Don't get your hopes up. You all ought to know that by now.

They are missing the Derby payday and the interest that generates.

Uncle Gawwy has been helping for years now whether through sending their staff to paint our lines when we couldn't afford the paint (yes really

) or sending the ground staff and motor mops across from Headingley to save the Armed Forces day when we were under the Green regime.

Maybe he's got a bit of a guilty conscience about aiding in our downfall when he didn't really want Harris back anyway

As optimistic and lovely as this all sounds I'll believe it when I see it..

Quite.
Problem is, even if there is something in this as I see it there are only 3 ways to avoid us being in Champ1 next season;

1. OFF OUR OWN BACK. We suddenly get 3 top quality experienced additions in the pack, a , Chisholm recovers and 2 or 3 other quality additions to the squad are brought in and we win 9 or 10 of our remaining matches. This is highly unlikely given whats happend up to this point.

2. RESTRUCTURE OF THE WHOLE GAME.
The league structure is changed and includes some sort of franchising with one of the criteria being "do you play out of an RL leased venue? yes, then you're in at the expense of Dewsbury". This one is clearly not happening after the meeting yesterday. Possible for 2019, but not 2018.

3. THE DODGY CONSPIRACY THEORIES. We finish in the bottom 2 as expected, but some dodgy deal is done either via last minute rule changes only affecting the bottom of the Championship/merging/relocation of other teams/etc to artificially keep us in the championship. In the land of RL, the RFL and the Bulls this is the most likely route to playing in the championship for 2018 and IMHO would be a disaster on many levels.

Id say the reality is we need to accept playing in C1 next year -a year later than we all thought we should, and be planning and recruiting now to somehow "do a Toronto" staying mostly full time with Championship level players and take the automatic promotion spot from C1 next year.

But I'm not believing anything until I see it with my own eyes.

I think lots of clubs want to see us in their league due to our large (albeit diminishing) away support. Replacing us with Toronto next year may look good in the RFLs expansionist terms but it sure aren't going to put 1000+ away supporters money in the coffers.

Much the same with Superleague; the crowds have not been growing, and for last year were down too. Bradford has a large sleeping support base and I'm sure most clubs Chairmen would love us to be back in their league as they would make more money.

It makes no sense for the RFL to kill off such a large club in times when the attendances are slipping. But this is the RFL after all.

Maybe all will be revealed when the interview is published by these guys..
Where is it by the way?

I don't think a merger with Salford would be a disaster for us..
It would however be pretty rank for the Salford fans, if you look at it from MKs point of view though
He has bought a team, made it a success but will never be able to pull any fans in...
Mix the two together and he saves his investment, a top four SL Bradford would draw 10k a week, 15k for Leeds.
As a business man I know what I'd do, cut my loses.

Salford would still exist hopefully.

The Rhinos wanting us back in SL actually makes total sense at every level.

It's financial. A strong Bulls and a strong Rhinos brings (at least) one big gate apiece and the local rivalry provides much to hang the season around and stoke up spectator interest. What's not to like? Apart from the odd bonehead fan who would glory at our discomfort, of course, but the overwhelming majority of Rhinos would be very happy to see us back and get the big derby back on.

This - it's in his and the RFL's interests. The matches of the late 90's / early 2000's were MASSIVE for both clubs and the sport as a whole.

Remember the saints & Wigan rivalries in the 90s too that's another 2 massive gates...
Is there a pattern emerging?

The top league also needs the Hull derby IMO, but HKR might be able to sort that themselves, possibly at the expense of Leigh or Widnes.

But our top league derby with Leeds is still years off even if we don't go down this year, avoiding C1 is one thing, building to get a superleague standard team from our current position is quite another.

I'm awaiting replies from people before I can put it up here mate, sorry about the delay.

Having said that I don't think there is anything in what AC told us that you wouldn't expect anyway, although (as Mick has mentioned before) his enthusiasm is palpable and he appears a safe and confident pair of hands. It was reassuring to get some answers from him, and I'll hopefully get my draft of what he said out to you as soon as possible. And then answer any questions I can that you have on things I have missed. I also said I would send him the link to this thread and [ihopefully [/ihe will read it and respond too.

I think some people need to take off the tinfoil hats and look at the situation it is. Duckman sums it up well.



Scenario 1 is not happening. We won’t climb out of the relegation positions. Chisholm is out for the season (I hear). The owners have already said publically that the players aren’t available so don’t expect any big signings, just more loanee/dual reg type players.

Scenario 2/3 is very unlikely for 2018. I fully expect us to be playing in C1 next year with a part fulltime/part-time squad (if we survive financially). There is a slim chance of the championship being expanded by 2 teams (Toronto and someone else TBC) and no relegation. That would be the only way to fudge it without too much fallout. However I’m not optimistic.




You’re assuming Salford would be sacrificed like Gateshead? That’s quite an assumption. Don’t count your chickens. The result could be a hybrid club playing both in Bradford and Manchester that appeals to nobody. It’s more likely not going to happen at all. Speaking personally I think us taking over another club’s franchise and players stinks a bit. I’m also resigning as moderator if this happens for obvious reasons





True. But as has been said that’s years off barring a Gateshull type scenario.

Yep, and to spell it out, looking at the table/fixtures, my most wildly optimistic predictions put us on 12 points after the playoffs (3 from 6 wins in the rest of the regular season and 4 from 7 in the playoffs - science fiction i know as its hard to see where 1 win is coming from at the mo). Swinton, the team we currently need to get ahead off are already on 8 with a much better points difference, so might only need 2 wins from their remaining 13 games (2 of which are against Dews) to stay ahead of us on 12 points.

It would be an astonishing turn around of events to save ourselves on the field - that ship has sank IMO.

So what did Chalmers say about it?

You don't have to formally resign, you can just stop doing it and not tell anyone like me.

I think we should all do that.

I think they would be making a big leap of faith in expecting people to come flooding back whatever happens. It's an old adage that it's easier to keep customers than to try win them back.

I've heard a little rumour that Swinton might be relegated whatever happens due to ongoing financial issues (ironic, I know).

If we stay in the championship due to financial stability over other clubs......jeez the game really is ed.

To save any heartache or dissappointment I'm working on the theory we are down already..

More than 'ironic' - would be disgraceful! The Bulls couldn't get relegated even by being liquidated, it would be flat out hypocritical and wrong for the RFL to relegate Swinton for a winding up petition.

Perhaps the RFL are hoping Swinton get relegated anyway, which could well happen if Dewsbury get on a run.

Yep. Especially after everyone on here actually asking for us to be relegated. It would be downright wrong and unfair to all.

Unless swinton have asked to be relegated? Easier to cover the playing budget of a league 1 squad?

Im pretty sure we would have asked too.