I think that's the issue? I don't seen any alternative that's successful. There is no suggestion from me that Dewsbury becomes a permanent fixture. However, there is something that seems a little knee jerk in the desperation to get back to Odsal.

We seem to have stabilised but are we in a rock solid position? If so why jeopardise it? Why not stay put for a year or two in a very uncertain world and build on the platform when/if circumstances ease.

If we aren't then why join SL to get our backsides handed to us week in week out in a stadium we can't afford and undo all the work and pain we've gone through so far by getting immediately relegated and handing the lower SL chairmen the get out of jail free cards it seem that this grab for an extra club seems to be?

Sure, the bright lights of SL get further away the more the years at Dewsbury slide by but unless there's been a nod and a wink to the CH sides applying regarding the SL drawbridge being pulled up once they are in then it appears suicidal to go back to a stadium we couldn't afford to run 2 years ago. Even if it is pulled up we all must be fully aware that Odsal killed us and that death started in SL.

Those with the money to run the club wanted the lease, the RFL always said no. Even if they sell to Wood the hasty wedding to stock cars seems to indicate there is no desire in the slightest to improve the dump and lets be honest, as much as were emotionally attached to the place, its long passed it's sell by date and a couple of coats of Dulux will do nothing to change that. If the RFL retain the lease they don't have a pot to relieve themselves in.

Whichever way I look at it, unless the finances receive a decent and continued boost from someone with more money than sense then the future is looking very dark to me? Whether bottom of the SL or scratching in the CH we won't keep hold of the kids and Hudds, KR etc will still pick them off?

Even staying at Dewsbury looks grim but surely we'll survive there longer with no central funding that at Odsal, whether we have a years in SL or not?

I don't know either. It's heart attack vs stroke. I watch SL and at the bottom end it's rubbish so I'm marginally more optimistic than most on here but accept we're heavy favourites for the drop.

Whilst I haven’t seen any club accounts, I did get the administrators reports. Here’s my tuppence worth.
Our last few seasons on SL, we were paying out full cap, our back room & admin (non performance) was bloated, we were in Odsal, TV money was approx £1.2m and we were losing about £700k per year.(although OK got shafted here) The year after we got relegated, TV money went to £1.8m. With just some cloth cutting, we would have broken even. Anyway, down we went.
Cloth cutting - both performance and non-performance sides happened, but not in pace with our central funding drop so more financial problems.
Now, compared to the club that got relegated, we are lean. Cloth cutting has occurred, efficiencies have been developed.
Purely basing it on Diskin’s prematch interview last year where he said our player spend was 3x Batleys, I think our spend is about £550k - £600k. And we seem to be comfortable with that with our new owners. And that is on 6th place central funding of £300k was it?
What I’m getting at is the majority of the 12th place extra funding can be given straight to JK for performance. We wouldn’t be far off. Crucially, to keep the likes of Doyle & Scurr, we need to be in SL. Otherwise this next academy group will go at the end of next year

Your right There the country is on its the game we all love is on its without a big money backer we are doomed to failure

I've swayed back and forth on this since it was announce that there would be a bidding process but have settled on the idea of going up as worth a punt.

As Highlander and Scarey have alluded to, we have stripped the club back to its bare essentials and is in a position where it is spending within its means on £300k central funding. Give it another £700k in the first year back at SL level with some modest stadium upgrades paid through the RFL/Government Loan and we have a shot at beating relegation (if it even happens at all that is). After that you get a full years central funding and take it from there.

My gut feeling is that there is a strong possibility SL becomes a closed shop from 2021, and something that Chalmers said in one of his first fans forums rings some bells. He made a big case saying licensing from 2021 would happen and the way it is now can anyone really say its not a consideration?

This is in my opinion our one and only shot at getting back to the top league. With the ty TV deal coming and smaller central funding, we will essentially go year to year living on selling our best talent to bigger teams. We will never (no matter what anyone says) get close to seeing the full potential of these players to enable us a crack of promotion.

