Quote Bulliac="Bulliac"I think the main problem was that, after the first question which, imo asked pretty much everything I wanted to know about the important pre season shenanigans , the mic was then passed to people who let him off the hook by asking about other topics.
He totally failed to answer the first question adequately. They 'followed the rules with the minus twelve', he said, but failed to say why the rules apparently didn't matter a jot when we were left in the Championship. There was obvious scope for follow-ups which failed to materialise. Instead we got stuff about Iestyn Harris and whether other clubs paid rent etc - all little or nothing to do with the RFL and it was a glorious chance to hold him over the fire and we missed it.
He claimed, 'it wasn't fair on other clubs', to let us start in Champ1 (despite the rules saying that was [iexactly[/i where a new club [imust[/i start). There was 'no alternative', though we all know that Whitehaven had already stated that they were perfectly willing to go up. Despite telling us (during the bit on the lawsuit) that there was clear daylight between the folding of the old club, the contracts being voided etc and the new club being formed, he failed explain why the -12 was made in the first place - other than 'it was in the rules'.
Either the club is 'new' or it is a continuation', they seem to be saying it is 'new' for the lawsuit but that it is a 'continuation' for the league processes. Cake and eat it - the RFL are an embarrassment.'"
I think this is exactly where I am with the situation, although I doubt I'll be able to forgive or forget the mess that went on, albeit behind closed doors. RR had a perfect opportunity to either explain why the 12pts deduction was imposed, or hold hands up and say that it was a situation the RFL were unprepared for and that they got it wrong (which is personally what I believe rather than much of the conspiracy theories). In fact he did neither which alienated himself from most in the room.
I am in no doubt the the last paragraph of Bulliac's post is exactly why the new club et al find themselves in a precarious position facing 47 claims as the waters have been muddied and I don't think the acclaimed 10,000 page document will exactly help.
Do the rules say that clubs that are financially mismanaged and require a process of administration are subject to a 12pt deduction... apparently yes.
Do the rules state that any newly formed club should begin in League 1... apparently yes.
So if the 2017 Bradford Bulls are a newly formed club without any ties to the old one, why the points deduction and Championship status?
That is the legal case in a nutshell... I can't see any other way out of this other than a settlement, and its all because of the "very professional board" at the RFL f*cked up in a very big way!!!
