All players were told they were free to find other clubs if they wished. Only 1 has(not that I blame Manu one little bit). Regarding what the club spent its money on, its only because we are such a small club with so few fans that people think they have a right to know. I can't say I every recall say any SL club explaining to fans every two minutes what they have ed their 1.8m on.

So you have the best pack and the aim to be in the best part time team. Great, but sadly the Championship is in a mess, with most if not all clubs having to make cuts etc. Batley average less than a 1000 fans a game. Nice ground but nowhere near fit for SL. The team you have is probably the moest expensive outside the FT teams. Any club spending the money that Batley are doing is a big risk for me as the rewards are not really worth it and all Championship sides could and should be spending money in a better way including Halifax and Batley. Personally I cant see the Championship lasting another 10 years. And I dont see the justification is paying alot of money out on players when your gates are 1500 at best. If Batley fail to make the top 4 it will hurt tem as can be seen by Fax, Bradford and Sheffield.

Dane loves Batley, as much as he loves Halifax. Its a cliche that players come out with. If they really did love a club, they would do anything to help a club. If Dane was offered more money at Fev than Batley, do you really think his love for Batley would see him sign there? I doubt it very much. End of the day,players have to make as much money as possible and I dont blame Dane for going. There is little money in the game and players and agents will always look after player first whether they "Love" a certain club or not.

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So what should we do? We are investing some of our money into improving the team. Isn't that what you did last season? We aim to be the best we can be within the cards that are dealt to us. Isn't that what all teams should be doing? We spent a bit of money on a couple of players who are acknowledged to be decent performers at our level - hardly throwing the cash around.

To paraphrase a previous poster on here, we are hardly renowned for splashing the cash at our place, and are most certainly not doing it this time. Up to yesterday's announcements, a number of our supporters were complaining about our low key recruitment this season. If we don't make the top 4 next season, we will still be around the following season, and l would suggest we probably won't be asking our players to take a pay cut either!

Serious questions need to be asked. We existed on 200k plus Abbott etc(I think) funding, get a big lift to 700k and then once we go back to 200k we are all of a sudden skint? Did we stupidly give the players a 250% pay rise? The board made a big song and dance about investing off the field in IT, Reserves etc. How does that change if we are back on reduced funding? We should have appropriately managed the extra funding, but it looks like it has been ed up against the wall.

These questions must be answered or fans will walk, myself included. It is incompetence or arrogance, either way it doesn't look good.

The point is, missing out on the top 4 won't hurt us like it did you or Sheffield. Our contracts depend on where we finish, so regardless of where we finish, it will cost us the same percentage of our RFL funding next year. Therefore we will be unable to overspend and it is up to the players to perform to get the increased money for the second year. If we don't earn it, they don't get it.

Gates of 1500 at best, really? How about the 4000 gate for the Bulls game? Does that not count? Just out of interest, what are Halifax's avg gates? I know its not 2000 and I would be very shocked if our outgoings are anything like yours.

The other thing is, we don't have to find rent on our ground, unlike you, oh hang on a minute, you have paid that now I take it?

Our food and beverage sales go to the club unlike yours. We received 3x more rfl funding this year, than last, and the fact of the matter is, the 1 win against fev in the middle 8 s would have paid for Manning several times over. We also have no debts to pay off from the funding, unlike almost every other club in the game. It seems fairly obvious that the £700k you got was probably used to pay off what you owed, IT equipment ££££££££ really? NASA don't spend that much on IT FFS.

Ground not fit for SL, have you been to Wakefield lately? Ovendens ground is better than that.

So you can sleep easy LBC, we will be absolutely fine

Sad to see one of our most consistent players leave. Just shows how backwards we have gone and we are obviously short of money.
To lose one of our better players to a rival for top 4 is disappointing. Can't blame him for leaving for more money. We once cherry picked batleys best players but the tables have turned. Losing one of our best players and the recruitment looks fairly unexciting. Top 4 looks a long shot now. London , Hull KR, batley, fev, Swinton look to have recruited far better. Dual reg looks a must.

Gutted about this news. However Dane has to make the call that is right for him and his young family (can't see him making a fortune as a window cleaner so am guessing rugby is his main source of income.) Also we should consider the dynamics of the team. It would be awkward if the club made an exception on the 10% drop in wages for one man. How would the other players feel? I am sure the club did all they could to retain his services but we have to move onwards and upwards now.
The team is going to have to work that bit harder now but they will have my support as they have accepted we are in the proverbial, financially, and by accepting the 10% pay cut, nailed their colours well and truly to the blue and white mast.
'The king is dead long live the king' (Shakespeare no less )

There are only two points available from each game, and it will be a very competitive league next year. No easy matches, and team spirit and enthusiasm will be key for us. Our players will need to play to their full potential, but I think that above all, RM needs to rebuild the strong bond that the team had in 2015 so that morale stays high when the going gets tough.

Tbh, our best hope is probably to be that seasonal dark horse side!

If its true haggerty as pulled out leaves us just two ne players with Grady and Rob.

I would say its a settled squad not two many changes apart from those who left. If grix comes back strong at the start of the season I can see us pushing.

The club is now run like an amateur team,hoping on local carpet sellers, and all the other small time businesses and HMRC tax relief from iffy business men.

Passionate, but only sponsorship wise.

Don't know what Gartland, Harvey, Posner. Pearsons wife are doing.

Club will not challenge.

Pay cut? More half Ar*ed performances

Thanks for your efforts Dane over the last few years, gutted to hear you are leaving but life goes on.

I think the people you name are being sensible and not pouring money into a business with no assets and the only revenue stream is a bum on a seat. Let's be honest, the business plan isn't the best in the world is it?

We don't own the stadium, we don't get on with our landlord, the bar and food revenue goes to someone else and the shop revenue doesn't go to the club.

We live hand to mouth .......