The other consideration is why would the owners choose to make such a bid if they didn't think they could make a go of it? For what reason would Wood and Sawyer have for putting the club in a position that it would fail financially again? There is no benefit to having a failed business on your directors record. They must know something we don't.

My guess is that Odsal unlocks the answer. The lease held by the RFL is still desirable given that it appears as appetizing as a sandwich... ask yourself why. Could it still be possible that there is some value in the land awaiting to be unlocked and that between the two unoccupied sites (Dunnes and Odsal) is an opportunity for the council and leasehold to make some serious money and provide a cost efficient ground for the club and community use?

Wood and Sawyer applied because they had to. Only a handful of clubs actually met the criteria to be eligible. Can you imagine they outcry from (some) Bulls fans if they just didn't bother applying?
I don't for one second think we will be the team to go up.

I on the other had think the criteria was set just to make sure the Bulls made it. Otherwise why say you had to finish Top 6 in the past two seasons? Surely you’d go by playoff places which is 1-5. Why include the 6th team? Do you think they would have said Top 6 if Bradford had made the playoffs?

Its good to see everyones differing opinions on this and to see peoples way if thinking. Creates good debate

I'm with you JJ, there seems to be a lot of the way the criteria has been put together that leads to including us to have a chance at least of meeting the majrity of it. Are the SL club owners seeing a Bradford away support spending money in their ground?

I think the main thing in the whole situation is that the person making the reccomendation is completely impartial and will make a decision based on the pure facts in front of him as opposed to any liking or dislike towards any of the applicants. This really means for me everyone has a much of a chance as each other.

I do thnk we are in with a real chance personally looking at the majority of the criteria, quick look at it, Fev and York no academy. Leigh a barmpot owner who has a tendancy to spit his dummy at any given moment. Toulouse, well Catalans have been in a long time with very little development of French players and have a Challenge cup to show for it. Plus costs rise to the clubs having to go to france twice a year.

London are the big players for me as they have done unbelieveably in my opinion with regards the academy and getting oung local lads in the team. The only problem is the crowds which are of no benefit to current clubs apart from maybe the sway of a team in the Capital helping with discussions regardng the TV deal.

Then there is us, academy renowned for still producing super league players despite being in the championship. Big away support inthe eyes of other chairmen, I mean that first game away at Leigh when I sat with you on the bus was mad.

Going to be very interesting

The criteria certainly ensures we have a real good chance. Especially the financial aspect of the bid. You have to have a turnover of at least £300,000 in either 2018 or 2019. In 2019 we had financial trouble, hence the selling of Minchella, Keyes, Milnes and Mutodi plus why James Green left. However as we didn’t go into administration, did the sale of those players take us over the £300,000 mark? Can’t see us having that turnover in 2018 when we were in League 1.

The away support will be a big pull. More money for other clubs, bigger crowds on TV make the game look better. it’s a story to sell. “Ex World Champions Rise from the ashes”. Can guarantee before our first televised game there will be a big X Factor esc sob story about our fall and rise.

Ah I’ve only read about the judges today. I was under the impressions that it was SL to decide. Even so, SL have made sure we meet pretty much every single criteria and the one we dont is ground ownership which won’t make a difference I don’t think.

I agree with your assessment on the other clubs. York have an outside chance. New ground, business run well, investment is there, it’s a new area to expand, no competition with football since York City’s fall from grace, good day out, good prospects for the future in terms of results on the field and a young british coach. For me Leigh and Bradford have the strongest bids, regardless of barmpot owner, he invests in the team, it’s already got many SL standard players, great ground, performances deserve it, crowd is good numbers, not bad away following. For me Leigh should be the team to go up.

Agree on London though. Done unreal since Ward and Langley took over! Especially in terms of development.

Yeah mate that Leigh game was mental! Was a bloody great day and great atmosphere. Never forget that! You going next season pal?

With all the rumours/finances floating around, other corporate interest and the shortness of the new tv deal, I think we live in interesting times. This scenario is a possibility. I don’t know the exact timeframe, but over the next 3 year TV deal I think Bulls will be the 12th club. Private equity will come in and relegation will be stopped/postponed. Private equity will take over marketing, they’ll recommend a 14 club league, 2 out of London, York and Toulouse will be invited, the Tv deal for 2024 will be significantly improved, with a french broadcaster, a streaming broadcaster and still some Free to air games. And we’ll probably move back to franchises.

