BULLieve 18th february 2013

BULLieve

18^th February 2013

Welcome to another edition of BULLieve. What can I say? This week I have formed a partnership with superleaguefans.com. This is a fantastic opportunity to spread the word about our wonderful club far and wide using social media websites and the internet in general. So now you can contact me via twitter @BULLieve2013 or simply comment on the news article on superleaguefans.com providing you sign up to the site.

This week the academy game was called off due to the weather and preserving the pitch for Saturdays live clash with the Castleford Tigers.

The bulls earlier this week launched a brand new recruitment agency,

Bradford Bulls Recruitment has been set up to provide permanent and temporary workers throughout industry both in Bradford and the wider West Yorkshire area. This will generate yet more income helping in the transformation of the OK Bulls. For more information please ring 01274 635479 or Email bbr@bradfordbulls.co.uk

Saturday came round with a vengeance and boy did it not disappoint. In front of a crowd of over 7,000 and live on sky sports the Bulls had their second victory at the Provident Stadium.

The match had everything from team cautions to brutal crunching tackles and even 3 yellow cards.

From the kick off the match was brutal and intense, within the first few minutes Castleford’s Warrington Wolves loan player Gareth O’Brien was in a crunching tackle with the bulls Nick Scruton and had to leave the field. The intensity only rose again with Jarrod Sammut looking certain to open the scoring for the bulls after hacking the ball forward and racing to get on the end of it only, to end up missing the grounding and landing on his face. Thank god he has that huge beard to soften the blow.

It was not long before the home side brought home the first try, though, as Kearney’s high bomb was taken in by Elliot Kear. Kear then produced a spectacular offload off the floor to play in Kearney for the try after another consultation with the video ref. Foster slotted home the kick to make it 6-0.

From then things got scrappy. The bulls were penalised 4 times in a row from inform ref Steve Ganson. After the 4^th penalty, Castleford evened things up through Jamie Ellis who converted to make it 6-6.

Things then went from bad to worse when Danny Addy was sent to the sin bin.

Now down to 12 the bulls dug deep and didn’t give in where other teams could have crumbled. The bulls earned a relieving penalty which resulted in Adam Sidlow touching down over the Castleford try line. Foster converted to make it Bulls 12 Castleford 6 at half time.

After the restart, Castleford scored from a great flowing move which saw Kirk Dixon finishing off a 70 metre move.

In a flowing four man move, Kearney played in Matty Blythe down the right for the centre’s third score in three matches. Foster then tagged on the difficult conversion to regain their six point advantage. Michael Shenton’s high tackle on Jarrod Sammut then saw Foster tag on another vital two to give the Bulls a two score lead for the first time and some quick thinking from Matt Diskin then looked to have got a crucial try. The video referee had other ideas and chalked the score off after debutant Jobe Murphy was deemed to have interfered at the play the ball.

The Castleford team were then put on a caution and the penalty count risen. This resulted in Carney and Ellis being yellow carded.

Now 13 on 11 it was inevitable for further points to be scored. It was then a case of roles reversed soon after, with Walker this time putting in Kearney to seal the win for the Bulls but even at that last stage they were not finished and it was that man Kearney again put the icing on the cake with his hat trick score in the final minutes. Foster adding the goal to end both the scoring and a convincing Bulls performance. Final score at the Provident Stadium, Bradford Bulls 38 – 12 Castleford Tigers.

The injuries from the game are Jamie Langley has a groin strain but should be back in 2 to 3 weeks’ time and Chev Walker has picked up a bicep injury which is to be assessed this week. Meanwhile, Michael Platt who was at first thought to have only suffered concussion against Hull FC now has medial collateral ligament injury to his knee which will see him on the side-lines for up to 12 weeks. John Bateman is on the road to recovery and should be back either next week or the week after which, will bolster the squad and become even more competitive.

 After the match Francis Cummins had this to say, "We were a bit edgy when we get down there near the line. We're trying to score a try all the time when if we ask a few questions, we'll get there.

 

"We just need a little bit more direction at times. I liked some of the stuff - we were skilful and made a couple of good off-loads but our structure just went away from us at times."

When asked about hat trick hero Brett Kearney Cummins added, "He's a quality player - he's huge, He catches the ball well and runs with it and defends everywhere."

One huge thing to come from the game was, security in the ground. New stewards had been working on the day checking for sharp objects in people’s bags. I personally don’t mind this but as long as it is carried out in a professional manner. Cans of pop were taken amongst seized items by arrogant stewards who are used to working within the football community. One person asked why they were searching and the reply was “well we do this at city” in a very arrogant voice. The security failed as, Castleford fans were able to sneak a smoke grenade into the ground which, was let off towards the end of the match. For those who feel the need please we are asking for you to contact the club and complain. The club are aware but, more awareness will result in security being sorted out properly. Odsal has never needed security so I would love to know why they have done this this week. You get a very small minority of fans from diff clubs trouble causing but usually its minor so I ask this, did the club have a heads up before the match, resulting in stepped up security?

I’m hoping this is a one off as, I would not want fans from ALL clubs staying away from this incident.

Quick update on the 2013 away shirt, so far we have a date of march 1^st so here is hoping we can finally get our hands on the away shirt.

