FT Dons 6 Bradford 32

Never got started today.

Felt optimistic after the Fev game but very disappointed.

Hope any returning fans aren’t put off.

Any clues why Zak wasn’t in the squad? Can’t believe other props were picked ahead of him and certainly not on today’s showing.

Half backs didn’t have a chance behind a pack which was beaten from quite early on.

Never mind, we could be West Wales fans...

I know York can only beat what's in front of them but there comes a point where it's no longer sport.

Clearly, the message got out at some point that a record score was on the cards.

Seen my four matches under the special offer,well three and a half actually cause I came out at 32-6.Totally and utterly outplayed and the true standard of the Dons was there for everyone to see.No promotion again this season and a mid table finish more than likely.Miller should have been taken off after 20 mins as he was hopeless apart from the conversion and a better prop than Boyle could be fund at Toll bar.Bradford had stronger forwards who once again out muscled the Dons and their half backs ripped us apart.Horne hasn't a clue on who to select or who to play where. If Bradford and York can recruit players the likes of which we have seen in the two home defeats then why can't we.In a nutshell it was an absolute disgrace apart from probably Jason Tali who worked his socks off as usual.I'm sure you optimists will still defend the indefensible and good luck to you but for me the seasons over once again unless there's some root and branch changes from top to bottom at the club.

Out played & out muscled .


We certainly missed Owen at the back . We had 1 spell when we were on top & couldn't take our chances . It is a good job Bradford bombed some chances also .

Not going to comment on team selection because I do not know all the facts .
Glad Welham got the mom .

Just didn’t happen today some poor performances from some players

Agree as I don't know reasons for the team selection, so won't go further other than to say Harris looked completely out of his depth at full back.
We were out muscled in ever department. So congratulations to Bradford they deserved that win.
I am still to be convinced by Boyle, a captain is supposed to lead, inspire and take control when the situation calls for it. I have yet to see him demonstrate any one of those traits.
I hope it was just a bad day at the office, it's just a pity it happened to some many all at the same time.
I feel sorry for Carl Hall hosting all those dignitaries and his team have that performance.
#COYD

Not collecting the ball from the kick-off set to the tone for the afternoon. Bradford were better than us across the field.

The Bradford players continued to make yards after impact - we didn't, we were pushed back. The strength of their props created space for their backs and they outplayed us.

Before the Fev game, I was worried that Fev might steamroller us through the middle but then felt a little less worried about that happening today, after we put up such a decent performance last week. My concerns were only temporarily put on hold!

We missed Richard Owen driving the ball out from full-back. He has done that job very well for us. Liam Welham and Jason Tali looked our best threats. They did make some yards on impact. Apart from that we looked disjointed and lacked a cutting edge.

Jez Litten tried hard when he came on. I didn't see too much of Frankie Mariano in the second half but he looks like a big lad who should be able to do a job for us.

Liam Harris started the season well but he doesn't seem the player he was. Nothing went right for poor Jack Miller.

The players have got to prove that today was a one-off and that we can bounce back. I'm not sure if Hull will be able to offer us any help in the props department but that's an area we really must address if we want to be competitive against the better sides in the league.

the main thing is i hope we don't see Boyle in that shirt again. even Muranka puts more effort in.
Absolutely hopeless, he's had his chances now, and there are better players playing kick about with the toddlers at half time.

WHATS GOING ON!

3 or 4 players who played out of there skin last week and this week not even on the bus!

It's not often I'm right but I'm right again! miller will never be a rugby player as long as I've got an hole in my ! his tackling and the way he throws the ball away to avoid being tackled wouldn't of looked out of place in the kids game before, both he and harris need to toughen up and start tackling properly and not just grabbing shirts like pansies! I really don't know what boyle offers us for all the years he's been in the super league he should been dominating in this competition. Yeah the effort was there but we have to be honest and say it was men against boys, how can carl hall say size isn't a problem? There props gained 10 metres then another 5 after contact, will anyone at the club say they were wrong and rectify it? I'm not holding my breath

Why worry ... look on the bright side ... another year in this division.
The sides we have lost to have been stronger physically.
Some of the ones we have beaten have been stronger physically too ... Newcastle and North Wales spring to mind.
We have got it WRONG yet again and Carl and RH are to blame.
It tickled me when Carl (who I like) in the ITD this week said that someone had criticised RH as if it was heresy.
He meant me of course.
Well Carl put that in your pipe and smoke it ... because I was right!
He is as ordinary as the side he constructed.

