This.



Bateman has been touted as a great "potential" star. But really, he's not shown that at SL level. I mean, how many games last year has anyone said or even thought "if only Bateman was playing, we'd have won that game"



Ferguson is a more rounded, more experienced player and will be more beneficial to Bradford as, rather than Bateman's if only potential.

Thank you GiantDee and Roofaldo,that was exactly what I meant

Have to agree the squad is better than last season, and if it stays in situ we would probably be OK, however "IF we keep the squad together", doesn't that leave us hurtling towards that financial 'black hole', somewhere near the Doo Doo galaxy?

Heaven only knows Bulliac. There's so many things we don't know despite a great effort by everyone on here to run through the possibilities. My guess is that the 'black' hole isn't so very black. Anyone could look at revs v costs and see a gap. Calvert's trade is about applying pressure and taking matters to the brink. He'll be one hard faced mofo that's for sure.



On the squad we're in a double bind. Lose good players to London and/or Wakey and we step inevitably closer to the galaxy of which you speak. Very hard to call it right as London and Wakey are probably playing poker. Clubs, probably including us will be trying to offload fringe players, which they don't want. In our case they'll be hoping we have to blink first. We're maybe the loss of 2 or 3 players away from significant danger.

The variables are virtually impossible to permutate. It's all about "if"isn't it? The fact we haven't the stability that London and Wakefield seem to have, is baffling to me? Agreed they are also backs to the wall outfits, however , all our plans, unlike theirs, seem to have been stymied once more! Maybe the crucial and significant difference,is the fact that £650k per year we are down over 2013 and of course 14. Those clubs not penalised by this situation are guaranteed £1.15m in 2014 which in essence is just income not turnover. Therefore I agree with everything said.

Level our playing field a bit more, and then we can assess our true prospects.

nothing like being optimistic

Yeah, there's no way you guys are finishing above Cas

You make it sound wildly away from reality.



With our [icurrent squad[/i around 8th is a reasonable bet; we were 9th last time round and the squad has improved, imo - so why so disparaging? The real problem for us is that the squad we have now might not be carried into the season proper and then mid table might look a much longer hope than it does now.

there are 5 of starting 17 i know won't be there at start of season! but i know nothing about bulls do i

and carvell will only be there once this year

Unless there is a return in the cup

Just curious, is this from the same twitter source that you used to announce on the wakey forum that Liam Finn had signed for Wakey the week before he signed for Cas?

You can't question the unwashed , they'll get you banned from the boards. I did like the Liam Finn comment though . He went from a potential superstar to an over the hill nobody just by signing for Cas