Is the Provident Stadium becoming a fortress once again? Yes we are only 3 games in but, 2 from 2 at home isn’t bad considering we could have been extinct last season.

Up next we have the misfiring Saint Helens at the Provident Stadium, Saturday 23^rd February with a 14:00pm kick off. Let’s all get down and support the lads and keep us on the right track. As the lads say we are a vital part in moral within the team and, so far moral is very high. We look like a very well formed team and we haven’t been like this for years despite have a small squad.

I would like to say a massive thank you to the Bulls horizon group for their continued great work. They have volunteers all around the ground who volunteer on match days to help out all fans, i.e. finding your seat or pointing out toilets etc. to give you a more pleasant experience.

Special mentions go out to Barry Fawthrop, Tony Tudor, Claire Butterfield, Matthew Ward and Carol Coulshead for their continued brilliant work especially welcoming the fans as, the away fans really appreciated this.

You can find any of the volunteers by looking out for the black high visibility tabards which have Bulls Family written on the back. Don’t be scared to approach any of them as, they are only too happy to help in any way they can. Once again a massive thank you.

Just tonight we have learnt that Nick Scruton will appear before the disciplinary panel facing a grade B offence committed in the match with Castleford Tigers. We are expecting Mr Scruton to enter an early guilty plea.

Last but not least, this week it’s the world club challenge. Leeds Rhino’s will take on the Melbourne Storm and this game is live on sky sports.

Who will you support? Will club rivalries make way for the allegiance of your country?

Good Luck to both teams competing on Friday night.

 

Thank you for taking your time out to read BULLieve your weekly Bradford Bulls article.

Until next week, keep safe and see you all at the Provident Stadium.

Jay Leeming.

BULLieve

11^th February 2013

By Jay Leeming.

Good evening to all BULLievers and, thank you for joining me again this week.  Well this week hasn’t been what we thought it would be following last week’s win at home.

Firstly, we had to have our away match at Hull Fc postponed due to an accident on the M62. A tanker had overturned and spilled its load of chemicals resulting in the M62 from junction 34 being closed in both directions.

Fortunately there were no casualties. The bulls team coach had a police escort to the KC stadium where, the kick off was delayed twice due to our fans and apparently some of the Hull Fc players being stuck on the motorway. It was agreed in the end by the RFL and both clubs to postpone the game until Sunday. Yes our fans were frustrated and especially those making the trip twice but, these things happen and although I feel the 2 points should have been ours by way of forfeit it didn’t happen.

So onto Saturday, our under 19’s played Hull Fc’s under 19’s.

The lads travelled to Bishop Burton College to face Hull and the result wasn’t great. The lads unfortunately took a hammering going down 60-6. Worse than that was another 2 injuries.

Alex Mellor on the half hour and Captain Sam Wood to a groin injury on fifty minutes. Our only try of the game came through Josh Greenwood-Macdonald which was converted by Jordan Gale. We hope that the injured lads recover and can kick on in training and get the 2 points against Castleford Tigers on Thursday at the Provident stadium with a 19.30pm kick off. Come on down and support the lads if you can.

Sunday came very quickly and, the lads and fans alike were geared up for this clash in the freezing minus 3 temperature at the Kc.

From the kick off things didn’t look good. The attacking flare wasn’t as we saw last week. Yes we attacked and came very close to scoring but somehow it didn’t come off. Worse still was the early departure through knock out, was Michael Platt. Thankfully Mike is ok and was raring to get back on the pitch but, the doctor told him no as a result of concussion. Then the bulls were 12-0 down. There was no comeback from this, we attacked time after time yet came up with a lot of knock on’s and just failed to do anything on the last play of the ball. We had a lot of possession and we pressured the hull line and defence but to no avail. Hull looked very good and eventually took the win with the score line of 28-12. We did score though which was a relief as, at one point I thought we was to be nulled. Our try scorers were; Matty Blythe and Brett Kearney with Foster converting both. In the overview of things you have to admit that bearing in mind the score line the last time we met, we are vastly improved. In the press conference after the match Francis Cummins had this to say,

"It was not the result I wanted. The lads worked hard but we got dominated early on and allowed Hull to play the way they have trained.

We didn't always make the right decisions but I am happy with how we came back.

Hull defended well but we have to take the positives, which were we looked dangerous at times."

Well we will put that game to bed and now focus on Castleford who we play at home on Saturday which is also being shown on sky. Let’s all get down to the stadium and back the lads vocally and show super league that we have the best fans and team in super league. Kick-off is 16.45pm

I would like to thank everyone at the club for putting on the coaches on Sunday free of charge for those who had already paid. This was a brilliant gesture and very much appreciated.

We have started well this season even though we have won 1 lost 1 we could be at 2 losses. All is not lost, this season has just started so no need for any type of panic stations. Currently we sit 6^th in the super league table which isn’t bad at all.

Ground improvements are still ongoing at the Provident Stadium. As you will be aware we have new signage around the ground, most noticeably on the newly named Provident stand. Well done to Omar and newly appointed volunteers part of the bull’s heritage group, you are all doing sterling work.