During the York game one of their fans shouted 'they are only top because they have played nobody'.
Nail and head.

And another thing ... whenever it is mentioned our objective is to reach the final top four.
Not be top or anything ... how accurate is this turning out to be?
We may even achieve it!
But don't hold your breath.
Without Miloudi we are Hunslet.

Possibly, but the best performance by a Dons team this season that I have watched was last week where we pushed a Championship team all the way.

He didn't play. Not a criticism of him but perhaps we are better as a structured team without a 'slippery maverick' ... just a thought?

Richard Owen didn't play last week either but I don't think we're a better team without him. Given the choice Hakim Miloudi and Richard Owen would be two of the first names on my team sheet. Owen is solid in defense and provides drive coming out of defense; Miloudi puts the fear of god in defenses (including Catalans last Saturday) and creates space for others to move into.

It's not all about Miloudi ... but we lack invention without him granted.
That big black guy that Bradford had? Where was his equivalent in our side?
Or remotely as punchy?

A side has been constructed that is not up to it again against the best ... and let's not forget we are playing home games on a Summer rugby pitch (yes the opposition gain from the surface too) ... the point is that this is not Worky or Haven or Keighley on a shoite day.
So we can't pretend we can do better in the forwards.
Not big enough on average and are getting beat up to the point that really good players like Harris and Martin are not effective anymore and don't figure like they once did against lesser opposition.

Is this kneejerkery?
Probably to an extent ... a reaction to the hype and the fact that sides are coming to our so called 'fortress' and duffing us up.

This is Bradford so fair play ... but there was hardly one moment in today's game were I thought that we would or could win or get close.
So I left in disgust.
I should have stopped and watched the lads getting duffed up.
I think not!

A raft of away games now.
I think the lads have the heart to give their all and not get down.
But they must now know that we are at best third best in this league.

Bradford and York have much better attendances and that will filter into what they can do at the back end of the season.

I can't see where we are going and what happened today has severely dented any possibility that casual fans will come back.

So I think rather than coming out with philosophical platitudes about how good Bradford are ... which will happen ... the club need to sit down and decide exactly how it can make this side a promotion side on 600 supporters.

It is impossible without taking out a 'bank loan' and we can't even do that because of salary constraints in practical terms.
You have to have a big income to up what you can spend and we haven't got one.
So I think we are stuffed ... but so are most sides in this division.

Is there anyone who thinks this side will go up?
If we had a better D/R club we might stand a chance but it is not working with Hull ... they don't even lend us the type of players we want and not nearly enough.
We need forwards from Hull not play-makers and we have not been lent a good one of those yet have we?

So it's not working and the Horne 'one foot in both camps' arrangement is not working for the Dons.
Apart from Miloudi and Litten we get nowt.

We need some forwards pronto!

I am feeling genuinely sorry now for individuals who are trying their very best but aren't at the races.
I don't feel sorry for the management though they constructed this and are letting it continue.

I also can't see how certain individuals won't get fed up with Horne's team selections either.

But to end on a good point and I might be wrong here because I was a long way away from the play.
What made the day for me was in the first half when Bradford sliced us open and all the guy had to do was put the ball down but he tarried in anticipation of glory .... and then BANG!
I do hope it wasn't just a forward pass that prevented it.
I did laugh ...

I thought AJ-B was good again and Howden was good as was Tali.
Dunno about the last 30 mins.
lol

I won't argue with Owen, we have missed him.

The Miloudi situation is, for me, somewhat different. Seeing him one game in every two or three doesn't work. I don't think it works for his team mates either. Also, we have yet to see him play against any of the top sides in our division so to some degree the jury is still out. If we were to get him week in week out great but it's unlikely to happen.

No, it wasn't a forward pass, just a great reaction from AJB.

