Is Rimmer aware of how loathed he is by Bulls fans, perhaps he thinks he's coming for a nice evening out?



Perhaps an RFL announcement will precede this event!

RR -'I am here to address the idea that you are the RFLs pets and let you know what we, your glorious leader's i.e. Me and Kim Jong Wood have in store for you know.

As you know you had a purple patch before easter where it appeared you were enjoying yourselves and we're keen to eradicate any chance of this. We know you bulls fans thrive on doom and misery so want to make sure you receive the season you want and deserve.

We've explored the possibility of a season in L1 and it appears you may have a decent chance of winning a game or two so we've redressed the balance.

Though you will remain in L1, your season will start immediately and your fixtures will be fulfilled again Aviva Premiership teams playing Union rules. As a League team you will naturally be restricted to 13 on field players but will be expected to compete in scrums and lineouts. Union points will be in place for the Aviva teams, League points for you.

We've managed to secure a great deal for you from the RFU, all games will be played away from Odsal, there will be a maximum of 100 bulls fans allowed per fixture (Mr Chalmers has graciously agreed to draw up a rota and the RFU aren't exactly strapped for cash, your usual crowds aren't necessary to prop them up) and the RFU have been magnanimous in honouring your customary -12 point status at the start of the season. You will appear in both league tables for maximum exposure and ridicule.

All your current players have been made redundant and you will have 7 days to assemble a squad once the best players have found alternative clubs.

You're gonna love it!'

There has been a certain thread running through events ever since the last administration, and picking out the conspiracy theories most relevant to this fans forum, they include
1. ChaLo got the gig as the RFLs placemen
2. RFL have a plan for developing Odsal including a new stadium which will give them access to that large chunk of the Sport England funding that can only be spent on 'infrastructure'
3. The plan includes cashing out Red Hall and RFL moving to new Odsal HQ
4. It was always understood privately that league position would not be important as nobody would be relegated due to restructure, which would explain why nobody has seemed that much bothered by it, contrary to what you'd expect

Interesting overall picture.

I'm sure it's all though

Since we technically didn't get liquidated only put in administration then we should have only been docked 6 points instead of 12. With those extra 6 points, we stay in the Championship on points different and Swinton go down (have a look), maybe that argument should come into play?

Not quite. The previous holding company BBN Ltd was put into creditors voluntary liquidation (CVL) in Feb 17. The process hasn't been finalised yet, but the situation certainly went further than just administration. You won't pin anything on Rimmer for that.

The main gripe we should be focusing on is their decision to keep us in the championship. I believe at the time (maybe we can find direct quotes?) they claimed it would cause too much disruption to the fixtures. Whitehaven stated they were ready to take our place.
I believe they also said that they made their decision based on the players we currently had in our squad at the time, thinking we would still be competitive in the championship. Of course in the weeks that followed we lost pretty much everyone and had to scrape together a squad from loan players and academy kids. For the RFL not to see the mass exodus coming is either incredibly stupid or completely naive. Maybe both.

What they [ididn't[/i come out and say, but we all know now to be the case, is that it was purely for financial reasons that we didn't start in C1. The chairmen from the other Champ clubs made it clear they needed us in their division and the RFL needed us for the Summer Bash. We (meaning the fans) were essentially milked as cash cows for a season while we watched our side full of 19 year olds get battered and bruised by fully grown men.

Rimmer will never admit to this, obviously, but it might be nice to see him squirm a bit over it

The meetings are taking place today - Super League, Championship and League One.

I'm not sure if we'll hear anything today, but the pressure is very much on the RFL to decide on the structure for the Championship and League One with Super League restructuring in 2019.

At the minute the Bradford Bulls have to assume that they will be playing in League One, although this still hasn't been officially confirmed.

It would be really nice if in the 36 hours we actually know what division we're going to be playing in next year, against which teams and under which structure.

I have faith the right decisions will be made.

That we are in L1 next year

Im still waiting for Bellamy to take over as coach from years ago

Cheers Mick, I don't share your faith though. I'll adopt my usual off season Bradford position of waiting for an announcement then...

If we (the club) really don't know the league we're playing in next year before the forum, I think I've just worked out what I'd like the first question to Mr Rimmer to be....AC could ask it on our behalf!

RL=shambles.

He lost a bet and this is the forfeit.

All the above is correct which I still can't understand why on earth would he put himself in front of the Bulls fans if he didn't know he is about to say something to us that would make us feel a bit happier.
They have never said anything about staying up so as of now we are down so why come and explain that we are getting relegated when the table clearly shows that. He doesn't need to comment on the conspiracies - unless they are correct.

The only thing I can think of is it is something to do with ground ownership and possible development as a sweetener to being relegated. A kind of "chin up it will get better" talk.

I can't go so hopefully someone will give a running commentary on here.

Wouldn't surprise me one bit if he's simply there to announce that "as you can't afford the rent, and it's not fair to decide which L1 clubs get the bumper home game payday and which ones don't, we've decided that they will ALL get the bumper home game against the Bulls and the Bulls will play all their games away". This would satisfy the rumours of a restructure

The problem is that there is very little consensus on what the 'right decision' actually is

My lads told me its been decided today that we are back in a 14 team super league next season, so it must be that. I guess I'm the winner

Is he still on the players booze up Rodge?

No. He's in Rome at the moment with his bird.

I thought players end of season p*ss ups were for players only, not their dads as well. Try and sober up before your next post.

I'd like it if this were true, for the only reason of the apocalyptic impact it would have on this message board!

Haha. I wonder if Ralph will be having a couple of whiskey's tomorrow night before he gets on the podium

To quote Kevin Keegan..."I would LOVE IT" just for the bantz.

Oh do come on - you're not seriously thinking they are actually going to come up with this, "right decision", do you?

So he will be at the Forum then.

Not signing for the Centurions is he?

This is bit I've always found odd. They thought we'd be able to overcome the 12 point deduction with the squad we had at the time but then they gave out dispensations to clubs wanting to sign our players ( albeit at the time redundant players) exempting them from both the quota and the salary cap meaning vast majority of better players were immediately picked off. If they had delayed decision to allow those exemptions by a week or two to allow new owners to sign up who they wanted we could have had a vaguely competitive squad and maybe overcome the 12 points.

Hey how did you get a copy of Rimmers script for the forum!