Here is something which I think is superb,

Nick Scrutons wife, Alice is going to climb Ben Nevis for charity and any donations are greatly appreciated. Not just Alice but a lot of super league players’ wives and girlfriends are doing the charity climb too.  To donate please use the following link,

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/rugbywag it is for a great cause and any donation however big or small goes along way. Alice says a massive thank you in advance.

 

Now onto the ongoing saga with the administrators,

This week it has emerged that Omar Khan is in dispute with the bulls administrators as to what he owes and why. A report published by administrators The P&A Partnership claims the restaurant owner was being pursued by solicitors after failing to pay the money due on November 30. The progress report for creditors, dated January 28, also says the new company owes £15,200 for expenses incurred by the administrators for the club’s home game against Hull FC the day after Mr Khan bought the club on August 31. SINCE THIS Omar has paid the outstanding 25,000 owed.

The report also says that Omar will pay an additional 100,000 if bulls were to stay in super league for the 2014/2015 seasons.

So for now, the dispute is ongoing but, it won’t affect anything for now unless the creditors are actually owed money and Omar cannot pay it. Omar is a very good business man and I am sure this matter will be resolved very quickly.

This week seems all negative news but it’s not all doom and gloom, here are some events going on at the Provident Stadium.

Thursday 14th February 2013 - Red Rose Valentines Dinner in Trevor Foster Lounge, only £24.50 with a choice of 8 starters, 11 main courses and 5 desserts (see website for full details).

 

Thursday 14th February 2013 - Academy game versus Castleford Tigers, KO 1930. Bar in Legends Suite open.

 

Friday 15th February 2013 - Comedy Night returns after the January postponement. All tickets still valid. £5 in advance from the ticket office, £7 on the door. Doors open at 1900 for a 2000 start. Headline act is Canadian Wes Zarahuk. See website for details or email odsalcomedyclub@hotmail.co.uk

Don’t forget, the coral stand is open every night with cheap drinks, big screen and now free WIFI access.

 

Don’t forget you can give feedback and comment or if you would like to be in BULLieve you can contact me, via twitter @BULLieve2013 or on the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/5422671701/ or even via email at bullieve2013@hotmail.co.uk

Thank you once again BULLievers for taking the time to read and please if you would share BULLieve I would be very grateful.

Until next week, have a great week and let’s support the lads.

 Don’t stop BULLieving.

 

BULLieve © Jay Leeming 2013

BULLieve

 4^th February 2013 by Jay Leeming.

 

Good evening BULLievers. It’s that time of the week again where, as promised, here is your weekly BULLieve.

News wise this week has been quiet with the build up to game day but, one notable piece of news for your diaries.

Bradford Bulls have announced changes to both the St Helens and London Broncos games.

 To avoid a clash with the Bradford City v Swansea League Cup Final, the game against St Helens will now take place on Saturday 23rd February at 14:00.

 Due to a clash with the Heineken Cup Rugby Union game, the London Broncos v Bradford Bulls game will now be played on Friday 5th April at 20:00 at the Twickenham Stoop.  The Bulls Academy game has also been moved to the Friday at the Stoop and will kick off at 17:30

 

 Well the season has got underway and, it was a winning start for the under 19’s beating Wakefield 26-18. The only downside to the win was, Curtis Naughton had to be carried off the pitch with a suspected knee injury. Here are the match facts;

Bradford Bulls : Curtis Naughton; Kyle Moore, Josh Casey, Sam Wood(c), Jarrod Ward; Jordan Gale, Adam Brook; Connor Nolan, Nathan Conroy, Jordan Hargreaves, Alex Mellor, Josh Halliday, Sam Bates. Subs: Nick Gomersall, Dan Gregory, Brad Adams, Steve Copeland.

 Tries: Moore 12, Wood 15, 78, Mellor 33 and Ward 65.

 Goals: Naughton 0/2, Gale 3/3.

Wakefield Wildcats: Curtis Macdonald; Brandon Conway, Matt Cook, Tom Rodgers, Sam Doherty; Louis Nicholls, Josh Kitterick; Ben Shulver, Josh Murphy, James Healey, Brad Day, Jack Anderson, Cobin Kilday. Subs: Dan Maskill, Jack Walton, Reece Trout, Will Martin.

 Tries: Conway 60, 70 and Shulver 66.

 Goals: Doherty 3/3

Referee: M Mannifield.

Then Sunday arrived. Although it was cold, windy and a bit damp spirits were high and the atmosphere was electric. Over 10,000 spectators descended on the newly named Provident Stadium to witness the Bulls first home game of 2013 and boy was it a great game. From the off the Bulls looked strong and fitness levels were very high compared to those of the wildcats. The first try was scored by a very impressive move flowing 8 man move, eventually providing Michael Platt with his first try of the 2013 campaign. And from that moment the bulls never looked back with further tries from Blythe and sidlow made it 18-0 with 3/3 attempts at goal from Foster. Just 5 mins before the break, Sammut crashed over in the corner for his first of his brace of tries. After the break Foster latched onto a grubber kick from Kearney to score and convert his own try. The man of the match Sammut then scored his second of the match to make the score 34-0 Wakefield finally got on the score sheet with a 70 metre break down field though Dean Collis with ex bull Sykes converting to make it 34-6. The bulls wouldn’t give in with that and replied through Kearney to round the full time score to 40-6. The only downfall to the match was, the bulls tried to force the play and came up with a few handling errors and dropped balls. Besides that you cannot take anything away from the team. They were solid and in most cases clinical with ball in hand, finally we have a team that are confident with each other and are a force to be reckoned with. Highlights of the match can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQMpoU5tDN0&feature=player_embedded 

