Thoughts ???

Beginning of the end for Franchising. To be replaced with "Star Chamber" selection panel.

Kept all their players, had players wages paid. Got fans to donate £500,000. All this and kept SL place. Can't help but think Wakey were treated shabbily by RFL. Can see other clubs following Bulls example as RFL have set a precident for future administrations.

www.loverugbyleague.com/news_102 ... onths.html More info there.

www.loverugbyleague.com/news_102 ... onths.html More info there.

If reports are to be believed and there are 2/3 other Super League clubs struggling financially, its now going to be very interesting to see how the RFL help those clubs.......

By allowing this saga to drag along for so long, to give numerous hand outs etc etc and still BB maintain their SL Licence surely every club from now on MUST receive the same backing.

We shall see.........

Have to agree. I'm pleased for the Bulls fans who wern't to blame over all this fiasco but what message does it
send to Leigh, Fev or Fax fans?
Oh well.

No issue with them retaining SL status. They've been bought out of admin so its the same as Trinity and Crusaders. Have to laugh the Bulls fans who think their club has been badly done to though. The Bulls have got off lightly.

Absolute Farce!!


Be interesting to see what form of "close monitoring" the RFL do on Bradford next year. Hopefully a better job than they did of scrutinising their business plans for this year.

Wood's view:
RFL Chief Executive Nigel Wood said: “This is a very positive development which provides stability for all the clubs in Super League and the Championship and allows the sport to approach next season with even greater confidence.

“The Board deliberated long and hard and took into consideration the many views of the sport’s various constituents before reaching a decision which we believe is in the best interests of the whole game.

“The new owners of Bradford Bulls are to be congratulated on their foresight in purchasing a club which we always knew was a very attractive proposition. Their investment in Bradford Bulls is a vote of confidence in Super League.

“A probationary licence allows us to closely monitor the performance of Bradford Bulls next season and develop a view on what direction we take in future years. That direction will be framed by the ongoing strategic policy review that we expect to present to clubs in the first half of 2013.

“The probationary licence also precludes the need for a mini-licensing round, which the overwhelming majority of clubs accept was impractical given the timeframes involved.

“The RFL Board and Executive will continue to work with all member clubs to build on the terrific progress we have experienced in 2012.”

But the Rfl/Super league left the Bulls to rot! Don't you read the Bulls board?

So what happens with regard to all the cash they were "forwarded" for wages etc ? does this come out of Sky money due to them or was it just a gift ? Surely they can't get the tv money twice and if not it's to be hoped the new guy has some deep pockets.RFL has given a massive green light for clubs to live beyond there means at the expense of a few points deducted and have painted themselves into a corner for when all this happens to the next club.Bet the RFU are spittin out the Gin and Tonics and laughing there socks off.

I didn't expect anything less.

You have to understand that if they was to drop down a league then it would of effected other clubs, if say Halifax, Leigh or Fev had a similar fan base then yes you could warrant a change but who could of replaced them and not effect the game in general.

I'm not without disgust in the way they have been protected but then I'm not going to cut my nose off to spite my face.

So I'd just like to wish the Bulls success in maintaining super league but not at the expense of any other club that find their selves in the same position as them and don't get the same treatment.

My thoughts are with my club Wakefield Trinity and what they achieve and how we grow, nothing else matters

glad that's all over now

Some of the posts on that board are laughable, it seems the RFL have treated them badly and at times hung them out to dry

And redundancies paid by the taxpayers....

The Bulls situation is no different from any other failing business, apart from the advance monies from next seasons pot and their re-instatement into top flight competition.
It is true that the likes of Fax, Fev and Leigh would have struggled to get ready for the start of the next SL season, so there really is no choice.
For people like ourselves, when our club seemed to be cut adrift by the RFL and then made to sweat regarding a franchise place, it does seem that there are different levels of treatment being handed out, depending where you are in the RFL's pecking order.
With rumours surrounding another 2 or 3 SL clubs being in a perilous state, it will be interesting to see what happens when the next club fails.

Yes the rfl have backed themselves into a corner when the next club fail.Can the new owner afford to keep the wage bill going as he has already stated he wants to make odsal the wembley of the north and the playing side will suffer until that happens.
If promoting another club they would be 12 month behind the rest of the SL clubs on the field.If the game was bigger and the championship sides could get a major sponsor then we would probs see a breakaway.Even if we reverted to P and R clubs would still have to meet the same standard for SL as they do now to get in.To think some of those bulls fans look upon the rfl letting them rot they need to get real.The one great thing is my clubs doing well and thats all that matters to me now and its a sad day for me to say sod the rest but thats how this saga has made me feel Up The TRIN

My understanding is that 'advance' monies paid to them whilst in admin will be deducted from next season's central funding.

At least another club beat them to a play off place

Was it not money they were due anyway? I assume the Sky money is paid in installments.

Is anyone really surprised after all that has preceded this announcement?
The message it sends out not only to other SL clubs and clubs with SL ambitions but to business that supply or provide services to SL clubs is not a very respectful one.

Yes it is paid in instalments and as I understand it, the advances were simply paying that month's Sky money early.

By allowing the whole saga to go on so long, the RFL created their own problems - firstly because the longer the uncertainty continued, the less time was available for a potential replacement side for 2013 & 14 to assemble a reasonably competitive squad and secondly because of the precedents they've now set for the future.

That was my point to be honest,was it money they were due or money advanced from the next lot of Sky cash ? IF it was cash advanced from the next lot and is to be clawed back next season that is when we will find out the new boards true comittment.They will be down a lot of money and will have to cut there cloth accordingly.Sadly I still don't think we have heard the last of this farce.Even sadder, some on the Bulls board will still wallow in a massive pool of self righteoushness and indignation and blame anything in the entire universe other than the way the club was run.Talk about Emperors new clothes

Although we will never know, what would have happened if the Bulls situation had occured at one of the smaller, less fashionable, clubs ?
This is my only real gripe with the pantomime that has gone on all season.
The outcome was certainly predictable and tbf, the championship clubs would have struggled to transform themselves in the timescale that presented itself.
It just goes to show that size really does matter !

Absolutely not. The only people who are feigning surprise are the Bulls fans. And that is just to keep up appearances.

The less said the better