The Hull KR chairman was on radio humberside this morning (about 7.30) and was talking about us at the end of his piece about KR, saying he "felt a change in the mood within SL clubs and chairmen towards Bradford being in SL for 2013" or words to that effect, I can't remember the exact phrase.

He said he expected us to be in SL in 2013, but that was just his feeling, he hadn't been told anything or spoken to anyone. Definetly seems to be a change in the wind.

that doesn't say a lot about the 10,000+ fans, if we can't play with the big boys then we wont support the club in a lower league and fight to get back in the big time. It all depends on whether Bradford get a serious backer who want's to put money into the club for the love of the game as RL certainly isn't a cash cow generating massive profits. A credible offer that sees the creditors get a reasonable return and the RFL will most likely keep the status quo the Bulls in super league.......

I agree that whoever ends up with the Bulls (or any other RL club for that matter) needs deep pockets, but there isn't a great prospect of any financial return for them in the long term. If the buyer has got the business acumen to have earned themselves sufficient wealth to fund the Bulls in the longer term, why would they "only" consider acquiring the Bulls on the basis that they are forking out up to £1.5m to deal with a mess that wasn't of their making and then have to immediately invest further to assemble a competitive squad for next year?

I'm not suggesting that none of the potential purchasers won't consider dealing with the "old" debts as part of their business plan, just that it isn't a foregone conclusion.

You surely can't be saying that you won't continue to support the Bulls if the new owners business plan doesn't include retaining the SL licence?

Who said that?


Really? Because, you reckon that such a person does exist, but has forgotten to step up? Do you know his name? Mr. Yeti, perhaps?

If by "dealing with" you mean "paying", that is dead right. Any offers will be exactly that, pence in the £ offers so far as creditors are concerned. Anyone who really believes that there is someone out there who will start by repaying the failed company's historic debt in full needs to stay off the sauce for a while.

Then the Championships it is

I'd suggest that is the only business plan that will keep your licence , it would seem that is not currently on the table

I hope you're wrong but it doesn't look good to me.

If that's the case then to run a championship club we'd still need a backer. Might be a big ask. Would need some sort of deal to play at Odsal for nowt or next to nowt. As a SL club we couldn't afford the upkeep, we've even less chance in the championship.

I can see it being SL or bust.

You will if owned by SLE , that is/was the whole point of the RFL/SLE offer

It was to guarantee this seasons ' integrity ' , Guarantee a club playing at Odsal , and guarantee a Bradford RL club

It is SL that has busted you , essemtially without a sugar daddy , you will not/never be a SL club again , it really is that simple

I know. Trouble is that I can see us not being a club at all.

A sugar daddy is going to be harder to find for a championship club.

that's a bit of a profound statement....... maybe not a top 4 club without some form of outside investment but with 10,000+ fans super league is certainly attainable

I do not agree that if we don't keep the license for SL the club will disappear into the ether. I am confident there will be professional Rugby league in Bradford whatever happens. It might need a complete rebuilding from a lower division but I just cannot see all our fans being prepared to give up.
But at the same time the chances of retaining the license seem to have improved markedly.
The comments from the Hull KR owner suggest to me that some clubs have come round to a view that SL is a "lesser entity without them" (exact quote from St Eamonn) and that must be a positive development .
So let's continue to hope and let's stop assuming that some clubs are hell bent on kicking us out. All the speculation about particular clubs and owners gets us nowhere and might even antagonise . For example all the nonsense about Huddersfield refusing to sell us tickets turned out to be just that-- nonsense. All it did was provoke some Giants fans who love their club as much as we love ours to join in an unhealthy debate. Many had assumed that Saints either didn't care or might be wanting us out to reduce the size of the league-- then Mr McManus releases the most positive statement we could hope for.
I will wait until an owner or a club makes their attitude clear by a statement or by an action before I comment or rush to judgement.

The crucial issue is whether it is a newco. A oldco Bradford should definately retain their SL place. A newco has to be judged on its merits - if it is given a place based solely or primarily on the arguments outlined by EM, then we have to drop licensing. Either bring back P&R in some form or just bite the bullet and give out proper franchises. We really couldn't pretend any more. Aside from anything else it distracts from what goes on, on the pitch.

Oldco - fine and we can carry on.
Newco allowed to apply alongside others - also fine, though time would be short.
Newco, waved through - fine too, but licensing has to die. No great loss with hindsight.

The problem is , it would appear the Bulls fans will not turn up in those numbers unless they ARE top 4 , or they ARE paying peanuts for tickets

Add to that a ' market value ' rental for Odsal and the business plan for SL starts to fall down , I'd suggest that is how the RFL see it

I have looked back at the marketing bumf I got for last year. I paid well over £200 for my season ticket. I have checked the list and do not see that any season ticket was available for peanuts, or indeed any type of indehiscent fruit. Money seemed to be the only advertised option.

So the situation is even worse than we thought , if you have 10,000 fans paying full wack and 1,2 million from SKY , and you are still losing hundreds of thousands a year , you really are foooked

Guess that's one Chairman on your side , .. Is he thinking of Rugby league / bradford bulls

, OR has he just got "£" signs in his eyes., (sweaty £20 notes in bradford pockets)

May be other Chairman may see things from a different point of view come end of the season ?

Whatever happens wont be right or fair for a lot of people in RL.watching on !......Wot a mess !



Leicence system not worked.

I suspect that whatever happens , some will still see conspiracies and some will accuse the big /bad /useless (choose your own critical adjective) Rugby League hierarchy of incompetence or worse.
It constantly amazes me that the sport I think is the best in the world seems to attract more than it's fair share of cynics. The implication that McManus is only thinking of some selfish cash centred interest says more about the accuser than the accused.

I'm sure you're right. I suspect they're not at all interested in money or balancing the books and believe Bradford should be thrown out because of their financial troubles.

McManus :- ( from that very statement Mcmanus made)

"I have been a proponent for some time of creating a higher quality and higher intensity Super League with less than 14 teams"


Which other RL Chairman will think they are LESS worthy than bulls to be a fit and proper club to be in SL ????

Not many putting their hands up for that I guess , May be Macmanus will make some room ?

And we have to play in a non-rectangular stadium too!. Were absolute certs to be booted out.

Er, where did I say we had 10,000 fans paying "full wack". I disproved your ludicrous assertion that all these fans just "paid peanuts", that's all. Now you have lurched to the other end of the scale of absurdity. Well done.


Are we? Wow. Thank you for pointing out that we have a financial problem. Until your post I had been convinced that the Bulls were in the rudest of rude financial health. Is that not right? Do you think there is any risk we might even go into administration?

you need a sugar daddy , so in simple terms if none of the bids include that type of investement , the RFL arent going to keep you in SL , so it is irrelivant how many fair weather fans you have , it still wont work

It reads as if he's testing the water, perhaps on behalf of a few of the bigger clubs, to the prospect of a major restructuring of SL.

I dont really believe that Saints, Leeds etc would be too bothered about the demise of Braford, unless they see it as the start of a complete meltdown.

I dont share your pessimism. It would indeed be a very hard road back. But I think a Bulls team in the Championship, playing at Odsal, would still generate crowds of 4-5,000 at least for a year or two. Given a sensible rental agreement and support and time to get a new club established, I dont think the future is quite that bleak.