BULLS 40                                                                              WILDCATS 6

Platt, Kearney, Blythe, Sidlow, Foster, Sammut (2),                   Collis, Goals: Sykes,
Goals: Foster (6),

Note the match officials in pink and blue chequers. I’m really not sure on these as, it makes them stand out a lot more and we would rather see game play rather than officials. Also are the officials now prone to more abuse? It happens at all games but now, I feel the officials will be subject to further abuse which isn’t great as our sport is a family game.

 

Mr Omar Khan has sent a message to all the fans you can see/ hear this here http://t.co/f99XnoD

 

Next up we take on Hull FC who were beaten by Leeds Rhinos 36-6. Travel to the KC and back is available via the club at £14. Please contact the ticket office for more info.

I would like to wish Karl Pryce all the best after it has been revealed that Karl has signed for the Dewsbury Rams. With the squad Glen Morrison has built, the Rams should have a brilliant season. They have kicked off their season with a 16-22 win over Doncaster. 2 Bulls were in action, James Donaldson and Adam O’Brien. With, O’Brien scoring twice.

Next event to take place at the Provident Stadium,

An Evening with Brian Noble

 Come along to the Coral Stand this Saturday, 9 February, for an evening's entertainment and anecdotes from the Bulls most successful coach to date - none other than Brian 'Nobby' Noble. For just £15 pounds you also get a steak pie and apple crumble with custard meal, so get your tickets now from the Bulls ticket office and enjoy a good Saturday night out. Kick-off is 1930.

Quick mention, tonight at 11.35pm BBC1 the super league returns with Brian Noble and Jamie Peacock. The show is also repeated tomorrow afternoon at 13.30pm on BBC2.

Thank you for taking your time to read YOUR BULLieve. Without you the loyal readers, BULLieve wouldn’t be what it is today.

If anybody would like to feature in BULLieve please contact me either by the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/jay.leeming.5#!/groups/440032066068082/ or @BULLieve2013 on twitter or via email bullieve@hotmail.co.uk.

Can i ask a great big favour from you all please? Those who took pictures at yesterdays match, can you look through and see if you have any pics of the team and mascots emerging from the tunnel?Friends children were the mascots and have requested i ask so they can see the pics.  Please contact me via the links above and i can pass you onto the relevant people.

 

This week it was a short but very sweet BULLieve and I hope you will join me next week and spread the word. Thankyou for giving up your time to read BULLieve, YOUR weekly article.

Cheers everyone and keep BULLieving,

Jay.

 

BULLieve © Jay Leeming 2013

BULLieve 28th January 2013

                                                   28^th January 2013 by Jay Leeming.

Good evening BULLievers and welcome to your weekly BULLieve.

It’s finally here! This week the much eagerly anticipated super league season starts this week!

The bull welcome the wildcats to the Provident Stadium on Sunday with a 3pm kick off.

This week there hasn’t been much news to report from the Provident stadium as the weather has effected a few things from delivery of shirts to training. Well the RFL have finally let us fans know where we stand – kind of. Chief Executive Nigel Woods has revealed that he is “excited” with the progress our club is making and has said we shall receive the same revenue generated from gate receipts and sponsorship deals. Superb news after we had to give up most of our sky money which has no doubt put a dent in the budget but so far so good.  Woods has said that there is to be a review of our “probationary period” mid-season. Yet more good news for us as the way things are going we will be allowed back into Super league and hopefully for the 3 year franchise unless the relegation and promotion is brought back then we shall be playing season by season with the rest of super league trying to avoid the drop which, for us I’d say we would be very unlikely to be relegated.  On the training front as we know the lads have a day off usually during the week but, the dedication from the lads has been brilliant as they have been training on their day off which shows how much the lads are preparing for the fourth coming season.

Just this morning it has been revealed that Paul Medley has been appointed head coach for the under 19’s and could possibly become Francis Cummins right hand man from next season.

Medley’s young charges will play Wakefield in their opening under-19s fixture at the Provident Stadium on Thursday. The match will kick off at 7.30pm.

