Like it or not, Nero and Tadulala have been two of Super League's better players in their positions these last few years. And I'm sure the others have made contributions. I know Bradford do not have young players to step into thos epositions. you seem to think any lad out of the academy will do, but how does it help Tomkins or Eastmond's development to be gliding past a spotty herbert in the opposition centres that they've been schoolboying since they were, er, schoolboys? Isn't the that the direct opposite of what we're hoping to achieve with Burgess and Ellis in the NRL?



Freeing up spots for young players in Super League seems reminiscent of cargo cults. You can build your bamboo control tower and have a bloke out on your carefully marked landing strip all you want, but those planes aren't coming.



The most obvious solution seems to be to try and sift through the greatest resource of young gifted athletes in the UK today - the players discarded by football clubs at 16 or younger. My experience as a teacher was that there are a load of lads for who football is a priority but they can't all play professionally, and some that get cut may just be better suited to RL.

Well for menzies & orford it is.





Big question is will the ex Manly players mix with the rest of the squad, or stop in a clique?, could Mcnamara handle a strong personality like Orford?



Soon find out...

Menzies has been playing like a 25 year old this past season, and has been quality, it's quite clear he hasn't come over to add a few 0's onto his bank account. Orford has got a few years left and I wouldn't say thats amazingly close to retirement. Is Wakefield now the retirement home of the Bradford Bulls? With Jeffries, Newton and Morrison going to them ?

There never was much hope.



Just a fools hope.

In terms of "blocking" Orford's move, I'm struggling to see WTF Orford and his employment have to do, even remotely, with Walker.



If Walker has a beef with Bradford, the he must do what he must do, against Bradford. But to even dream that he has any power or influence on who Matt Orford (or anyone else) works for is truly bizarre.



And given the RFL's rapid acceptance of Bradford's contract with Harris, form suggests Walker's on an utter no hoper down that channel too.

Chris Walker's agent seems certain they have a case against the Bulls. After the whole Greg Bird thing last year, Bradford must be wondering what they've got to do to sign a ridiculously expensive Aussie.



[urlhttp://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/lhqnews/orford-deal-up-in-air/2009/11/18/1258219882719.html[/url

I think its more to do with the fact he was verbally agreed a contract, thus taking up the last quota spot.



That is my understanding of it anyway

[uIF[/u it turns out the club do have a binding agreement with Walker, and have to pay him off to get out of it, I guess it would count on next seasons cap?

Whatever was paid out would count pro rata over the term of his contract Asim, as I understand it. Depends how long a contract he was offered. I'm guessing 3 years.

But verbally, in this context, would clearly be utterly worthless. Apart from the obvious fact that the Bulls would hardly be likely to agree that yes, verbally, they did have a contract!



And there is nothing that I know of to stop Bradford signing another half dozen over-quota players. As long as by next season they correspondingly unloaded others off their quota, what is wrong with that?



Come to it, why can't they sign more players than the quota allows? It would be pretty dumb, and likely mean sanctions from the RFL, sure, but there is certainly no law against it!

The club could probably sign many quota / non fed trained players however the RFL would only allow them to register and play the number prescribed by the rules.