One problem is for the likes of Fax to object to anything is, what can they actually do about it.
The last chance for any meaningful say went out of the window when the clubs voted for the new format earlier this year.

In context it was to do away with playoff's, one up one down etc but it was also really about power as many people at all levels of the game stated.

SL bullied and threatened everyone they could in different ways, for the RFL it was "we don't really need you and if push comes to shove we'll break away and form our own governing bodied", for the minnows it was as mentioned before, "vote against us and your dead".

Also where are all the officials going to come from for the reserve comp?

Anyway as far as Toronto are concerned as long as they play the Canadian National Anthem at games they will be okay.

The RFL are not making Bradford run a reserves side at all; the club is choosing to do so by continuing to run a cat 1 academy, for which they are handsomely compensated through central funding (I have seen a figure of £100k quoted but don't know how realistic that is). To do that from next season also necessitates the running of a reserves.

They are hardly squeezing them financially over Odsal either - I'd bet a pound to a penny you'd be moaning if they were not charging them a market rental rate and/or subsidising them through paying for ground maintenance. Don't forget the RFL coughed up the best part of £1m to save the iconic stadium and so far will have got back around £350k through rent but are extremely unlikely ever to get the capital back - reducing the book value of Odsal to about £400k a couple of years ago points to them knowing that. Not exactly a good return on investment.......

if TWP are promoted it's glaringly obvious that their reserves will play out of Manchester and there'll be no more associated travel costs than for any other club in the competition.

Well if I have got it wrong, Hay-Ho. If they are getting that amount from central funding good luck to them. I don't want to see any RL club in our division (or any for that matter) going to the wall because our governing body are a bunch of narrow minded, incompetent self loving dicks who don't seem to want RL to prosper across all the league structures.

How come Bradford are compensated to run an academy, as are Widnes I understand? Is this option open to all clubs?

AFAIAW clubs that run Category 1 Academies qualify for central funding to help with running costs. In theory it is open to all clubs but certain criteria/standards have to be met to be able to do so and clubs can't just set one up and expect to get that funding. Around the time Widnes announced that they were reverting to PT next season they also commented that they were assessing their Academy set up (from memory they specifically mentioned funding but without trawling through their news pages I couldn't be certain) but I've not seen anything since.

I don't understand this laying the blame for any of Bradford's current problems at the door of the RFL. It was the current owners responsibility to carry out due diligence before forming the new club. If they underestimated the cost of running Odsal it is their fault alone. Also choosing to employ FT players (22 this season) along with quite a few PT (a dozen or so this season), run a reserves, academies, women's and basketball teams etc doesn't exactly help the financial burden

So from a full paragraph, youve some to the same conclusion that yes, Bradford have to run an reserves due to then running a cat1 which is the original point I was making with the Fax fans that we didn't have to go through the process that they, Keighley etc have to go through to be accepted into the reserves. As I said, if Fax don't get accepted it stinks.

I'll bite on your "handsomely compensated" comment for running a cat1 academy. Whether the £100k figure is right or not I don't know. But I doubt very much Bradford will be making a profit from running a cat1 academy, otherwise if they did, everyone would be doing it (hence Salford dropped there's as they didn't want to fund it)

I'm proud we run that cat1 academy and keep the developing players for the sport that's short of players. Same for Fax, there's no love loss between Bulls/Fax but they should be bloody praised for funding a reserves keeping players in the sport and developing players like Chester Butley and Nick Rawsthorne (who could have easily been lost to the sport) beggars belief you sit there and sneer about us developing players, while your club borrowed 20+ different players from another club. TWENTY! Short termism is what kills this sport.

Anyway rant over.

On a calmer note, im glad Fev are running a reserves thie year, did they apply for the reserves league next year?

It's not oft I agree with a bulls fan, but very well said. Elland Craft &Tap, Elland Blonde 4.0% Mmm!

We're in... rlhttps://www.rugby-league.com/article/55496/line-up-for--reserve-grade-finalisedrl

Well that’s both good news and a relief, well done to everyone at Fax for all the hard work, getting the infrastructure in place and the application right.

This is great news and more so much deserved.

However funding may be an issue.
As I understand it once again the scales will have someone's hand pressing down on certain clubs and for all the hard work fax as put in that will mean nothing when the supergreed come to divvy up funds.

It looks like the league will be at least 14 strong. Now quite a few players will come from the academy age dropping from 19 to 18 and of course clubs can keep players on the fringes fresh but clubs will have to name 19 players week in week out.

Where do they find the other players to bolster the ranks? Are we going to see a situation were the clubs who are getting funding , use that to take away talent from fan run clubs like fax?

I think it sucks and personally think clubs such as fax , Newcastle etc should have more money pumped into this venture than our world beaters in SL

Agree MC as always the scales are tipped against us Would it help player numbers if squads were reduced to 15 on match day ?

A good way maybe at looking at it Bentley but I've always been a little more swayed to the opposite way.i believe that maybe reserve games should be run as friendly matches and an unlimited bench should be permitted so clubs in particular like us can field lads on trial from local clubs and not have the burden of contracts .

I know that if fax keep the lads they already have and build on that they will be a match for anyone on their day