As far as the new 2013 away shirt goes I think it’s a decent looking shirt. We have gone with hoops and the colours are; deep purple green and white. The shirt looks a lot more professional than the home shirt which, in my and a lot of other fans opinions looked rushed. Far too much going on all in a small space at the top of the shirt where as it could have been spread out but the emphasis mainly was based on the record breaking sponsorship deal we made with Provident. To be fair it shouldn’t matter what shirt we have as we have a club and a team which looked doomed last year.  The challenge cup sponsor was revealed this week and I can now reveal the new name for the challenge cup is, the Tetley’s challenge cup. The deal is for 2 years. That’s all good and well getting sponsors for the challenge cup but, the worrying thing for me is so far we have no sponsor and seems won’t have a sponsor for the super league. After last season having a sponsor (stobart) and receiving no revenue this is bad. As I have touched upon this subject in a previous edition of BULLieve, is this just pointing in the direction that super league is going down the pan? The comparison in money between super league and the NRL is staggering and we may see ALL of our best players being poached by the money makers down under. I know we have been a minority sport for years but surely we are recognised enough for business’s to want to be part of our game? I know all fans of super league are loyal and will stay to the end but I’d like to see the end further than nearer the future. Another name cropped up this week, an online bingo site namely Foxy Bingo.com. As soon as this name was mentioned a lot of fans thought this was the new name of super league. I can definitely say this is not the case. I can clarify Foxy Bingo.com is  an official partner of super league for the next 3 years which will involve more community based things to promote super league. Also with the partnership scheme it has emerged that Heinz big soup is continuing its partnership with super league.

This week I have the upmost pleasure in speaking to our first match day mascot of the season and his father. Stuart Fynn is a young man all the way from Bridlington East Yorkshire and will be this Sunday’s mascot. Here is a short background on Stuart provided by his father Mr Thomas Fynn;

Stuart was born 08/09/04. He was 4 weeks early and spent 2 weeks in special care very ill with many things. However he has turned out into a great little lad who like most have their moments. He is 8 now and a last year was diagnosed with a rare syndrome called kabuki it effects his muscle tone in his legs and is unable to walk long distances he also has a condition with his eyes called Duane’s syndrome basically one eye does not sit in correct place and has almost a tunnel vision but is good at seeing at long distance great for bulls games really lol. Like most boys he loves trains fire engines etc. and particular spotting Eddie stobarts. I kind of brought him up with the bulls and had his pic taken on a bulls flag at only few months old he used to be terrified when I cheered after they scored but we found that his ears were very tender and had gromits fitted to assist him to hear clearer. He attends Kingsmill special school in Driffield which is a fab school every parent should see the work they do. He loves his bulls and his 2 favourite players are Brett Kearney and Heath L’Estrange. He is looking forward to his day on 3rd Feb immensely and so are his mum and dad as at one stage we never expected him to get past a few month he was so poorly as a child.

I managed to speak to Stuart and Thomas to ask them a few questions regarding match day and their love for the club;

Q1 what is the best thing about match day?

The best thing about match day is the hype and the excitement you can forget all your worries and engross yourself in sport and shout and yell for the team I (Tom) love the atmosphere of odsal there is nowhere like it for a rugby venue. (Stuart) I love to see plenty of tries and conversions and being with my mum and dad.

Q2 what is the distance in a round trip on match day?

The distance is around 170 miles there and back takes us about 2 hours on a steady run but don't want to say much more I have done it in less.

Q3 Do you have any match day rituals/ superstitions?

Stuart. I always kiss my bulls badge on my shirt before every game and must have my flag as well. My dad once went a whole season where he never shaved on match day and that was 2003 when we won the lot it worked. If he did shave we nearly always lost so that is now my dad’s match ritual not to shave. I also won't buy a new shirt till mid-season as last seasons is always lucky and I'm sure I can put it to rest with my others. My dad says 2 beers before kick-off is an absolute must.

Q4 Who has been your all-time favourite player?

My favourite player that's a tough one. Of the super league era there has been some great players to wear a bull’s jersey. Going to have to go for 2 here and its mick withers and big les I could choose more to be honest I like my wingers like tevita vaikona. I would also like to mention that Trevor Forster became an idol for me as he worked tirelessly for the club thru dark times and good times it’s nice to see him behind recognised more with bars named after him I think a statue would be fitting for him inside odsal.

Q5 When you cannot make a match how do you keep up to date with the score?

When we can't make matches I tend to be glued to sky sports news or if live on TV obviously we watch it. But I also use Facebook as I know that jay or someone does a live feed of which I am great full of I'm not allowed Facebook at work so never comment but when we win it gives me that added boost to my day

Q6 Who is the biggest fan? You or your dad?

Biggest fan is definitely dad he is bulls crazy always wears a bulls shirt and we always dance to woolly bully before bed time even at work I know he has something bulls related under his uniform. And bullman is always in the car.

 

Q7 which is better Bullman or Bullboy?

Well this one shocked me when I asked Stuart and he says bullboy.

Q8 If you had a say in merchandise what would you want to see and purchase?

I have a million ideas like I say Leeds rhino bog roll. No seriously I would like to see more things that you can use every day t towels bath towels etc. even little cars for kids with bullman in. I also think a sticker book for bulls but incorporating other super league teams with relevant information about them we have to keep the younger ones interested may sound like a broken record but it’s imperative that in future years they bring along their kids just like we do now and spread the word of bullmania. To be honest stick a bulls badge on anything and trust me ill buy it.

Q9 If you could change anything on match day what would it be and why?

I'm hoping that now Omar has taken over we get back to the bullmania days it just seemed for a bit there was nothing for the kids to do I appreciate last year’s issues so I never expected anything more than a game to see after all take kids there going to spend all your money on sweets etc. I also think an activity book for kids too just to keep interest as there our future generation of the bulls.

