Bradford Bulls

[Druzik]

All news related to Bradford here.

[Druzik]

Bradford gave Whitehaven a real prison pounding today. 58 - 00

[Druzik]

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/rugby_league/article2324448.ece?OTC-RSS&ATTR=Rugby+League

Tupou takes Bulls to tribunal
By JULIE STOTT
Published: 17 Mar 2009

TAME TUPOU has taken Bradford Bulls to a tribunal after they tried to tear up his contract.
The Bulls want to end his deal, 15 months early, because they claim he's not fit enough to play.

Under Super League rules, clubs can end contracts if a player has not been available to play for 26 weeks.

But the New Zealander - who has been missing for 38 weeks - claims he is training and will soon be ready for selection.

The tribunal started today but was adjourned for the RFL panel to define the word training.

Bradford, who have yet to win a game this season, claim Tupou is not able to train sufficiently because of a knee problem.

The 26-year-old winger's problems started after he injured his knee playing for the Kiwis against Great Britain in October 2007.

Bradford claim they were not told the extent of the cruciate ligament injury and Tupou started the following season.

He busted rib cartilages in the opening game and, after making his comeback, suffered a number of knee medial strains.

Tupou, who joined Bradford from Brisbane Broncos in June 2007, has not played since last June when he had knee reconstruction surgery.

[Druzik]

Not looking good for Kevie down in Perpignan.

www.superleague.co.uk/report.php?id=3086286

Comeback man Dave Halley earned Bradford Bulls their first win of the engage Super League season with the last play of the match in a dramatic clash in Perpignan.

The winger had been recalled from a loan spell at Wakefield Wildcats earlier this week and returned to score an amazing 80th-minute try to ease the pressure on Bulls boss Steve McNamara.

Now it is Catalans coach Kevin Walters who is under the cosh after his side slipped to their fifth defeat of the year.

The gutted hosts thought they had ended the rut when Jean-Philippe Baile’s 67th-minute try gave them the lead for the first time since the fourth minute.

Catalans had already had three efforts turned down by the video referee after powering past the visitors in the second half.

But Bradford clung on and Terry Newton’s 74th-minute touchdown brought them back to just two points behind.

Paul Sykes missed the easy conversion but slotted a 77th-minute penalty to level. Bradford then lined up for a drop goal in the dying seconds but, as the Catalans defence pressured, Sykes handed on to Ben Jeffries who darted clear and sent Halley over.

It means Bradford remain the only side to boast a 100% record in Perpignan.

Thomas Bosc put the hosts ahead with a fourth-minute penalty but Bradford started strongest and soon built up a deserved 12-2 lead.

Jeffries’ perfectly-weighted chip landed in Steve Menzies’ grasp for a simple walk-in and soon after Semi Tadulala hit a gap before producing a great step to leave Clint Greenshields rooted.

Paul Deacon improved both scores and Bradford were full of confidence.

A couple of cheap penalties handed Catalans some much-needed field position and from that winger Thomas Duport hit back in the corner on 18 minutes.

Bosc improved but a Deacon penalty kept the visitors out in front and they extended that lead when Rikki Sheriffe grabbed his third try in as many games with a fine score.

Menzies started the movement deep inside his own half with Sykes bumping his way clear and Deacon supporting the break before Sheriffe finished.

Deacon could not convert and it looked like it might prove costly as Catalans finally came to life with two tries in three minutes just before the break.

New skipper Greg Bird capitalised when Michael Platt dropped a Bosc bomb and then Olivier Elima powered over from close range with Bosc converting twice to make it 18-18 at the interval.

Catalans - with Bird immense against the side he originally signed for before hitting visa trouble - bossed the second half and could not believe it when each ‘try’ was ruled out.

They thought Baile had got them only their second win but then Halley popped up with his fifth try of the season, having hit four in his loan spell at Wakefield.

[arh21980]

There has been big rumours that Sam Burgress will be joining Manly has anyone else heard about this?

[Druzik]

Jul 9, 2009 10:17:37 GMT 10 arh21980 said:

There has been big rumours that Sam Burgress will be joining Manly has anyone else heard about this?

I have heard West Tigers as the team. Dene Halatau is looking to go to England and so Sam would be the ideal replacement I would think.

[jim]

Jul 9, 2009 18:04:29 GMT 10 Druzik said:

Jul 9, 2009 10:17:37 GMT 10 arh21980 said:

There has been big rumours that Sam Burgress will be joining Manly has anyone else heard about this?

I have heard West Tigers as the team. Dene Halatau is looking to go to England and so Sam would be the ideal replacement I would think.

I would love to see Burgess in the NRL, Ellis is a very consistent player for the Tigers although he hasn't recieved many plaudits like Morley yet. He is near the top stats in both hit-ups and tackles in all games I've seen and makes a good impact, give him a bit more time to adjust completely and he will be massive IMO. Same with Burgess, if he comes in 2010 he could be the best forward in the comp in 2011.

The tigers should consider themselves happy if it turns out like that, Halatau rarely shows anything at club level.

Clubs should remember that you will get an extra 3 games a year out of English (and NZ, French and Russian... etc. . for that matter) stars because they won't play origin. If we have Ellis and Burgess over here doing well it could well start a trend IMO.

Richard Myler, Sam Tomkins, James Roby, Joe Westerman, James Graham, Michael Shenton, Ryan Atkins and Lee Smith are just some of the players I would like to see test themselves in Australia. Unfortunatley Lee has gone to Union which is a real shame because IMO he was the best back in SL or close to it. Of those I would say Myler and Shenton are very important, England are fairly strong in the fowards but lack a bit in the halves and backs.

[arh21980]

Jul 9, 2009 18:04:29 GMT 10 Druzik said:

Jul 9, 2009 10:17:37 GMT 10 arh21980 said:

There has been big rumours that Sam Burgress will be joining Manly has anyone else heard about this?

I have heard West Tigers as the team. Dene Halatau is looking to go to England and so Sam would be the ideal replacement I would think.

The thing is that Manly have been making room in there cap for him though lately they lost Adam Cutherbutson to the Sharks, Jared Warea-Hargraves to the Roosters and I have been hearing rumours that Heath Le Estrange has sighned with Hull KR. If anyone had the advantage of the NRL clubs in getting this bloke it would be Manly because of the Beaver connection.

[arh21980]

I'm thinking Bradford should change there colours and identity to the Sea Eagles now.

Steve Menzies
Heath Le Estrange
Glenn Hall
and now
Matt Orford

[ashulster]

I look and Bradford and wonder will they actually have any British players next year??

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

Their squad is predominetly British now but they are signing foreign players coming towards the end of their careers, i.e. Menzies and Orford - and it seems that they will act as a stop gap so they can then comply with the quota rules and bring the young lads through.

You mention the players they have signed from overseas but they also have Chris Nero, an Aussie who holds an Italian passport so I am unsure as to whether he counts on the quota.

What does this mean for Chris Walker as rumours in Britain claim he signed a deal long ago.

[arh21980]

This shocked me Beaver is considering another year with the Bulls