Quote: Bull Mania "Absolutely stinks if you guys aren't allowed in the reserves league(as well as Keighley) who flew the flags for the reserves while the SL lot just kept money and sent players out on DR.
We have a real player shortage at the minute, but why should Fax, Keighley etc have bothered putting time effort and money for long term gains and developed players like Chester Butler, Nick Rawsthorne who could have easily been lost to the game when you could have just "borrowed" 20 other players at no additional cost to yourselves.
Only reason I can think is there is some SL snobbery who think that a Championship reserve side wont be a tough enough rest for the "SL elite"
Just FYI, the Bulls weren't invited, it was compulsory for us and Widnes to be part of the reserves comp due to running a category 1 academy. While we would have applied anyway, I'm not too sure Widnes were overly chuffed when theyre reverting to PT and had their academy money withdrawn from them for the SL clubs to keep for themselves.
Why do we get such basics wrong in this sport. Genuinely angry if you're not allowed in and I'm a Bulls fan.'"
Sorry for misunderstanding about being invited. I know that the Bulls have a very good academy and reserves set up but the RFL making you have a reserves is as bad in the present situation you are in. They wont let you sign players, you don't know if you will be at Odsal or where you may play next season. The RFL are squeezing you financially over Odsal , yet they make you put money into a system that is competing with the SL clubs. I'm sure the Bulls can keep running their academy and reserves but to me it just stinks that they make some teams run this system and tell others, who have one, they can't.