Q10 If the bulls had not kept their place in super league would you still have been as passionate?

Yes we would it does not matter where the club ended up our passion for the bulls will never die and I think most fans feel the same. I would still have gone to see them play.

Q11 how did you feel when we went into administration?

Probably like the rest of the fans gutted heartbroken the thought of losing them became so real my dad had been thru it all before so it brought back the stories he had told me hence my admiration for Trevor Foster. Anyway we're safe now and I believe the future is very bright at odsal.

Q12 Does your dad scare you when he is cheering on the bulls?

Yes he does he shouts so loud that the next day he can't talk properly but it's good because he can't tell me off and he always gets me a little gift.

Thank you lads for giving us BULLievers your time to answer those questions we shall see you at the Provident stadium on match days especially this Sunday 3^rd of February when Stuart will be running out with non-other than Matty Blythe. Enjoy your day Stuart we will all be there cheering you and the lads on.

 

 

Well our game is slightly changing as regards of law changes. These changes have been trialled in all pre-season friendlies and the RFL have decided to implement them for this season.

The law changes in full are as follows:

 

Ball in touch or touch in-goal or dead in-goal (Section 9)

 

A player is deemed to be in touch if any part of his body touches the touchline or anything outside of the playing field. Similarly, a player is deemed to be touch in-goal or dead in-goal if any part of his body touches the touch in-goal or dead-ball line or anything outside the field of play in those areas. If a player who is in touch, touch in-goal or dead in-goal touches a moving ball then the team who kicked the ball or knocked on are responsible for the ball going out of play. However, if the ball is stationary in the field of play and is then touched by a player who is in touch, touch in-goal or dead in-goal then that player is responsible for the ball going dead.

 

Scrum on 20m line

 

Other than as outlined above, the game is restarted after the ball has gone into touch by forming a scrum 20 metres infield opposite the point of entry into touch but not nearer than ten (10) meters to the goal-line.

 

In all aspects of general play, a player who does not deliberately play at the ball (e.g. ricochet or rebound) will not be disadvantaged by a consequent restart of play when the ball has gone dead or into touch.

 

Penalties – where taken

 

A penalty kick resulting from an offence at the kick off shall be taken from the centre of the halfway line. Any penalty kick arising from the restarting of play from an optional kick on the 20m line shall be taken where the offence takes place. Any penalty kick arising from any other 20-metre restart shall be taken from the centre of the 20m line. A penalty kick resulting from any offence at the drop out from between the posts shall be taken from the centre of the line drawn parallel to and 10 metres from the goal line.

Also there have been a few new changes in the reffing of rugby league;

Changes to Interpretations

 

Late challenge on the kicker

 

A late challenge on the kicker will no longer result in an automatic sin bin for the player who tackled late. The referee will still have the option to penalise, sin bin or dismiss the player if he sees it as appropriate.

 

Calling held if a player is dragged

 

The referee will call held if a player is being dragged when there is more than one tackler involved. The referee will call held once he sees one of the tacklers (where there is more than one tackler involved in the tackle) take up a position where he is holding up the player and moving backwards towards the touchline or his own in goal area. If the player continues to drag after “held” has been called he will be penalised.

 

Referee signal for team caution

 

The referee no longer needs to inform the captain verbally that his team has been placed on a caution. In order to keep the game moving, the referee will inform the team and spectators that a team has been placed on caution for a period of time by pointing at that team and circling his other arm in front of him.

 

Quick 20-metre restart

 

A team can take advantage of a quick 20m restart if the player collecting the ball after it has gone or been made dead in the in goal area runs back to the centre of the 20m line while retaining possession of the ball and takes the restart himself. In addition, all players from the team taking the 20m restart must be back inside the 20-metre area, the referee must be back on the 20m line and the restart must be taken at the centre of the 20m line. A mark will be placed on the centre of the 20m line as an indication to the players.

 

Advantage

 

If a team gains possession from a forward pass or knock on then they will only be deemed to have taken their advantage if they keep possession until the next tackle is complete. If possession is lost before the tackle is complete then the referee will go back to the point of the original infringement and award a scrum against the team that infringed first. The

 

Referee will rule that the team in possession has not had an advantage if they are tackled close to their own goal line. Foul play by the team attempting to take the advantage will be penalised at the point where the foul play occurs.

 

Markers not square when the ball is played

 

Where there is a quick play the ball and a marker(s) does not have time to get in position, he can be played onside by getting into the position he should have been in at marker. Once he has got to that position he can make a tackle. The referee should penalise players who get into a marker position but choose to leave early before the ball has been played.

So when you are watching the game you will notice the refs using a few different signals this season which they have been practising during the off season.

In other news;

As you may or may not know, Bradford City have had a fantastic run in the capital on cup this year and have beaten not 1 but 3 premiership teams on their way to the final in Wembley. On behalf of myself and all other BULLievers I would like to wish them the best of luck and I hope they bring back the silverware.

Warrington played Wigan for Ben Westwood’s testimonial game and the result was Warrington 20 Wigan 0.

