Michael Platt has confessed Bulls fans deserve better from the current team.
Defeat at Hull KR last week made it an unbelievable ten straight and the powerful centre knows performances are simply not up to scratch.
Injuries have taken a heavy toll, forcing the club to blood a host of untested youngsters, but the excuses will not wash at Odsal.
Platt said: “It’s disappointing to work all week to get a victory on the Saturday and then come up short again and again.
“I’m not going to lie and say the atmosphere in the camp is great at the moment and that we’re all buzzing because we’re not. We’re all taking this pretty hard and it’s tough not to feel down about results.
“It’s just not good enough. We’ve had injuries and we’ve had some bad luck but we’re better than this. The players out on the pitch are still good enough to get the job done and the fans deserve better.”
Five players aged 20 or under featured at Craven Park, making the 26-year-old Platt feel like a battle-hardened veteran.
But the former Castleford and Salford star admits every one of the Bulls’ more experienced performers must play their part in helping to guide their young colleagues.
He said: "The players out there are getting hung out to dry a little bit. There’s a lot of youngsters out there who are being thrown in at the deep end and don’t deserve the criticism.
“I feel for them because at 26 I’m one of the oldest heads around now.
“In previous seasons at Bradford I’ve been a little bit quiet and it was a side full of internationals but now I’m an older head and I have to stand up a lot more in games and take more responsibility.
“We have our recognised leaders who do a good job but we all have to help out.”
Platt remains confident Bradford can soon put an end to their woes and pinpoints the return of Brett Kearney and Paul Sykes as crucial ahead of Sunday’s clash with Catalans.
He said: “They’ve had a big win but we need to stop thinking about everyone else.
"Hopefully we’ll get BK and Sykesy back in the halves and that will change the side around completely.
"The halves are the most important part of the team, so if any team plays without two half-backs they will struggle. It’s like playing football without a goalkeeper and a centre forward, so I can’t stress how important it is to get those two back.”
But the Manchester-born star has also reiterated the need to redouble efforts, both on the training field and the pitch.
"Hard work’s the only way we are going to get out of it, if everyone runs as hard as they can and tackles as hard as they can," said Platt.
"We’ve not got internationals all over the pitch and we’re only going to improve by putting that effort in, so that’s what I’m trying to do."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel