TEXT Maniacs
Coach Kear gives banned Sam a second chance
SHAMED Sam Barlow deserves the chance to resurrect his rugby league career, according to Bradford coach John Kear.
The former Scotland international has completed a four-year ban after he admitted assaulting a UK Anti-Doping Agency official in July 2015.
The case went to Bradford Crown Court and led to Barlow being ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work on top of his UKAD ban.
That suspension recently expired and Barlow returned to training on trial with hometown Halifax, one of his former clubs, along with Sheffield and Leigh.
He has now penned a one-year incentive-based deal with Bulls, and veteran coach Kear is confident he can recapture his best form at the age of 31.
Kear said: “There was Super League interest in Sam before he committed his wrong-doing, and his goal is to get back towards that.
“If he did, then we’d profit along the way because we’d have a very good rugby league player.
“My belief as a human being is that people make errors in life and they should be given a second chance. That’s my belief as a coach with rugby league players as well, and this is a good opportunity for Sam that I think the club can benefit from greatly as well.
“We know he’s been out for four years and will be rusty, and I would describe him at the moment as being generally fit but not rugby league fit.
“I think we’ll see the best of Sam seven or eight games into the season.
“We’ve got to get him battlehardened, and he’ll play in at least three pre-season matches.
“He will take time to get back up to speed with the hurly-burly of competitive games, and it’s a matter of us managing him and helping him so that by the mid-point of the season he’s firing again.
“He brings something different to our middle channel and hopefully that will make us difficult to play against.”
Barlow could feature in the Boxing Day friendly with Super League Castleford and is relishing the chance to return to the sport.
He said: “I have an opportunity thanks to John and hopefully I can repay his faith on the field.
“I have had a few tussles with Bradford over the years and now I want to start enjoying myself and progressing to being influential out on the pitch for the club.”
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Given how manu played against Spurs shows they have drive fire and mindset to b winners again. So lads with Ole on your side start giving it all ye got and revive the spirit of the olden days.
Manu Phil.
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To MADMAX re: wba cheat, suck it up sunshine, we bossed you Boing Boing!
BaggieBazzer
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RIP surrey, warwickshire & england legend bob willis. Never 4get ure magnificent 8 in botham/willis test. Condolences 2 family.
bantaman
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I’m really really surprised that the village idiot ain’t sent a text in congratulating wham on their well deserved 1 nil victory. wham bob was spot on about our goalkeeper problem and all wham fans felt the same way a team needs confidence with their goalkeeper then it spreads throughout. the team probably won’t hear from the village idiot again till c.f. c win a game or he has been to busy writing his Christmas list to father Christmas to congratulate the hammers irons irons
bubbles
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how r liVARpool gettin away with ALL the cheatin they do? against everton they should hav had 3 players robertson, van dijk & trent-arnold SENT OFF!! trevor
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Why would the interested parties be worried about the Joshua-Ruiz fight going ahead in Saudi Arabia? Never mind their disgraceful human rights record.. Hearn’s main aim is to make more money! gts..
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Ref MAD MAX It’s a game of swings and roundabouts West Brom have had some bad penalty decisions against them. None more so than the Charlton injury time equaliser at the Hawthorns. Nastycol
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Cdnt agree with chris wilder more - var is ruining football - but rule ones always been play to whistle. dave’o
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Marco Silva gone, The Toffees stuck in the relegation zone, Bring back the legend that is David Moyes, he would never see his beloved Everton in all this S__T.
Chicken George Shrewsbury.
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That robertson of liVARpool is nothin but A CHILD! like other liVARpool players he likes 2 cause trouble & then hide behind the ref! THE MCFC ‘BLUECOATS’