Well ITV was supposed to have been showing some adverts to help raise the profile of super league during the FA cup ties but, it did not come to fruition for which ever reason. I think once again that is a dent in our profile.

 Well I have made a group on Facebook for all fans of the Bulls and BULLieve can join and can be found here https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/440032066068082/  and don’t forget to follow on twitter too @BULLieve2013

 I hope you have enjoyed reading this week’s edition of BULLieve.

Many thanks go to Thomas and Stuart Fynn and of course each and every BULLiever who reads.

Can you please pass this on to other bull’s fans who haven’t seen BULLieve before?

Thank you for giving me your time to read BULLieve. Enjoy the game on Sunday and look out for BULLieve next Monday at 8pm.

All the best,

Jay.

 

BULLieve © Jay Leeming 2013

BULLieve featuring Jamie Langley

By Jay Leeming.

Good evening to all BULLievers old and new,

Well what a week it’s been for the bulls. I would like to start by saying hello and welcome to the bulls to our new non-executive Kate Hardcastle. Kate will dedicate 20 days of her time free of charge to help the bulls with her experience. This is a fantastic partnership and Kate has got the ball rolling already.

Great news on the finance front, Akbar’s restaurant has given us £25,000 this week. Thank you very much for this as it will be spent wisely and possibly be used for the temporary roof which will be installed over the popular side.

Well the weather surely played its part this week, the hugely popular comedy night had to be cancelled on Friday but if you have got tickets they are fine to be used at the next comedy night which I think is February. If you wish to have a refund on your ticket you can contact the ticket office who will help you out.

The weather didn’t stop the lads from going to odsal earlier in the week and they spotted a fox on the snow clad pitch.

Other news, Luke Gale and Chev Walker visited the RUGBYAM studios to have a chat with Dj Alex Simmons on his weekly show which is Wednesdays 7am – 10am. It was hilarious with Chev doing the hot wing challenge and Alex comparing Omar with George from the film east is east. Here is the listen link https://soundcloud.com/#alex-simmons-music/rugby-am-show-7-alex-simmons

Well Sunday approached with some speed and thankfully the dedicated hard working ground staff at Leeds made sure the game went ahead. The turnout for Danny McGuire’s testimonial game despite the weather conditions was 6,106. The game was a fast paced intense rivalry although this was meant to be a friendly. Bulls vs. Rhino’s is never a friendly. Here is my match report,

The bulls took firm control of the game and opened their account with a lovely try from Jarrod Sammut. The bulls then piled on the pressure and by the midway point of the first half were 18-0 up through Sammut and Brett Kearney who had both scored 2 apiece. Leeds came back though and through new signing Joe Vickery who also scored twice but, Golden boot winner Kevin Sinfield failed to convert making it Bulls 18 Leeds 8 at the break. Just before the hour Leeds scored again this time through Rob Burrow making the score bulls 18 Leeds 14 as this time Kevin Sinfield converted. Kearney weaved his way over for his second and Jamie Foster’s fourth conversion put the Bulls 24-14 up. Leeds responded through England winger Ryan Hall with 12 minutes remaining and Francis Cummins was denied a winning return to headingley when McGuire scampered clear in trademark fashion in the 70th minute and Sinfield converted to level the match at 24 all. Which was the final score. It was great to see James Donaldson get a run out even though it was only 20 mins he was under orders as it was his first game back since injury. The Bulls fans were as usual in superb voice and sang for the whole 80 mins.

Well BULLievers as promised, here is your player spotlight featuring none other than our very own fans favourite and longest current serving player Jamie Langley.

 

Hi Jamie can you give me a quick intro please,

Jamie Langley. Squad number 13. Position forward.

1.                  Which coach / person has been most influential in your career?

I've been fortunate enough to work under some very talented coaches in my career so it's hard to pinpoint one as you learn different things from every coach you have. The two coaches that probably stand out in my mind would have to be Bernard Dwyer in my first couple of seasons at the club and Mike Gregory who coached me at England academy level. Both outstanding players and even better blokes.

2.                  I know some youngsters (ladies) love your hair. Would you ever consider changing hairstyles?

My hair has kind of become my signature these days so it will be a sad day when I have to eventually cut it off! I've mixed it up over the years with corn rows and even straightening it on the odd occasion but for now I'm quite content with the curly locks!

3.                  As the longest serving bull who have been the best players you've played with and which young players excite you at Bradford and why?

I have been at the club since 1999 when I was still at school and have had the pleasure of playing with some outstanding players over the years. If I had to single out a few then I would have to say from my earlier years at the club Jimmy Lowes & Robbie Paul were outstanding. Both very talented and knowledgeable and also fantastic leaders. More recently I would have to say Steve Menzies is probably the most naturally gifted player I've ever played with. He has natural instincts you can't coach and has a great temperament for the game.

There are a lot of talented young players coming through at the moment which is great and I think John Bateman and Adam O'Brian are at the forefront of that.

4.                  Do you keep in touch with any of the players from the ''good old days'' and what are they up to these days?

It's always nice to see players that you have played with over the years. Most of the lads are still playing and enjoying success after Bradford which is great. I bumped into Baloo (Paul Anderson) the other day, my old travelling partner, it's great to see he's now forging a career as a coach and I'm sure he'll be very successful. Just not against us!

