AS I said it is dependant upon them being interested in expansion. If it is solely on away fan numbers SL here we come.

Im not sure how you lot feel but now we are both ruled out for me personally its one of relief. I believe promotion should be earned on the field and we are a long way off it. I guess if Fax were in SL I would likely go to every game because its what we do but I find the SL product overall dour and stale.

So many people I talk to also find SL boring and predictable.
Interesting last night to hear Jon Wells saying the important thing for the new club is to bring a fan base. Carney instantly said it's the Bulls then.
Coincidentally, the club must have finished 6th or higher in the championship which we finished 6th.

I don't want us to go up but it wouldn't surprise me if we were chosen. The only way we could if there was a secret funder to make up that £800k shortfall and some help with the stadium. I would rather us play at VP. There are a few teams who share grounds they they don't own.

Agree above about Catalan. They are just like Toronto but closer. Imported players and no youth set up.
I do get the feeling they want the bulls back but we are just not ready unless things are being sorted in the background.

Halifax are ruled out for not meeting the Intial Criteria
Bull aren't ruled out yet as meet Initial Criteria

4. In addition, the RFL and SLE have set Assessment Criteria against which any club wishing to obtain membership of Super League in 2021 will be assessed.

So the Bulls can still apply as its based on an Assessment of all points in the document.

Yeah I guess the Bulls can apply but the part about CCJ's is going to mean their bid will be unsucessful.

I truly hope you are correct.
My problem is that I can see little common sense in any of the people running the game, just greed and self service, so I would expect our pointless application to be considered. Maybe they see our academy? It is the shining light in our application, indeed it's probably our only light, and only thing currently at SL level tbh.

Most probably they expect large crowds to pop into all their grounds on a regular basis but not when our Championship level recruited squad starts to get hammered regularly, and we become certs for relegation surely? I guess they won't care if we go bust trying though. They'll have a permanent solution sorted by then, maybe. If they would know a permanent solution if it hit them in the face, that is.

There is no reason we can't become an SL club. But not next season, with no notice and on half money. Unless there is something very strange going on behind the scenes, I can't understand why the people running our club are going along with this nonsense.

I didn’t read that document as a club having to tick every box. I would assume the Bulls directors would point out the Ccj’s were satisfied/discharged and that there was a new ownership since then. Then they would expand on the positives.

Regarding SL, over the last 3 years it’s rare that I’ve watched a game to the end. I don’t know whether it’s the standard on show or that I no longer have a connection to it,
I don’t know whether SL going from 14 to 12 and losing Bradford and London was a symptom of the decline or a causative factor in the decline but that’s when SL began losing it for me

Yeah Ive just re-read it about 3 times and the wording is not very clear. It seems strange to have the initial criteria that must be met but then saying the rest are assed but then under the sub-sections says that you must not have done this or that. On the CCJ's I believe one of the latest was this year.

It is the interests of the other bigger clubs to get Bradford back up. They all have first teams squads that are way too big an way to expensive. As per the original Future of The Game thread, I expects the Bulls will be beneficiaries of a cull of squads at Leeds/Wigan & Warrington via the loan system.

It would only fair that Toulouse get the spot, but fairness does not always come into hard business decision making. What is best for the game is the Bulls back in SL.

This was the Catalans team last night. Anyone who says another team of this is positive for SL has lost their mind.
14Bousquet
9McIlorum
8Casty
12Tomkins
11Whitley
13Garcia
7Drinkwater
6Maloney
1Mead
3Langi
4Folau
16Davies
29Tomkins
Substitutes
10Moa
21Seguier
24Baitieri
28Kasiano

Good man, you are catching on.

We haven't had any shameless intrigue for a while. Go on then who do you think may secretly back us and make up the shortfall?

You don’t really think Cummings leaving Downing Street yesterday was a coincidence, do you?

Well the refs were sponsored by specsavers so we have some synergies already.

Like Toulouse there youth setup is in french elite I think

More and more noise we could be the 12th club. We'll be the bad guys yet only ones to benefit will be SL clubs from our away following, while virtually guaranteeing themselves safety from relegation. Genius from them.

John Davidson tweeting that the word on the street is that it's the Bulls. Grab the popcorn...

Going to look a bit rediculous if we get in due to fanbase then take about 200 to watch us get walloped at Wigan on a Thursday night

Absolutely this! Anyone going up is just guaranteeing the protectionist chairmen another safe year. No thank you!

Lazy journalism especially from someone who has read the criteria.

If it us it'll be a total disaster. We'll end up getting thumped everyweek just to finish botom and probably end up going bust again no thank you.

that said field fans are already starting to pea their knickers so it would be hilarious.

If you think the RFL/SL are going to follow the criteria set out.
Where have you been the last 10 years?
The RFL/SL do what brings the most money in, nothing else matters.

I don't think the criteria you're referring to (I'd guess court action and such) rules any club out, just goes against them. But, not every section has equal weighting (and not necessarily for each club either?) so it's easy to get round if wanted.

FWIW I don't think we are anywhere close to being ready.

It just smacks of poorly supported SL teams desperate for a quick cash injection from our travelling support. At the same time we are certain to finish bottom, which protects them from relegation.

Its a win-win for the likes of Hull KR, Wakefield etc, but a terrible proposition for us. Especially if we end up back at the cash-drain that is Odsal and have that millstone around our necks going forward.