We'll be playing in the championship next year

What makes you so sure?

So, with Oldham now officially relegated, do we know if Swinton are out of the woods financially or not?

I'd hate for them to go through anything like what we have, and I would much rather see us go down and rebuild properly like we need to, but they've already had problems this year and I can't help but wonder if there is still a potential 'reprieve' (I use that term loosely!) on the cards for the Bulls if they are still struggling financially.

Just a thought.

They're not officially relegated.

If they beat Dewsbury and Toulouse beat Swinton, by a combined total of 176 points, Swinton would be relegated.
Granted, that's about as likely as Bradford going a season without a winding up petition, but still not official.

If Frank comes out with enough rumours some of them are bound to be true thanks to the law of averages. I'm still waiting for the wealthy owners to arrive



Mick also reckons we're staying up.

I'm sure we don't need reminding how accurate a lot of rumours from certain sources were during the last meltdown. I would advise nobody wastes any energy in hoping they are true. We'll just have to wait and see.

Spoilsport......



Though everything seems to be falling into place for the RFL's big 'Oh No' moment; we're down, Rovers are up as are Toronto.It only needs Les Cats to come down and all their rainy days will have come at once as regards attendances in next year's championship matches.

I don't think we will go down, even more so now Hull KR are promoted

Sheffields chairman was saying he doesn't want the Bulls to go down yesterday in his programme column.

Did he also say he didn't want Hull KR to go up?

Seriously, you can't have a sporting competition with promotion and relegation, where a relegated club doesn't get relegated because the other teams don't want them to get relegated

It makes the whole league season totally pointless

Be interesting to see which view has primacy. The RFL will want us to go down (integrity) otherwise they look a laughing stock. It sounds like more championship chairmen (money) and SKY (Bash viewing figures - money) want us to stay. Does Integrity>Money? or is it Money>Integrity. I know which I would prefer.

So there will need to be some sort of face-saving exercise where everyone gets something. Again. What a farce.

True enough, though the whole season is automatically artificial when the top club isn't called the champion after playing all cubs home and away, as in SL and that doesn't seem to bother the RFL. At the end of the day money rules.

If that happens I'm finished with the sport.

This cash cow's udders can no longer stand to be milked anymore.

Also I really want to see the summer bash fail when Catalans get relegated.

Hull KR and Bradford's support replaced by Catalans and Toronto. That's going to leave the RFL relying on clubs like Halifax to bring support or lose loads of money. Any losses should get passed onto the clubs.

I fully agree, but to play the devils advocate here.....

Didn't the sports ruling body deduct us (officially an new club) 12 points at the start of the season, before we had any players, ground, coach, etc. We wouldn't be anywhere near relegation if it wasn't for this; even with our terrible season.

If they can impose such rules at the start of the season, why can't they impose other rules at the end?

Despite the integrity of the game, if having a well supported team (will we be well supported next year though?) keeps the wolves from the door of Sheffield, and other clubs is it not worth doing?

No f*** 'em.

I work hard for a living to have a load of gimps that can't cut their cloth accordingly expect me to fund their vanity projects. All the while being subject to abuse from their clubs' knuckle dragging fans telling me about how we should be in the bottom division.

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Obviously he didn't say he doesn't want Hull KR to go up but I get your point Paul

If the RFL were not so inept at running the game(or should it be ruining the game) we wouldn't even be discussing this. I do believe it's becoming more of a possibility that we won't be going down. I'm sure we all agree we can see the RFL coming up with a new structure to accommodate the Bulls once this season has finished

Sadly for you guys Swinton will be fine with Andy Mazey in charge. For me that is probably your last hope of staying up but then again if Swinton did go to the wall Oldham would be the first team approached to stay in the division you would imagine.

If I'm honest I'm don't care either way, as long as we are allowed to compile a competitive squad for whatever division we are in, with a good coach that can "inspire" the said squad to perform.

The owners have to get their cheque book out I think..

as a side note I watched the Sheff game the other day Roger, your kid doesn't like his head rubbed?
It made me chuckle...maybe he could sign for the new Hybrid squad??? hhhmmm

Only 249 at the Sheffield match apparently. They can't survive on gates like that.

Im not sure where they get those figures from though as Bradford and Hull KR brought similar figures to The Shay both around the 1500 mark which at £18 is 27k each but thats obviously topside as their will be children and concessions in that so that figure will be lower and in Fax's case the cost of opening the north stand reduces it quite significantly. Its still a big chunk of money I would agree and only some of that would be replaced if Leigh came down. If Widnes or Catalan come down they bring very little in the way of crowds so its a big cut for the already under funded clubs to take.

London crowd yesterday given as 794 when there was less than 500 there infact I would have been surprised if there were 400 there if Im been honest. Its a good job they have a mug putting money in to that club.

Never mind, they can make up the shortfall with hordes of Bulls fans at £18 a time

I can certainly see it happening, there are more and more noises to that effect

I suppose that if they decide that they want to go with a 12/14/14 next season, instead of 12/12/16 - then there is a certain logic to that.

They could then dump the pointless Championship Shield, as we'd then have a 27 game season with the Summer Bash (which I assume they'd keep). It also means League 1 can have a proper home and away fixture list. 27 game season after which the bottom two clubs get relegated (unless we are one of them, of course, in which case it would be changed again...)

You may laugh Bullseye, but its only semi-jest

There's a scenario where we struggle to put together a competitive squad for next season - assume Bentley, Ryan, Oakes, Roche, and others leave. Can we find better replacements within our budget? We struggle again next season and finish bottom two. Bear in mind that Toronto will spend big and be nowhere near the bottom! Would the Championship chairmen demand that the RFL make the division into an 18-team league so that we don't get relegated? Where does it end?

Or, an alternative scenario .... we finally get someone with serious money

and suddenly [iwe[/i can 'spend big' on players. We get promoted back to Super League. But, wait, we aren't allowed to be promoted, because the Championship chairmen rely on our away support...

At some point, the Championship Chairman are going to need to come up with a business plan than is bit more than 'let's hope the Bulls come twice a season and bring loads of away fans'.

Would you like your head been rubbed?