Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:08 am  

I don't get it, Lee Smith is quoted as saying he wants to play for us next season but 'there's nothing myself or the club can do about it at the moment'.

Why not? What is stopping the club from sorting out 2018 contracts now? Technically we've been able to do it since the anti tampering deadline passed months ago.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:12 am  

Nothus wrote:

I don't get it, Lee Smith is quoted as saying he wants to play for us next season but 'there's nothing myself or the club can do about it at the moment'.

Why not? What is stopping the club from sorting out 2018 contracts now? Technically we've been able to do it since the anti tampering deadline passed months ago.

I think it may to do with budgeting for home games. Like this season teams in League 1 get magically selected who they play at either home or away. If nothing changes with the structuring of league 1 i'm sure the management will have to look at which sides we play at home, the then likelihood of away support, then gauging walk up support. When you dont know who you ar eplaying and when can imagine its difficult to budget. It's like say the Keighley game they will know if we play them at home they will bring a few. If we dont get the opportunity to play them at home as with say hunslet there will go our biggest chances of revenue from away support

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:18 am  

thepimp007 wrote:

I think it may to do with budgeting for home games. Like this season teams in League 1 get magically selected who they play at either home or away. If nothing changes with the structuring of league 1 i'm sure the management will have to look at which sides we play at home, the then likelihood of away support, then gauging walk up support. When you dont know who you ar eplaying and when can imagine its difficult to budget. It's like say the Keighley game they will know if we play them at home they will bring a few. If we dont get the opportunity to play them at home as with say hunslet there will go our biggest chances of revenue from away support

We can't possibly be waiting for the fixtures to come out before we start signing players, that's insane.

[Bullseye]

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:27 am  

If that's right we really are fecked.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:43 am  

Nothus wrote:

I don't get it, Lee Smith is quoted as saying he wants to play for us next season but 'there's nothing myself or the club can do about it at the moment'.

Of course Lee Smith wants to play for us. We don't expect anything from our players.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:44 am  

Nothus wrote:

We can't possibly be waiting for the fixtures to come out before we start signing players, that's insane.

Totally agree, but surely any club looks at certain games and targets extra revenue for local derby, big away following etc. There is only rugby league to have a semi professional league where the teams dont play each other home and away. I'm sure if they knew now every team in that league would be coming to odsal they could pinpoint one or two they might think will bring a couple. How unfair would it be on both us and keighley if either didnt have the home fixture

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:50 am  

Well i think they have a month to start announcing some signings. If we get to the end of the season and we still have no one signed up, then i think that will really put of people getting an ST. I'm not panicking YET. But stuff needs to start being put into place over the next month. The 2018 squad doesn't need to be signed, sealed and delivered before the season end, but at least a couple of signings just so we have something to go off. I know they are going hard on the WC recruitment, but i'd imagine we'll only pick up a few players form that.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:13 am  

Overseas players are like gold dust given the current visa situation. If you're a half-decent player whose made it to the World Cup, I'm not sure what the odds are of you choosing the Bulls agent to sign on the dotted line for, unless you're that good that you don't have any better offers from SL clubs or Championship clubs. Maybe we don't yet realise that playing part-time in the Third Divison is not a big selling point, nor a great career advancement, and given top wages aren't likely to be waved about - what then is the selling point?

[Bullseye]

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:38 am  

I'm not sure FA. Chalmers said he'd be "all over" the World Cup to sign players that made a name for themselves. It sounded good at the time but like you say we're a C1 side now that's pretty much part time. Not SL anymore.

Also, it's not 2000 anymore, many of the players that are turning out for the developing nations in the WC are already affiliated with NRL clubs. The chances of picking up an unknown Pacific Islander are bloody slim since NRL clubs cornered the market there about 17 years ago.

There may be the odd PNG player but I think we'll near the bottom of the pile when it comes to clubs recruiting players from the World Cup.

Re: 2018 Bradford Bulls : Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:40 am  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

Overseas players are like gold dust given the current visa situation. If you're a half-decent player whose made it to the World Cup, I'm not sure what the odds are of you choosing the Bulls agent to sign on the dotted line for, unless you're that good that you don't have any better offers from SL clubs or Championship clubs. Maybe we don't yet realise that playing part-time in the Third Divison is not a big selling point, nor a great career advancement, and given top wages aren't likely to be waved about - what then is the selling point?

Looking at the squad lists from the last WC, there were only three teams - PNG, USA and Italy - who weren't full of players already playing in the NRL or Super Dooper League so can't see there being much to choose from.