After the Shambles of the Challenge Cup earlier in the season and the bad publisity that got us. the last thing we needed was to be coming in the RFL spotlight again.

in Today's courier apparently Stan Gene is taking us to a tribunal, now we should be making it as hard as possible for the RFL to make the franchise pick even thuogh they have already made it, we should be making it tough for them.

we are just giving them reasons and excuses to reject us, this has certainly not been the best year for the club and the clubs reputation. hopefully we can finish the season with some good publisity at the Grand Final

I sort of agree to some extent about the publicity, but the club must do what they think is right. Obviously their is a disagreement between 2 parties and just because stanley is taking us to a tribunal doesnt mean he will win it.
This has nothing to do with the Franchise its 2 totally seperate things.

well yes i agree sort of but even if he doesnt win its still bad publisity isnt it.

It doesnt directly link to the franchise bid no but you know the RFL will choose Widnes and now they will just be looking for reasons why other teams won't be selected.

some people might not see a link, some people might, thats what were all here doing expressing an opinion

Yes its not great publicity i agree, but i dont think as a club we are in a position to roll over and let people walk all over us financially. Also i think if this was a regular occurance with players taking us to tribunals it would have a negative affect, but i cant remember many others.
I support the board 100% in this one.

Whats happened with Gene? I've noticed he hasn't been playing much recently, is he still at the club?

He's been sacked, its on the front of the Courier, he is taking the club to a tribunal

Got the source?Maybe he will have a whip round with the Chelsea pensioners?

well its in today's paper, so it will be on the courier website in about 2 weeks

Is the players union backing him? What a way for him to finish his career, could only happen at Halifax.

I'm not too concerned by the Tribunal in itself, although in the normal work place im sure people would be arguing points such as constructive dismissal etc ... what concerns me is Stanley has been a fantastic servant to RL and every club hes been at, hes a legend in the game, why has it all gone pear shaped at Halifax? of all places, it would have to be Haliifax with our recent record.

I hope he doesnt update his autobiography...

Yes, I have to agree on that one but we can't make informed judgements unless we know all the facts.

I have heard a few things that may explain why the club wanted shut but I agree, this could only happen at Halifax, scew up the relationship with a legend of the game and one who will hold a lot of influence over 'PNG and South Sea Island' rugby players. Might even stop the Sonny Bill transfer from happening eh Haighy?

Nop, he's a Kiwi

For me that is the main disappointing aspect of this. Stan has been a great servant to rugby league and it would be a shame for his career to end on this note, but to be honest we could have had half a dozen super league juniors for a year for what Stan and Makka would have been paid and maybe would have had a better return.

Totally agree with you on that one. Shame some of the other lads have had to forgo chances so "bigger" named players get to play.

Fine let him take us, but i would like to think the club have followed all the correct procedures as we do have a soliciter on the board, and not left them self wide open

I agree, but this is a RFL tribunal we are talking about. They wont miss a chance to screw us with our pants on!

I despair. If this forum were a pub and the posters were customers having a discussion at the bar, and I walked in, after listening for 10 minutes I'd walk out again and never go back in.

This thread contains not one ounce of support for the people who run 'your' Club, who have no doubt taken the decision they did in the best interests of it, and - especially given that the Chairman is quite an expert in legal matters - with lawful reasons.

Of course Stanley's going to be advised by his agent to challenge it - he wants money, but the RFL can't simply overturn something because it would be an opportunity to have a pop at Halifax! A lot of people on here seem to have serious persecution complexes - get some therapy people!

The sad thing for me is not that 'Stanley will tell his friends not to come' (

), but that our relationship with David Howes may be strained, and falling out with agents is far worse than falling out with players.

And... when are people going to realize that we haven't a cat in hell's chance of getting a franchise next round anyway not because the RFL hate us, but simply because we're not ready for it, couldn't compete in it, and it could kill off our Club once and for all.

We are ready for superleague next time round, fair enough it would be hard to start with but better than waiting for another 3 years to be refused again, Its better to be in it than out of it. Who says we are not going to go down the pan in the next 3 years, Leigh, should have been relegated last year, Widnes are struggleing with results this year, Whitehaven who have always been a top 5 side are going down.
Its a cliche but you got to be in it to win it.

As for Michael Steele, he was not a Lawyer in employment Law was he ?. Nope, I believe it was Corperate law or something like that i was told last night.

That penultimate paragraph is very true. I'm worried about that too.

However....perhaps we may have had too many eggs in this particular agent's basket in the last few years.

Which has led to us signing one or two who haven't come up to expectations.

Michael Steele was a general solicitor who had a wide range of experience. Stephen Bonfield is an expert in employment law and would probably have given advice in this case.

Interesting that 'you were told' something (which is not correct) and chose to believe it rather than trust that the Board know what they're doing.

Going of this last year, The board have hardly proved their weight in gold now have they, Posner in, Posner Out, clay out, Martin Hall threw himself on the Sword to prevent Calland from going, ( He will be back ) Challenge Cup debarkle.

I don't see what "weight in gold" has to do with the board.

If it did then me, Officeboy and Nigel Wood would be welcomed onto it with open arms...........

I am the "hokey cokey" director.