"He is now on leave until the situation is resolved. I can't have players in my squad who don't want to be here."

Well done that man.

I haven't heard or seen much about John Bateman this year, has he been injured?

isn't whitehead OOC this year, if so, you'd be better getting whatever pennies you can and ship him out before he disrupts things.

I hope Bradford Come out and smash it! Get to the top four and be a force in the playoffs without this guy and laugh while he wipes the egg off his face.

Yes, JB has been injured.

Whitehead signed an extension until end of 2016 last year, not that I can really see any of the 'top four' clubs looking down their list of backrowers and thinking, "Elliott's better than what we've already got". Nor are they likely to have space under the cap. Maybe if Wire were interested they could do deal with, say Matty Blythe[who we have on loan] staying here permanently, or maybe, as we have a number of second rows, we could do a swap somewhere for a prop?

Nah, Wayne Rooney is good.

You have to question the role of players agents in these kind of cases.

You want 100k+ for a player who is a liability in defence?

Be fair to the lad, we have only heard one side of the situation and it is very easy for a club to play the loyalty card, rarely do you see the level of loyalty expected of a player expected of a club.

If a club is struggling like Bradford were, the likes of Kopczak were dismissed as disloyal because they wanted out, if a player loses form or suffers a serious injury the fans are the first to demand the club ‘get rid’ and clubs aren’t criticised for not offering players new contracts. When was the last time the fans demanded or the club offered a contract to a player out of loyalty?

He surely has a club lined up with a contract and a transfer fee before doing this? Otherwise its sort of career suicide. I cant see Leeds, Wigan, Wire or Huddersfield going in for him.

Cummins has the right attitude too. He doesnt want anything to do with Bradford then Bradford dont want anything to do with him.

It's not a problem, if he is that crap then nobody will bid, so he can't go. He only wants to go Wigan/Wire/Leeds reportedly, none of whom are known to be especially looking to acquire a liability in defence, even for free, so don't have nightmares.

But that's not the issue. If Whitehead wanted to move at the end of his contract I don't think anyone would mind particularly. But that's not what he's done, he's thrown his toys out of the pram. Another who thinks he's bigger and better than the team.
He should see out his contract or not have signed it in the first place.
As for the loyalty issue, it's more than just loyalty to the club, it's loyalty to his teammates, his coaches and the fans that pay his wages. But also you rarely see a player moved on by a club before the end of his contract.

It is not really that, Whitehead signed a new contract in good faith. He could have walked out on the club 12 months ago and no one could have stopped him. Instead he signed with the club giving them stability. In the last 12 months the club has shown no ambition and seems happy to simply exist.

I suspect the inclusion of Brett Ferres and Liam Farrell for England may have broken the camel’s back. Whitehead should consider himself a better player than both but playing for a mediocre club that does not play in the big games is hurting his career. If Whitehead signs for Warrington/Leeds/Huddersfield he has a fighting chance to get into the England squad if not this year than maybe next.

Within his contract he has provision to hand in a transfer request should he wish to move. This what he was done. Where is the issue?

Why is a player wanting to move a player throwing his toys out of the pram?

The issue in his thinking he's better and bigger than the club. If he wasn't sure about playing for Bradford no-one forced him to sign a deal last year. He has a contract, he should stick to that contract or not have signed it. In a salary capped sport it's far more difficult for Bradford to adequately replace Whitehead than in other sports like football, especially with the small player pool.
In my opinion he's let his teammates, his coaches, his club and his fans down through his own selfishness. I agree totally with Cummins
[i"I can't have players in my squad who don't want to be here"[/i

Wanting to play for a top four, and having the ability to play for a top four are not always the same thing Mr. Whitehead.

He's sounding a bit like an early rounds X Factor contestant.

Most players work their backsides off for their club, playing themselves into a spot at a bigger club or hoping to get noticed and snapped up.

Either his agent is bending his ear, or (good for him) he's very confident. Either way he could easily end up looking like a fool.

You think every member of the Bradford squad grew up dreaming of playing for the Bulls? You think Manoukafoa grew up dreaming of pulling on the red, amber, and black? That Keith Lulia sat in Wollongong dreaming of East Bowling? No of course they didnt. Few players play for the only club they want to play for. They play for whoever offers them the best deal at the time.

No where does it say that Whitehead wont give it his all, no where does it say that he wont give 100% or that he doesnt want to be available for Bradford, no where does it say he hasnt been trying in training or on the pitch. No where does it say he has done or said anything unprofessional or in breach of his contract, simply that he wants to leave.

Whitehead has stuck to his contract, his contract allows him to ask for a transfer.