'Not good enough' Bradford Bulls' nightmare Toulouse travel plans revealed with call to RFL
Bradford Bulls are still looking at securing a better travel plan for their Championship play-off semi-final in Toulouse this weekend. The Bulls take on Toulouse Olympique at the Stade Ernest Wallon on Sunday afternoon, with head coach Eamon O'Carroll revealing a pretty grim travel plan for a part-time club.
As it stands, Bradford's players, most of whom will work all day Friday, would travel down to London Stansted in the earlier hours of Saturday morning before boarding a plane to the south of France. They would then recover before taking on the French side at 5:00 pm local time on Sunday afternoon, before flying back to Bristol and then traveling back to Yorkshire for work on Monday morning.
However, O'Carroll, whose side defeated Featherstone in the first round of the play-offs last Sunday, is looking at a better and less strenuous route, with the goal to give his squad the best preparation ahead of the finals clash.
Speaking to Rugby League Live, O'Carroll said: "We're going to try and sort that out. We're a part-time group, traveling to Stansted and then flying back to Bristol, apparently. I'm not sure what the crack is with that, but we all need to be better there. That's just not good enough as a sport with a chance to get to a final. We can all do a little bit better there.
"If we have to travel down to Stanstead, we're not going to be able to go on Friday, as the lads work. It would mean getting a bus down in the early hours of Saturday. I've been looking at flights all week, and there are flights out there that are a little bit better. The club will do the right thing. They make sure we're prepared as well as we possibly can. I'm sure the RFL will do the same."
He continued: "There are a few things we need to clear up because the logistics for us aren't the best. It doesn't matter, though. If we have to walk there, we'll go. We've got to find the right balance in recharging the group, but the boys are excited about going there."
Bradford have already played in Toulouse this year, drawing 12-12 back in June. Reflecting back on that trip, O'Carroll said it was beneficial for the group, whose main focus is recovery and preparation this week.
"We really enjoyed our last trip to Toulouse," O'Carroll added. "We got to spend some time together over there. The group is really close, and the staff are really close, so it's a great time to go away.
"I had the experience of doing that with Catalans, so I always enjoy it. It's brilliant, and it makes the week feel a little bit different as well. We don't have to do much on the field. We need to make sure we reinforce some of the positive messages and look at the stuff that is going to hurt us if we don't get it right. We'll be ready to go."
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