Ok, we're 13 games in to a 27 game league season, and, safe to say, most of us expected to see some major changes to previous years.



So, here goes....



1. Injuries

We're having a tough run at the minute. I may be wrong, but I don't think we've had one game where everyone was available. This won't help any cohesion in set moves and will disrupt defensive patterns. We need to get players fit and available or, at the very least, try a few weeks with the same side, even if it costs us a few more games.



2. The players

We've had a massive turnover of players which, at the time, most posters would agree was the right thing to do and generally the right players were shipped out. It's hard to believe that many of these guys are playing for their careers given recent performances. If you're in a results driven business you have to put the effort in and some of our players don't look as though they've given everything for 80 mins. Personally, I feel the answer will be another big turnover of players, hopefully with ones who are a little more proven.



3. Overseas quota

Use the thing to its full allowance. I appreciate that we had issues with that person now playing garbage in Canberra, so this did tie our hands at the time. However, we don't have the greatest overseas players in the comp. Kearney and L'Estrange are good players but Herbert and Ah Van were risks that don't seem to be massively effective. Let's get some real quality, if possible nicking them from other SL sides so we know the player won't cry off back to Aus as we've had to experience recently with that bloke in Canberra.



4. The coach

Is he the man to turn us round? I'm starting to have doubts to be honest but I'm not one for sacking just for the sake of it. He had to re-build the squad from a far while at Saints and that has resulted in a few errors such as Menzies and Sykes. Hopefully, now he is there day to day he can properly evaluate who we need and where we need to strengthen and is supported by the board to get the right players in.



5. The Captain

I like Lynchy and think he's been a very good player for us and will continue to be so, but, I don't feel he's a captain that commands the respect of all the players. Who should take over is another golden question, but I would not make the change now. Let's do this at the end of the season. One point I would add is that the answer is not Langley. I feel we need a new broom in this area and not select a player just due to years of service.



6. Grunt / fight

Lets get some. We don't have anyone who provides some real steel or gets in the faces of the opposition and gets the team or fans fired up. Most other teams have these players, we don't. What would we give for a young Fielden or a Mr. Fairbank at the minute?



7. Defence

We need some coaching in a big way here as we look abysmal, possibly worse than last year. I find it interesting that we don't have a former forward on the coaching staff. I would try to juggle the staff and get someone in to concentrate on this area ASAP as this would hopefully improve our performances drastically and stop some of the pathetic defeats by massive margins.



8. The youngsters

Are they good enough? We've been told we're getting some great youngsters coming through but if you are harsh you can point to many of them and question the credentials and potential we are told they have. Are some of them one season wonders, are some simply not capable of playing SL? Whitehead hasn't hit the heights of last year, is he fatigued, suffering from second season syndrome or has he been found out by the other coaches and teams? If the young lads aren't playing well they need to be dropped back to the U20's and then brought in when required due to injuries or when they're braying the door down to get back in.





That will do for starters, will be interesting to see if others think I'm bonkers or not and what other areas people think we need to address and what realistic answers people have. We're not loaded with cash and we're not going to be able to attract the best players in the world. I think off the field activities wise we are in a better position than many give the board credit for. We're organised at board level, operating with financial responsibility and have recently achieved 10k season tickets thanks to a great pledge offer.



We also have fans who care greatly, such as those at Bullbuilder who give up their time for free to try to help the academy set up for long term gain, along with all those who contribute to that organisation financially. Keep going those folk!

Scott Naylor defensive coach?

1. Nowt we can do

2. Leon?

3. Mason?

4. Nowt we can do till his contract is up, realistically

5. Diskin?

6. Scruton when fit. Elima aussi.

7. Scott Naylor, as above.

8. Suspect we're doing all we can in a competitive market.



I like the questions, it's the answers I don't like.

1. Yes they are going to corrupt attack combinations and maybe a untrust in the defensive line, but that still doesnt mean we cant run to a structure and attacking plays that should come natural, but in attack we are very clueless and it doesn't effect us choosing the front runner instead of releasing it round the back, our attacking structure is woeful probably the worse I have ever seen at Super League

2. Unfortunately nobody available

3. Mason maybe if not then same as above

4. Needs help in the attacking part, maybe a director of rugby or just some new ideas and a bit more emphasis on go forward

5. Maybe not just one captain, maybe like other sides, 2 or 3 captains. Lynch, L'estrange, you cant really say because you dont know the roles and the players personality so hard to say or judge

6. Mason will definately give us some attitude

7. Better attitude and defensive coach like mentioned

8. Too many of the same, majority back rowers or props. Not producing recognised speedsters or backs, and if we do we ship them off, eg Atkins 1st teamer Wire, Hyde playing first team at half back for Wakey and holding his own

A coach who is going to rip into players like Brian Smith used to.

That synopsis will take some beating. Little in there I would disagree with.



I'd add in that ffs why do we seem to be a couple of seconds slower off the mark at the PTB than the opposition? Leeds and Wire were out of the traps so fast we hardly got to make any yards. Yet when they had the ball they had made ten metres before we even seemed to move, and 15 metres per tackle was not unusual. Where was our defence? Yes OK Leeds and Wire looked to be offside at most PTBs, and yes it was the same ref allowing it - but same for both sides, so why did we look doped in comparison?? As we have in so many other games this season and last?



I'd go along generally with af's replies too - and funnily enough I'd been thinking about Naylor myself as a defensive coach. God, what we would give for him playing for us now? Probably the best defensive centre, along with Ben Harris, we have had in SL?



And re point 8, we MUST find a way of stopping losing all our good academy backs to other clubs, especially those with big wallets. You can do a list of academy players that have left Bulls to go on and do good things. And they are pretty well all backs. Its no wonder we have a dearth of good in-house backs at first grade if our in-house pipeline is diverted off to Wire and Hudds and Wakey! Somehow the club has got to find some money to keep these guys, or we will just see more of the same...until we disappear into oblivion.

As much as I like Langley I think he is finished, far too injury prone and as prob our biggest earner we cant afford to keep him in payrol where for the majority of times over the last 3 years he has been sat out injured. His big wage would be used for some fresh talent

On point 8 if we hadn't signed some dross like Raynor and Walker and too a lesser extent Ah Van we could have offered Wardle and Hellewell a more realistic deal not the peanuts that we did.

Ever thought he might pick up the injuries because he puts everything into his game and his body on the line?



Like Morro did.



Of course, you could instead go for players who don't get so stuck in or don't try and make the hard yards. And are about as much use as a chocolate teapot?



And he is both home-grown and probably in receipt of the concession that allows us an extra £50k on the salary cap (if only we were spending it...)

Thats a point i made before not just about Langley i don't think out off all our supposedly big players were getting value for money.

Because our pack rarely wins the collision nowadays. The referee will allow longer at the PTB for a dominant tackle which allows the defenders to get back into position. Far too often the opposition push through our attempted tackles which means quite often the defence is still getting back onside when they PTB.

We looked doped because it's obvious that for the majority of the players their hearts aren't in it. We're lacking enthusiasm in comparison with just about every SL team. Some just go through the motions. The errors come because we don't play as a team. There's a deeper problem at the root of this. I suspect it's in the whole culture of the club as it seems to have carried on under different coaches and different players.









To defend well two important ingredients are enthusiasm and teamwork. I suspect it's that and not defensive technique that are the main problems. Coaches can only work with the tools they have to some degree, unless we can find a coach with the magic ability to improve average players and there's only one coach I can remember who did that and he's long retired!







Too right. What's the point of putting money into Bullbuilder/Big One etc if we're going to lose our best talent to other clubs (Hellewell, Wardle, Burgess etc). Are we really so strapped for cash? Also why allow SL ready players go (Hyde) and bring in ones we deem that aren't (Southernwood) if our resources are so stretched?