i enjoyed my first trip to odsal for a while, I'll definitely be back!

I thought wigan bull summed it up good for me. It was frustrating though to see Kearney running his knackers off but with no runners to play off him. If we cut out Wigan's phase one, there was always a phase 2 (and probably a phase 3).

the defense wasn't great, too much going for the big hit instead of working as a unit.

I was wondering what Royston's role in the team was supposed to be today? IMO, Kearney should have stayed at 6 with Royston staying at full back but Kearney seemed to be in both places.

Potter likes using Kearney at FB so he can return the ball from kicks and also to reduce his defensive workload

We were told when Ah Van and Royston signed they could play stand off. Personally I'd have gone with Diskin or L'Estrange at scrum half so there were other options which whilst not ideal were nevertheless, options. To start a new era in front of 15000 fans with Sykes at 6, perhaps the most tangible symbol of the utter failure of the previous season, is nothing short of bizarre. He could have picked Kopczak at 6 and the crowd wouldn't have deflated as quickly. I couldn't believe it at the time and I'm still astonished now. This isn't a criticism of Sykes who was being asked to do something every Bradford supporter knows he cannot do.

Great to see you get a good crowd today. It would be nice to see you pushing on... the league needs a strong Bradford and as many big clubs as possible.
It depends on which side of the fence you sit with the wrestling. If you look at NRL the wrestle is a big part of the game and by most it's encouraged. Fast one out scooting rugby does not make for an entertaining game, infact thats why the NRL has gone away from that style. You see teams with one hooker(Mickey Mac going that way for us) or halfbacks playing in the acting half role, also halfs are playing fullback more (Sam T today) all to help unlock tighter defences. We need to encourage skillful play going back to scooting rugby wont do that. We are lucky at Wigan to have a coach who is up to date with such plays and any one who thinks Bradford or any ther SL teams do not practice slowing the completed tackle (not play the ball) is deluded!! A subtle difference between slowing the completed tackle legal, slowing the play the ball ilegal and should be penalised.We are just doing it better at the moment.
I watched some of the best constructed (coached) rugby last season at Wigan and I've seen some good teams in the last thirty odd years!! If we are to compete at a national level we need to follow NRL. If we are to win at national level we need to see a young British coach come in and not follow the NRL but superceed it! The scoot would be going backwards and most teams would employ it with a fast play the ball not much skill in that! the rugby thats played in OZ beats that style of play and so it's outdated.
Hope you can build on the crowds and see some improvement on the field, all the best for the year.

Think the score today was a bit harsh IMO. Wigan didn't play great (although putting 44 points on someone when not playing brilliant will do ) and at times Bradford played well, however for the majority you seemed... mediocre (No offence).

Both teams can take positives and negatives out of the game though. However I agree with the majority, Sykes is no number 6. Fair play to him for giving it 100%, but he was well out of his depth.

It will be interesting to find out today why Potter didn't select Addy today. Obviously it would have made little difference to the final outcome but it did seem a strange decision to bring Olbison in to the side.
I thought Olbison showed up well but I think Addy would have given up some more options in attack and another kicker.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that a quality player becomes available in mid season from the NRL. I think a top quality, genuine 13 would make a huge difference to our squad.

Rubbish. The table doesn't lie.

I said similar a few weeks back and got laughed at but what do I know.........


agree about addy, very strange decison to leave him out imo. hopefully potter will now realise what the rest of us already knew, Sykes cant do a job at SO unless he has a very good Scrum half alongside him, which no disrespect kearney isnt. lost count of number of times a useful looking movement ended at sykes with an overlap outside him.

hopefully Herbert will be fit next week and we can kick on.

I remember quite a few saying we didn't need an 'Anasta' type of player around the time we signed Briggs.

I've been longing for what I call a proper loose forward for some years now! I think it would take some of the pressure off the likes of Briggs and we'd be a lot less vulnerable when injuries strike like this week.

Southernwood should have played today.

agreed ( and its not often i agree with you red )

It would have had zero impact on the result. I suspect he would have been targeted in the line by the Wigan forwards.

Potter obviously doesn't think he is big enough to cope with SL yet.

Would have been better than playing 2 people out of position.

Team i'd like to see next week,
Kearney, ainscough, Platt, Walker, Raynor, Ah Van, Herbert, Lynch, L'estrange, Hargreaves, Whitehead, Elima, Addy.
Reps. Royston, Kopczak, Diskin, Olbison.
Just like to see Players playing in their recognised positions.

No Scruton.