You are probably not wrong with that bit, to be honest. We've a few more OOC end 2010, and with the new guys signed up for a bit and the talent emerging from the academy (and a signing or two for 2011 in the threequarters... ) I think 2011 has the potential to be the best year for a while for us.

Have seen Donaldson and Whitehead a few times playing in the junior grades and they looked top quality. Losing a player of Sam Burgess' ability would be a blow to any side in the world but given time i reckon these 2 may more than compensate for his loss.

A whole host of variables at Bradford, I agree they've recruited really well in pivotal positions where for the last few years they've looked a bit devoid of ideas.
The big questions for me are;
Is McNamara the man to take them forward, has he got the vision and strenght of character to take the team into a new era? Personally, despite the obvious terrible slur on his character i'd like to see him succeed, always seems a decent bloke.
How quick will the new players settle and how quick will the squad gel into a team? Again, most of this weight will fall on the back room staff's shoulders.
Centre would be a worry for me, Nero doesn't seem to hit the heights he used to at Huddersfield and Sykes looks utter gash most of the time, I've admittedly not seen much of Crookes.
Lastly, possibly most worrying of all is Nick Scruton's picture on The Bulls website, hello sailor?!?

Think thats a fair comment tbh, but I am hoping -although I do reckon we'll be better in 2011- that well do well this season as L'Estrange and Orford already know each others plays well etc. and Kearney has already been linking up with L'Estrange well.

i think the bulls could well miss out on the play offs again. i thought so last year(me and ewwenorfolk had a bet on it and do again this year) i think the bulls for a few reasons are weaker than last season.

1, they have lost all their leaders, deacs, morrison, newton and burgess. the heart of the bradford club bar langley is gone.

2, they have lost their best player in burgess

3, if orford gets injured they are fooked, they have an nrl fullback who couldnt get a game at 6 is now their back up scrum half????

4, their squad is full of average journey men.

5, their coach is not up to the job.

this is just my opinion and i could look very stupid come the end of the season(it wouldnt be the first time)

I just don't think it takes a possibly over the hill scrum half, and a couple of has over the hil NRL players (with niggling injuries) to turn you from a poor side into a good side over night. Sounds familiar that....

I must have missed the signings of these "...couple of has over the hil NRL players (with niggling injuries)" somewhere - could you enlighten me who they are please?

Interestingly, I see that the "... possibly over the hill scrum half" is rated higher than all bar two scrum halves in the competition in his points value by at least on major RL Fantasy League site, despite him playing for a team that your mate above thinks could well miss out on the play-offs again.

First and foremost, my post was a sarcastic dig at Hull's signings, not Bradford's.
Secondly, I do think Bradford have improved, but I'm sure you'll admit they needed improving did they not? Leeds have brought in Eastwood when they didn't need to sign any1, hell they could have released three or four and still be better than the rest. So Bradford are now, in my opinion, at a level to compete with the likes of Rovers, Saints, Huddersfield, but to have replaced the 6, 7 and 9 positions is a bit risky in that it may not gel straight away. And the loss of Burgess would hurt the best team in the world, so is definately going to hurt Bradford.

Oh and mate, don't embaress yourself by quoting a player's value in a Fantasy RL Game lol.

All in all, I just don't think bradford are going to be this force overnight, and we may have found our new warrington for this season

OK...that makes more sense now. Yes indeed, sure did need improving - hence the changes. And I'd agree should make us more competitive now - Leeds will still be a big ask, although we've played a strongish Leeds team in a friendly and they looked far from invincible - and yes, it will surely take time for 6,7 and 9 to gel hence me not expecting miracles immediately. If we finish well up the top half of the table, and are challenging again for honours from 2011, I'll be content.

As I've stated on the bradford site in the past, Bradford's recruitment reminds me of Wigan's trent barrett strategy a couple of seasons ago, they've spent big on one superstar in orford, added 2 or 3 other good aussies in kearney, hall and l'estrange and then seemingly with little salary cap left, they have plugged the holes in the squad with talented but untried youngsters oh and danny sculthorpe! The first 17 looks pretty good, but there's nothing in reserve of any strength so in theory if they keep their key men fit for a full season......

Incidently make up your own mind if Wigan's "all your eggs in 1 basket" theory worked, they reached the playoff semis from a lower play off position and reached the challenge cup semis but never won anything, I'm sure Bradford fans would take that after last year.

leeds did have peacock(5*), webb(2*), senior(4*), bailey(4*), ablett(3*) and kirke(3*) missing. they have 21 gf winners rings between them. plus nrl gf and world cup winner eastwood missing too. yes it was a strongish leeds team you only just lost to, but it could have been alot stronger and imo a lot harder to beat.

*gf winners rings per player

but taking that aside, they're not all that...

Please don't perform the RLFans equivalent of saying Beetlejuice three times, and invoking Smokey TA.

Come on Wilko, I think you know you're being a bit harsh with your criticism here.

Yes you were weakened on our friendly, but you cannot deny that Kearney looked good and was very dangerous with ball in hand.

So Menzies & Lynch aren't leaders at all then? Plus Orford is a proven good captain, adn L'Estrange seems like one of the characters who is always spurring the team on.

Saying our squad is full of average journey men is ridiculous and you know it.

Journey men : Sheriffe, Platt, Sykes, Sculthorpe are the only real journey men I see. We have alot of youngsters coming through, and a fair bit of good talent.


Would you seriously call any of Menzies, Lynch, Scruton, Langley, Halley, Kopzcak, L'Estrange, Kearney, Orford, Hall, Kearney or any of the youngsters journeymen? Less than a quarter of our squad are what i'd consider journeymen, hardly full of them?


And if we hadn't have let Burgess go, I doubt he'd have played like he did in the 4 nations for us, if he doesn't want to be here, plus you had the same thing with Ellis and didn't seem to suffer.

Lastly, he needs to prove himself, and I find it harder to disagree with your last point!