5.                  When you hang up your playing boots, what is your next mover career wise?

I love sport so after I finish playing I would love to still be involved in sport in some capacity whether it be coaching or going down the training avenue.

 

Along with Wayne Godwin and Duane Straughier we have just started up the brand 'We Are Taurus' which at the minute provides training clothing and we are also involved with a few fitness classes too. Eventually we'll have a website up and running so people can purchase the clothing online and also see when the next training classes are taking place. We're having a lot of fun with it at the minute and people really seem to like it! Hopefully when the training schedule calms down we'll be able to put some more time into it and who knows where it might lead. For the latest updates on We Are Taurus follow me on twitter @JamieLangley13 & also @wearetaurus too!

6.                  If you wasn’t a professional rugby league player, what career would you have pursued?

If I weren't to play rugby I would have still been involved in a career in sport somehow whether it be coaching or teaching.

7.                  What has been the high and low of your bull’s career?

The highs of my career would no doubt be winning the Grand Final and the two world club challenges in that order. The lows without a shadow of a doubt would be the injuries you have to contend with. I would love to be one of these players who never seems to get injured but not everyone can be so fortunate.

8.                  Apart from playing at loose forward, what other position would you like to play in?

I'm happy to play in any position in the forwards and have even had a run out in the centres in the past but I like to be around the ball so the middle of the field suits me better.

9.                  After a lengthy career in top flight rugby what still motivates and fuels the fire?

Every year is a new challenge and I've always found it easy to motivate myself. The challenge of being a professional athlete is something I take very seriously and I always make sure I do everything I possibly can to get the most out of myself. This is what keeps me motivated, striving to be the best I can possibly be.

10.              How many times a day do you work out to keep the biggest arms in super league?

During the off season I work out in the gym between 4-5 times a week, that's where you build up your base then as it gets closer to the games it's more like 2-3 times a week. I find it very easy to gain muscle mass so have to limit the amount of lifting I do in the season. I don't specifically train the 'guns' more, I just have good genes to thank for those!

11.              What is your daily training regime?

A normal day would be arrive at the training ground around 8am for massage or foam rolling/mobility stretches to get your body ready for the days training. Then we weigh ourselves and fill out a 'well being' questionnaire about how much sleep we've had, stress levels and body soreness etc. Then we do 30 minutes Pre-hab with our physio to prepare your body for the on coming sessions. Then we'll do around 45 minutes work in the gym lifting weights etc. followed by around 15 minutes of mini skills on the mats working on tackle technique, passing and handling & communication. Then we might do a short blast in the cardio room on the rowers or boxing for around 20 minutes. We'll then break for lunch. After lunch we'll go out and do around 1.5-2 hours of field work and we usually finish around 3pm. During the season the days get shorter and you have a lot more video work and analysis.

12.              What is your diet throughout the season and how does it differ when injured?

It’s important to keep my body fat levels low so I keep my diet tight and consistent throughout the year and it doesn't vary too much if I happen to be injured. Simply put I eat mostly whole foods and try to avoid anything with sugar or saturated fat. I eat larger meals for breakfast and lunch and try to eat every 2-3 hours. I keep my eating habits strict through the week then will allow myself a cheat meal at the weekend, pizza or steak, chips & onion rings are my favourites!

13.              Do you think the fans helped the lads push through last year’s tribulations?

The fans played a MASSIVE part in getting the team through last season. In my opinion our fans were second to none last year and the players are forever grateful at the support which we receive home and away, week after week. The fans play a large part in our successes and when they get behind us in games it gives us a huge lift. Their contribution is invaluable and the lads really appreciate it.

 

14.              How does it feel to be the longest current player at the club?

It's an honour to be the longest serving player at the club. I've enjoyed every minute at Bradford, even through the tough times and hopefully I can enjoy it for a little while longer! 

 

15.              Realistically, where do you think we will finish this season?

I believe realistically, if we keep a healthy squad, we can finish within the top eight.

16.              Where did you get your  'Finish Strong' catchphrase from?

       The 'Finish Strong' catchphrase. Well I don't really use it that often. I used it quite a lot during the Bullsbodyblitz and maybe that's where the question came from. It's something I think in my own mind when the going is really tough, to the point where your lungs are bursting through your chest and your muscles are literally burning due to the lactic acid but in my head I'm thinking "come on now, You got this. Finish strong!" You should never let your body lead your mind, your body will always want to give up. If you have a strong mind you can push your body past the limits it wants to go.

 

Many thanks go to Jamie Langley for his time in doing the interview which has become a regular feature in BULLieve without player interaction with us the fans I think the club wouldn’t be as close knit as it has become.

Once again thank you Jamie and save me some onion rings.

BULLieve has now got its own twitter account and I am asking if you would kindly try get BULLieve more followers? You can follow by following @BULLieve2013 and you can now email using bullieve@hotmail.co.uk.

Thank you for your time in reading BULLieve the article is getting better by the week and all comments queries etc please don’t hesitate to let me know via twitter or email.

Until next week, keep safe in this weather.

Cheers BULLievers,

Jay.