The RFL already has an established and constantly changing property portfolio which includes ownership and/or interests in many other professional and community Rugby League stadia. As a matter of course the governing body regularly sells on and redevelops stadia if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the current tenants and the game as a whole. So any guesses as to which other grounds the RFL either own or have invested in?
Could Headingley be one, they seem to get more than a fair share of neutral venue cup games and internationals

Adeybull on the VT is hinting at something similar. I tend to go with the simple explanations without evidence of complexity, so the scenario outlined in the Sun article seems slightly more likely at present. I guess it will all come out eventually.

EDIT: [url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/9492043.Could_RFL_deal_be_catalyst_for_Odsal_becoming_Wembley_of_the_north_/This article[/url confirms that The Sun got it pretty much correct. The RFL have bought the lease from the Bulls and not the freehold from BCC. It's essentially a loan to the Bulls paid back by renting the stadium to them. It seems that the 'predatory approaches' were for the [iclub[/i rather than the ground, with a view to moving them out to Valley Parade and redeveloping Odsal.

No reason whatsoever. And I'm enjoying the same folk who usually rant about helping 'heartlands' clubs have apoplexy over the RFL doing just that. However, there is a [ipotential[/i for a conflict of interest when it comes to SL licensing. Hopefully someone's already thought of that...

How did you work that one out??? Harris signed in 2004 and left in 2008 so thats 4 years if my maths doesn't let me down.

As for building at Odsal... i would presume nothing. The whole new stadium thing is pie in the sky and as far as i'm concerned this is about the RFL trying to stop a club becoming homeless rather than plans to build a new stadium.

Don't think the RFL will have it to be long tbh... just long enough to stop a certain football ground owner buying it up i should imagine.

WQhere on earth have you pulled that load of old fanny from?

They built a stadium on it and have been playing there for decades. It may have once been a council, household-waste tip but do you honestly think it's anything other than benign now?

Actually there is some contaminated land on or nearby the Odsal site. It was one of the reasons why redevelopment plans kept stalling - the expense of clearing it up. Nothing that a private developer couldn't deal with handily, mind.