No offence intended to Mick, but very little people know anything about the new bid, including Mick.

I'd take anything mentioned on twitter with a pinch of salt - Mick already guessed it had Caisley involvement and had to retract it because it didn't. It's like putting your finger in the air and reporting a blatant guess.

I'd imagine Ross at the T&A, those close to the bid (including those at the RFL) and maybe a few other journalists with credible sources high up know about it and are holding off reporting anything.

That could take weeks.

I know Greenwoods Menswear are keen about a bid-think they are chinese owned now.

The farce has reached epic proportions. Everyone - and I mean everyone - KNOWS that NO buyer will buy unless they have a cast iron assurance that they take over the SL contract.

The very thought that someone out there might buy it on spec, immediately rush into signing up what players and staff remain, and take one almighty punt that we won't in fact be playing in the Championship, is just risible.

If there were a buyer or buyers interested in bidding on the basis that they want to run a Championship club, or aren't bothered either way, then that would be great, but as those people exist only in the figment of fevered imaginations, as do prospective buyers who would immediately start off by wasting £1.5m in cold blood, to pay off what were the old club's debts.

@andywiz: sounds like this latest bid for bulls might be a goer. it's unconditional apparently. more details to come.

Well let's hope a bid comes in which is acceptable to the RFL/SLE and makes the offer from the 13 clubs no longer needed. Actually you may be surprised but that is what most people throughout the game would prefer.

But there is no way the clubs would have made the bid if they were risking anything at all - most of them are too skint themselves. They'll get their money back either from a new buyer or dividing the SKY money 13 ways instead of 14.

If the administrator accepts the clubs offer and it's the only viable bid, that would leave a debt free championship Bradford available, for next to nothing I would imagine. Surely there would be plenty of people who love the club enough to be interested in that.

Caisley is hovering around somewhere that much is certain. He didn't force Hood out and then appoint Guilfoyle just so he could be a casual observer. But I feel he thought the RFL/SLE would be a soft touch and allow him to take on a debt free 'newco' with Super League licence intact.

The SLE bid has made sure Caisley cannot pull that one off and lets him and anyone else know that if they want to play brinkmanship then the Bulls can and will be allowed to drop into the championship.

It's amazing how some people have that ability to sum up a situation concisely and very succinctly.

@RobJonesSport RFL have confirmed they are seriously considering the first UNCONDITIONAL offer for the Bradford Bulls, more meetings over next few days

Rob Jones works for BBC Sport by the way.

Anyone noticed how Guilfoyle seems to have become largely irrelevant in all of this? Despite having become almost universally loathed and despised (fairly or unfairly).

Looks like he will end up having to accept whatever bid the RFL tell him to, since they control the one thing of real value - the SL Licence.

I very much doubt he expected this when he decided to do his mate a favour?

Fingers crossed.

I still can't envisage a situation where a solvent Bradford Bulls are playing outside Super League.

Adey is it just me or does guilfoyle not only appear invisible and beaten out of hiding but i feel for him he appears his partner and joint administrator is aken to an estranged wife they dont appear at family functions together they dont sleep in the same bed in fact since the beginning what has the other guy done?

what is time difference in aus? on rfl site it says due dilligence on bid has already been carried out by appropriate people ??

So, if the mysterious new bid is, according to the RFL, the first "unconditional bid", can we conclude from that that the RFL, being one of the shareholders of SLE and thus a bidder, was a party to a bid which was conditional, made in the knowledge that wearing its hat as the RFL and not as a co-bidder, the RFL knew it would summarily reject?



If I have to scratch my head much more I'll be down to the shoulderblades.

Why won't the RFL consider an offer which is conditional on the Bulls remaining in Super League until the current license(the one that the RFL awarded) expires?? am i missing something or does this suggest that decisions have already been made??!!

Dave Parker of the RL weekly made reference to this in his column this week, its beginning to stink! please correct me if i am barking up the wrong tree here....?

Assuming nigel woods in sydney, Its just after 5am there now, so you'd expect a conference call would probably take place in next couple of hours to keep times reasonable for Oz and UK participants.

probably because the RFL don't want to set a precident of clubs spending beyond their means, failing to pay HMRC and then starting again with a clean slate as though nothing has happened. Afterall the HMRC is a government department just like the the Dept for Culture ,Media & Sport who oversee Sport England who gave the RFL £27.5m for 2009-2013.....

cheers Mat

So am i right in thinking we could in effect have an update before end of night?

Pie.warrior that is fine but if a decision has been made some transparency would be appreciated?

doubt we'll hear anything tonight as too late for websites to get updatedby time conference call finishes. Maybe a chance of a story in tomorrows papers though.

The penalty for entering administration is a points deduction? we've been hit for 6 so if we can secure a buyer who can pay off some of the debt we remain in Super League, seeing out the license that the RFL awarded in the first place..?

Quote ="domthebull"cheers Mat So am i right in thinking we could in effect have an update before end of night? Pie.warrior that is fine but if a decision has been made some transparency would be appreciated?'" No, not tonight. The conference call has already happened. RFL are due to speak to both Guilfoyle and the prospective purchasers this evening and tomorrow morning. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... l-be-saved

Quote ="domthebull"cheers Mat So am i right in thinking we could in effect have an update before end of night? Pie.warrior that is fine but if a decision has been made some transparency would be appreciated?'" No, not tonight. The conference call has already happened. RFL are due to speak to both Guilfoyle and the prospective purchasers this evening and tomorrow morning. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... l-be-saved

another sleep with a wait to see what happens.....

Could be a massive boost for players and fans if we get some good news before end of week. IF it is positive news atmosphere at Odsal on friday will be electric. Fingers crossed.

yeah fingers crossed

Yeah well when I was in Keighley investigating the rumours of cougars in financial difficulties needing my shoulder to lean on, my mate at Mo'gurls told me they had put a bid in for more takeaways than nigella would eat ever. Which trumps the lot. loudly.

So if a new bid is acceptable to RFL and includes up to 100% of the debt being re-paid as (Mick G) is being suggested on Twitter (£3M), shouldn't the points deduction be reviewed to reflect the amount of debt that is not eventually cleared?

We could be in the fantastic(al) position of deserving some of the deduction re-instating if the same rules are applied a la Wakefield.

I know it's still the least of our worries right now but it's been nagging away at me since the decision re the deduction was made when the RFL didn't have a clue as to the eventual amount of abandoned debt. Indeed we still don't know.

Full details of the bid in tomorrows T&A.