Reported on the bbc that the bulls have made their entire coaching staff, including Mick Potter redundant with imdediate effect

Remarkable. Makes you wonder what the Crusaders players who ended up at Bradford think about the RFL and it's ability to govern the sport.

This isn't good at all. Unless there is a knight in shining armour, with their own coaching staff, this looks very bleak indeed.
Loet hope there is some better news around the corner

Its miss management on Bradford's part. What are the RFL suppose to do?

It certainly doesn't look good for them. I hope they can continue on, but just can't see it tbh.

If they are to carry on till the end of the season who does the coaching now lets

it all comes out OK

One thing to remember though is that if someone wants to buy out a company they often insist that all staff are first made redundant. They can then, if they wish, re-employ those employees without inheriting the redundancy liabilities.

If the RFL was run by competent professionals the franchise process would have been rigorous enough to spot glaring holes in the Bull's franchise application. The RFL will have known very clearly what was happening with their finances as they would have been all over them during the stadium negotiations. As it was the whole process was a complete farce from start to finish.

I thought contracts could be terminated but you had to either agree a settlement or pay off in full. Employed staff could be made redundant after consultation with, is it, 1 week per year served plus a bit.

What should the RFL have done? Kicked them out of SL and forced them into Administration earlier?

But surely there wouldn't be redundancy liabilities if they didn't make them redundant? If they've done this, one would presume it's so they can renegotiate their salaries downwards, which is something they might not accept.

There is no hint from the administrator that this is the reason either. They are making it out to be a result of no buyer being found.

Bad times for the Bulls. Who are they playing this weekend? Might be in for a massive scoreline if it's someone decent.

You haven't got a clue what you're talking about do you?

It sounds as though the administrators are reducing the ongoing liabilities of the company so as to make it more appealing to a potential buyer.

Ultimately yes, why not? Whoever got the place could pick up a lot of their playing staff. Obviously there could be a period of negotiation and discussion about the state of the club, but if they couldn't resolve them, they shouldn't have been in SL.

If a club has no future, what is the point in allowing it to wrack up massive losses and debts and then collapse mid season in a massive PR faux pas for the sport?

If only there was a process whereby a governing body could audit a club/business's financial records to determine its ability to support a team for the next say...three years....and then award some kind of license. Perhaps there could be three grades used to demonstrate the strength of the club.

If someone bought Bradford Bulls and didn't manage to make a go of it they would then be stuck with all employer liabilities.

The TUPE laws may cover this but I'm not too sure how these apply when a company has actally been liquidated as the new company is a totally seperate entity.

I wasn't saying that this is part of a masterplan, just that it is not definitely "The Final Countdown".

If the criteria for kicking a club out of Super League was making [url=http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/ldpbusiness/business-local/2010/08/25/st-helens-rugby-league-club-s-losses-spiral-as-it-waits-for-new-stadium-92534-27129723/losses year-on-year[/url then you may need to look a little closer to home!

Quite.

Spot on!

Equally, all the non-playing staff, to the administrator, are just wage burdens at this stage and not assets. As such, you can't sell them, so retaining their employment would be foolish for them personally (so they can look for another job) and for the administrator. If Newco comes in, they can either re-employ them or not. The players however, have a potential asset sale value so it is currently worth keeping them employed until you can establish if indeed anyone is willing to pay money to absolutely guarantee their services as a player (as opposed to taking your chances) and then make any remaining players redundant a short time after.

This is the way it goes!

I hope a Newco is gearing up, it would be a shame for the fans & the RL to see the Bulls die!

There is a precedent at Wakefield. The Richardsons were made redundant by the administrator and not re-employed by the newco. The family then tried to claim against the newco and untimately gave up.

Indeed, which should have prompted a bad mark on Saints' application and a consultation period between the club, the RFL and independent financial experts where they sought confirmed as to how Saints were intending to cope with such losses. I'll bet there are several clubs in the same boat, and doesn't that indicate a major problem?

SL can cope without Bradford, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The sport is in a complete mess financially, there are too many teams, many of them weak setups, and the sponsorship and TV deals are unacceptable.

I fit was obvious that the books presented were 'not' a true reflection of the clubs financial status, then they should have NOT got a franchise, why are they different to any other club.

You haven't seen the books presented, nor have I, so not sure how this line can be taken?

Fact is if the RFL pulled clubs out of SL on the back of poor finances, we'd have about 3 clubs left. Most clubs live hand to mouth.

I am sure that ones of the world's largest & most respected accountancy practises in the world might have a different assessment! You have no idea what KMPG's report to the RFL said... but I suspect it will have been a fair assessment of the financial risks the Bulls were under!

At the moment Bulls still have players (administrator meeting them tomorrow for his decisions...)

But no coaches, trainers, groundsman/kitman, ticket office people.

So on Sunday, there may still be enough players, but they won't be coached, have no kit, the pitch won't be ready and tickets won't have been sold.

No wonder the RFL's vexed...