskell
Addy
Sidlow
AoB
Walker
Olbison
Pitts
Haggarty

Lovegrove
Clark
Crossley
Ferguson

Blythe and Mellor to miss out for me. Think Crossley is a risk given he's not played at all but think we need a big bench to cope with the Leigh pack. Blythe just doesn't offer enough for me. Clark and Fergie off teh bench should hopefully do some damage.

However, I've just got a horrid feeling that Lowes will end up dropping Clark for some reason. Think it would be a mistake but I just don't think he will play the team we all think he will.

Think I'd go

Mathers
Caro
Welham
Purtell
Clare
Gaskell
Addy
Sidlow
AoB
Clark
Olbison
Pitts
Haggarty

Lovegrove
Walker/Crossley
Blythe
Ferguson

Think we need Blythe on bench so we at least have an option to reshuffle if one of backs gets injured. Unsure who to pick out of Crossley or Walker. Crossleys just back from injury so not 100% yet but Walkers short fuse could be an issue, and leigh would surely know that and wind him up.
Mellors done nothing wrong just think others are ahead of him at moment.