After all the hype and build up from CH, for us to serve up that performance was very disappointing.
Poor team selection from Horne in my opinion, with only Howden ,Tali ,Welham, Litten and AJB coming out of that game with any credibility.

Boyle was poor yet again , while Miller and Harris were shocking.
No structure , dominated in the forwards and no idea from the coach.

When the big teams come to town we are yet again found wanting.

Lets face facts the great Bull sh*tter in his ivory tower has sold us all another nightmare of League 1 instead of the Championship dream.
Another season in this division beckons unless the league structure is changed ,and we some how slip through the back door.

Surely Club Doncaster are not going to bank roll a failing team with a Teflon CEO for ever and a day.
It should be made clear to him that unless we are out of League one by seasons end then his time as CEO is brought to an end for the club to have any credibility.

I think you've just highlighted the problems with DR. We can only have players when Hull don't need them. The idea of season-long loans was a better idea but that hasn't worked either. The lads on the long-term loans haven't stayed!

I'd rather we get Miloudi from time to time, rather than not at all. He's good to watch and fans need players like that. Jez Litten adds a bit of class too.

As S/O mentioned, we need help from Hull in the front row. I don't think these are knee-jerk reactions on the back of losing to Bradford, it's a realisation of what many of us have been concerned about all season. At best we're thin on the ground in the front row numbers-wise anyway. I fear that Mariano will find his way into the front row - which I suspect isn't his best position.

Having lost to both York and Bradford does lead us to draw the conclusion that we're only the third best team in the league, at best. Promotion seems to have now become a hope rather than an expectation. But there's a long way to go and we shouldn't be slashing our wrists just yet.

I think we all agree that we've gone into the season a couple of decent props short. We've got away with it in the main, but the best sides in the division have certainly out-muscled us. I hope that this will be addressed quickly.

Agreed, we do look third best at best currently. We are a long way behind Bradford who will no doubt go on to win the division.

We are possibly not too far behind York and a couple of signings in the right area (if available) might make all the difference. As you say, still a long way to go and reaching and then peaking in the play-offs has to be the target.

Know doubt the rose tinted glasses brigade will be out championing the dual registration agreement with Hull, and how without the Teflon Don we wouldn't have a club
Well that record is well and truly worn out and needs changing.

Its cards on the table time , and we have been dealt a pair of jokers ,in the form of RH and CH , we are ok beating the poorer sides in our division and throwing in the occasional good performance in the Challenge Cup but the facts remain we are not in the same class as the teams at the top.

When we have come up against the best as always ,we are found wanting.

Heaven help us next year ,when we lose Jason Tali as he looks to be the only player on our roster who could step up a division and look like he belongs there.
His performances last year and this must have alerted sides to his quality and devastating running.

The way we demolished Misi Talapapa last week must also put him on Fev's radar.
The guy is quality and I would love to see how good he could be playing with quality players around him.

Thought it was him.
Made my day it did.
MOTM to A J-B

Some more thoughts on yesterday's game ...

It's not just that we were out-muscled ... we were outplayed as well.

And it was evident to me that this went back to John Kear and his scouting in the Fev game and his subsequent planning of our demise.

It was men vs boys (including the coaches) from the get go.
Once again we started like we needed an invitation to play and were smothered ... all the play being at our end and all the Dons supporters with stiff necks craning their necks and getting their binoculars out.

I looked at the Bradford players and thought ... 'so this is the mighty Bradford eh?'
No big (pun intended)deal I thought ... we can give 'them' a game.
Wrong! ... because as soon as they started it became clear that they knew how to play and that they threw the ball along the line fast whilst running fast and were targeting certain players, particularly on our right.

They had us in all sorts of trouble and if not for good fortune and resolve on our part would have posted 50.

They played scripted rugby ... we seemed to play 'pass,kick and hope'.

They looked like pros while we looked like beach football bums.

So well done Bradford and well done John Kear (whom I wanted as our coach) for showing how it should be done!

I also note that in this weeks League Express Horne says that following Mariano's signing ... 'it is unlikely that any further signings will follow' ...
So that's it campers ... the money has run out so get used to it!