Isn't there some agreement between SL and NRL that both with respect the other's player registration rules? So if a club won't release a player's registration he can't go play in the other league?

Don't we still have Sam Burgess's SL registration?

Why would we?

I think part of the agreement is that if Sam comes back to super league he has to come to the Bulls for a year. It was based on a similar contract that Bradford have had dealings with in the past apparently, can't think who's contract it was though

That's what i'm getting confused with.

A friend of mine saw Matt Orford leaving Jack Fulton the other day before going in to Cash Convertors.

He was holiding hands with Leon pryce and Shontayne Hape.

Make of that what you will but reading between the lines it would suggest

[size=50Matt Orford can spot a bargain when it comes to frozen foods.[/size

Good Grief MBBB is off the Cherry Brandy and Maccaroons again! Its the withdrawal symptons manifesting themselves!

I think this is pretty new, sounds nearest thing to him actually saying he's not coming back and will depend on whether Parramatta stump up the cash www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... public_rss

I think this is pretty new, sounds nearest thing to him actually saying he's not coming back and will depend on whether Parramatta stump up the cash www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... public_rss

I agree with you mate.

Looks like there may be more news on this soon.

Homesick! The big wuss.

Home sick..... weak.

This makes the clubs press release last week to radio leeds/BBC very good timing in terms of PR and getting a favourable deal, as people pointed out, it sounded like legal speak at the time preparing the ground for release talks. I would hope (and TBF expect it is) that plan B is in place already for the halfs.

Comments like these make a return pretty untenable IMO. And whoever heard of an agent being unavailable for comment? more like he doesn't want to comment whilst he's arranging the deal to Parramatta.

Looks like we're entering the end game at least....

Homesick my . Never mind transfer fees, seeing as we've (presumably) paid Orford a signing on fee and also paid his considerable wages despite him being sat on an Australian beach for some months, then if it's true maybe he will be writing a big cheque out of his own account to the Bulls. But I won't hold my breath.

However under the present regime I am sure if there is any truth to this, then we won't let him go unless the finances are right for us. The case of Sam Burgess, who everybody said we wouldn't get a penny for, proved that point.

Good to see Ryan Duckett playing hard ball and saying all the right things publically in contract negotiations.
He's developed into a valuable CEO and if he swings this negotiation with Orford into a beneficial one for the club (given that Orford is intent of ratting on his contract) then he'll go up another notch in my estimation.
I think that Duckett could become one of the clubs greatest assets.

He's homesick?

He's been back home for a few months, that should've sorted it out.

homesick my .

You have to give a new place at least 12 months to really understand the way of life and culture. IMO the writing was on the wall when he returned to Aus to recover from injury.

Looking like another nice cash windfall heading our way then.

12 minutes to see all the sights of Bradford...

You'd have thought he could have found a desperately ill relative he needed to be near rather than admitting the truth.

OK, its still not a direct quote from Orford. Once again, its someone speaking seemingly for him. So once again there have to be caveats, although if either orford or that scumbag Mimmis do not agree with the report then they would surely come out and refute it immediately?

Assuming for now the treport is true, he's not necessarily a big wuss. Until you have been there and done that - I have - you are not really in a position to say someone is a big wuss because he struggled to settle in another country. It happens - I hated my first few months in NZ. However, I stuck it out and give it a fair go, and after a few months I loved the place. And as someone said above - and I think someone who too has been there done that? - you have to give it time and not chicken out early. Maybe without his injury he might have too, since he would have had to stay here a few more months at least? Maybe? Or maybe he indeed IS a screaming great wuss? And a lot of other things to boot?

But, again if the report was true, what it seems he WOULD be - again taking the report at face value - is an underhand sneak and a screaming great coward. If it really has taken him till now to say he'd better get round to asking the Bulls for a release, when he could have dealt with the issue months ago as soon as the press speculation (clearly now was rather more than that) started. And when he would knowm full well the implications for Bradford if he strung them out then at the last minute failed to show. The club might probably consider him a liar too, depending on what he actually said to them and when. If such were the case, you would hope and expect the club to screw him and/or his new employers for ever dollar and cent they can.

And if it is true, then I imagine a long list of people will not wish him well, at all. If its true.

And as for Mimmis...whether its true or not, may he rot in the darkest pits of hell. At least he'll be in good company, with most of the other players' agents.

ps. if it transpires he never did intend to come back, and we have been paying him all this time...

Just hope we get a replacement sorted asap. Meanwhile it looks like the banner needs tweaking a bit, unless we substitute a chicken for the picture of Matt Orford.

I know Bradford isn't exactly Bali (and AFAIK he was living in Leeds) but the homesickness excuse is pathetic. I have a number of friends who've lived for some time in places as different as Iran, Mozambique, The West Bank, Uganda and North Vietnam. Some of them may have confessed to those places being a bit different but none decided to cut their contract short and scurry home tail between the legs.

Very poor showing. Someone get Orford a can of "man up".

I suppose living in Leeds does give him a marginal excuse?

And yes, got any chook images to hand, Varky?

At least we should know one way or t'other at the beginning of November.

just get rid of him... he doesnt want to be here and we need to focus on a replacement in time for pre season. orford can hang his head in shame.

The Orford saga continues.

I've stopped worrying about this situation now. With the playing/coaching appointments made so far coupled with the success of the pledge scheme I'm pretty confident that things will work out for the club. We'll probably end up with a far better half back situation than the last couple of years.

TBH I have no doubt that the club, Orford and his agent know at least what will happen and that once an amicable solution is reached that an announcement will be made.