I would like to think so too. However, this appears sensible and well thought out, two things not associated with the management of RL as a sport.

Surely a French TV deal will only occur if Toulouse come up to create a Catalan vs Toulouse rivalry?

Agree with you in terms of the sob story, Im a Leeds Unted fan and that is still being pushed now a 3rd of the way intot he season!

Before all this I was thinking about going next year, always said I wouldnt at Dewsbury just a personal preference and watching a Bradford side outside of Bradford didn't sit well.

Saying that though the way we started the defunct season plus a coupleof signings we have made was definitely making me take to note to go again!

I don't mind a one-off to show the journey and the return as long as it's not shown as a sob story.

To be fair mate I went to the two home games against London and Featherstone and we played really well. Arguably played with more pride that the previous two seasons and the young lads were brilliant. Especially Gallagher and Doyle. Scurr was great off the bench too. I'll probably never stop going haha. Well if you decide to go next season let me know and we'll meet up for a pint mate.

Good luck with the application guy's! Hope you get in!

We will find out tomorrow either way. Well unless the decision is delayed of course

So how are folks on here feeling about tomorrow? I pretty calm about the whole thing to be honest. If we don't get the nod then we carry on as we are and get to compete in a really good Championship competition. My concerns as stated previously are what the future holds post 2021 for the Championship.

If we get in, then it is clearly a tough challenge ahead but one that I suspect John Kear is well suited to and will get us at a least a fighting chance of.

Must admit I have been taken aback a little by some of the stuff being posted about the club by journos and fans but I honestly do not believe there is a stand out candidate among the 6 and all of the clubs offer something to varying degrees. It will be interesting to see which way the panel goes and I wish any of the other 5 the best of luck if they get the nod!

It does on the face of it look like the criteria has been drawn up to give Bradford an opportunity to apply for SL status in 2021. However, I don't think that it's the done deal that some believe it be, but certainly worth Bradford making the effort even if they fail to be granted the 12th SL slot for next year. It will be a useful learning curve for your management team, as there may well be another round of franchise/licensing on the horizon. This would give you an advantage in that you'd have a much better idea of what is required, and perhaps time to build and meet future franchising requirements.

As it stands, I don't think it would be good for us to go up unless we've got about 6 or 7 decent SL players waiting to come and join us should we get the nod. Without significant strengthening, we would just be the whipping boys every week.

Plus there are the financials of getting players to come to us, and that is on top of the likely return of that money pit known as Odsal Stadium.

Mind you, the screams and tears from fans at other clubs should we get the spot, that would probably be worth it

It has been laughable the meltdown from grown adults. We're not ready to go up. As you say though, there's pros and cons to all the bids and it's down to someone's opinion.

Lile I said I don't want us to go up to be cannon fodder, I'd rather we have another year building on the championship. But a small part 1of me wants us to go up just to see the salty tears of some individuals.

My personal opinion is its not a 3 year license so whoever the goes up has to be ready to compete with SL and have the squad depth to cope with covid (which will still be around next year) for me Leigh with Beaumont backing them, Toulouse who look very strong and London with their academy are the choices for me.

Only thing is matey there may not be funding in 2022 so how can we build... wouldn’t parachute payment be the best way to go if you know what I mean?

Must admit the bile's been brilliant. Shows we are still a bit of a big deal when you can live rent free in their heads after all these years. Still we are the RFL's pets and should be a shoe in.

The amount of times I've seen this recently...It still astounds me how many people actually believe the drivel they spout,

Heart says SL, head says keep building in Championship.

Like others have said, the amount of boiled p1ss on social media about us potentially going up is enough to make me want it that little bit more.

If it weren't the imminent financial shafting of the Championship then yes it would be fine to stay and earn our promotion. But the future for our division looks pretty uncertain. I'm expecting this is where we are staying for now so we have all that to navigate.