So if, as many from other boards hope, we get a points deduction does that include our points difference or just a reduction in our league points? If the latter then we really need to thump the broncos on Sunday so as to provide us enough of a cushion going into the rest of the season

points deductions dont affect the points difference, just total league points.

Indeed.

Same way an insolvency event just leads to potential points deduction, not any financial penalty, same for all clubs.

Hang on a minute though...

From the heady heights of the top of Super League we wish you well...

Ilkley is top of SL?

How deaf hook did that happen?

If people think we should be deducted points what is the point of paying back creditors?

To minimise the size of the points deduction. Financial impact of relegation would be greater than costs of paying creditors and staying up. A smaller points deduction increases our chances of avoiding relegation.

Interesting theory???

at least look at it this way, if we are deducted 4 pts and beat london, we will be equal to london, wakey (unless they can somehow beat wigan) and possibly wire and catalan but we should have a better pts difference than them all and we are in a straight up dogfight with them.

....set to be announced?...possibly today.

[url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/11032630.Bradford_Bulls_brace_themselves_for_four_point_deduction/a four-point penalty seems the most likely outcome[/url


Would this draw a line under it? (Im guessing not)
Is this enough punishment for all the people who wish it? (I'd guess not)
Can we still survive? (Yes, a win on Sun, a loss for Wakey and we'd still be level with London and Wakey.)

...Would this mean we could get back to concentrating on Rugby???

4 point is probably manageable. If it had been 6 it could be a different ball-game :/

Would be sh11te if true.
They said they willing to work with creditors, yet still get the deduction? Why bother working with them then?

No mention of the stolen Sky money being returned?

Problem is I guess, working with creditors is not, paying back creditors fully, or we'd have said that, so I guess we are paying back, but maybe not fully, hence a mitigated penalty rather than 6 points, or worse.

FWIW I have always thought we should have incurred a deduction, whatever the technicalities of the rules (or lack of them). Whatever the precedence and level of working with creditors. To have been the only club to avoid a points deduction upon entering admin, in a relegation season, would not have seemed right to me.

Admittedly I don't know the full details, this is just a gut feeling working on whats been put in the public domain by the various parties. I don't think our reputation (battered as it already is) would have ever recovered if we survived this season by 2 points say after not getting any deduction. Just IMHO as a not in the know rugby fan of course.

And for all the apparent unfairness, ultimately, as a club (read succession of owners, not fans) we only have ourselves to blame for our current predicament, to go from World Champions in 2006, to where we are now in 2014 is an impressive self inflicted death spiral. Hopefully this is the bottom and we can get through this season on move onwards and upwards.

We will not be relegated this season.....you heard it here first

We will win just enough games

Relegation isn't really relegation this year anyway. The size of the parachute payments mean you can stay full time so when the league splits you'll be competing with the superleague clubs. Forget about the championship clubs they'll not be able to compete consistently on part time funding so they're out of the picture.

But it won't affect us well stay up. If it's less than an unlikely 50 points deduction they're still be some angry people in small towns like Halifax and Wakefield.

I think we have to take this on the chin and move on.

As supporters we'll always know that we tried to do the right thing and raise £500k but unfortunately the calamity which befell us and for which none of us are responsible, was too great.

The T and A says Wakefield have petitioned the RFL and this is no surprise but I think Michael Carter needs to look closer to home. There've been more posts from WTW fans on Rlfans than there were fans in the ground on Thursday night. This episode shames them even more than their refusal to put their hands in their pockets and shoulder some of the club debts.

My consistent view has been, and remains:

1 - Settle with all third-party creditors - nil point deduction

2 - Settle with, at best maybe 5-10% of creditors (a la Wakefield)- 4 point deduction

3 - Settle with none of creditors - 6 point deduction

All in line with existing precedent. I continue to maintain points deuctions are totally counterproductive, and absolutely ZERO deterrent to anyone else, since invariably it is the NEXT owner who suffers, not you. But precedent is set and has to be followed.

The big gap there is what happens if you settle with a more substantial part of the creditors? Especially HMRC? In that case, logically you would have a 2-point deduction. or maybe a sliding scale 1-3 points?

It seems to me that settleing with maybe £100k max of creditors (if that) can earn you 2 points. That MIGHT eb worth it for a new owner. But if shelling out many times that earns you NO extra points, the why the fekk do it? Instead, do just the bare minimum to earn those 2 points, and fekk the rest of the creditors. Spend all the dosh you saved on strengthening the team instead.

Surely that is not what the RFL, or anyone esle for that matter, want? Including the likes of Wakefield? It sure as hell makes no sense to me. So I cannot for the life of me understand those people who insist minimum 4-point penalty regardless of what creditors you attempt to settle with?

The RFL have already worked out the bottom of the table standings & London & Wakey are going down. You will get 4 points deduction but the officials are reffing the games to ensure Bradford are safe & Wakey go down. They are even paying Agar to stay to be doubly sure. Or so the Wakey fans believe.
I'm now on a final warning on their board as well for pointing out their hypocrisy.

Are you still banned from the Wigan board too? Naughty!

A ban on the Wigan board is for life, not just for Christmas.
A good friend of mine occasionally goes on to correct the error of their ways however...

I agree that a four point deduction is the likely sanction on the Bulls (as I predicted in post a few weeks ago).

The deduction of half the Sky money will also still apply for this second and final year I believe.

(That is because the RFL {whilst getting the indication from OK Bulls Ltd that such a proposal would be accepted after the previous Administration in return for remaining in Super League} imposed the sanction on the Bradford Bulls CLUB (not on either the new or old owners of the Club).

Extract from today's T&A article:-

" The Bulls’ punishment for entering administration could be announced by the Rugby Football League today.

The threat of a points deduction has been looming since OK Bulls Ltd, the club’s former holding company, was placed into administration on July 31.

The current board of directors met RFL officials at Red Hall yesterday as they seek ratification of Bradford Bulls 2014 Ltd being approved as the new owners.

It is understood they were told of the sanctions the club faces and a four-point penalty seems the most likely outcome.

Bradford Bulls 2014 had their bid for the club accepted by administrator David Wilson last Thursday and have spoken of their willingness to work with creditors. "

The disciplinary panel is also part of the great anti-Wakey conspiracy as demonstrated by citing Dean Collis.

Ok not has bad has a 6 point deduction but still a set back IMO

Agreed, but with the big win last weekend, if we follow that up with a win against London, and Wigan take out their disappointment on Wakey then come Sunday evening we'll still be ahead of both London and Wakey, which is where we need to be. All is not lost yet.

So we went to Admin on the 31st of July good old T&A spot on as ever.