And no tins of Guinness in the touchdown bar yesterday which really peed me off. I had to drink lager, which I don't like, and you had to drink watching that performance yesterday

Even if the plan was to just do enough to stay put this season, any action even now is almost too little too late.So I do not think it was ever survival at all costs.Full time as well, but in itself hasn't paid off. Disenchanted fans, falling attendances and no attempt to remedy the lack of a experienced coach, temp or not.As it stands and with no official word, the writing is almost on the wall. I hope that we are not being softened up for a part franchisee rescue package .

2 steps forward and 4 steps back, the RFL made a comment before we got new owners that they would hope supporters would support another team if we did not reform, THATS how out of touch they are.

Then feel its his divine right to come on here and claim everyone on here has that opinion we should be world champions again. A lot of what he says at times makes sense, a lot of other times total bollox

What is peeing me off more than a little though is that a month or so ago, we were all buzzing with how well we had done, with the elephant sized caveat in the room that we critically urgently needed adequate cover for the forthcoming Easter period.

So there is absolutely no reason for the massive turnaround in team performance or fan disenchantment. The whole situation is entirely self-inflicted, and was 100% predictable and predicted, and was 100% avoidable.

What is also peeing me off is that if you read the little that emanates from ChaLowe there is no outward sign of anybody being even slightly bothered.

Would have thought letters given out to team about Club not being able to offer contracts for next year, at begining of month combined with all loan players being unavailable for Easter period pretty much explains downturn in team performance. Fan disenchantment is a direct consequence of that combined with total silence coming from the club.

Really struggling to come up with a theory for what's going on, unless there's a master plan we're not aware of. Thing that's nagging in back of my mind is clause in lease stating professional rugby has to be played at odsal until may 2018(19?). I know this was to do with a club having to repay a portion of odsal settlement if club left odsal, but I wonder if we don't fulfill that requirement it also voids the head lease scuppering whatever long term plans rfl have for odsal?.

I don't think anyone on here actually has any direct knowledge of the legal terms in the contract of lease, though that said, I can't imagine failing to play at Odsal for a season or two would negate the whole lease.

I can't remember the words "professional rugby" ever being used in any of the old reports either, to be honest, only that the club should use it for the majority of matches over the period, so semi pro or Pennine league, I'd expect that so long as the club continue to play games there there would be no problem. In that regard, if this were to be a problem for the head lease I think the RFL would forgo the rent to ensure the club stayed there.

Another thing which has never been disclosed (to my knowledge) is whether the "pay back" is for the whole sum of 'settlement money' or just for a proportion of it relative to the length of the contract breech. If the latter, it presumably wouldn't be too onerous anyway. Obviously I don't think anyone had the remotest idea of what was to befall the club, so how much thought and detail went into that bit of the contract is a moot point.

The payback was definitely for a proportion related to remaining period not the full amount. Your right about it not being professional rugby but just us playing majority of games there, which could be fulfilled by us playing part time in championship one next year in front of dwindling crowds then RFL saying there's obviously no interest, winding us up,and doing a deal with council to redevelop land with no sitting tenants.

Surely the council will get a better price by dealing with the developers direct. Although I'm sure that the RFL are naive enough to think the council will just give them it on the cheap.

point is after requirement for us to play majority of games expires in a couple of years, rfl are then sitting on a long lease with no requirements as to what site is used for, for which their only outgoing is the peppercorn rent. Council wont be able to do anything with site without coming to terms with rfl to surrender the lease. Could be very lucrative for RFL.

Correct, but the RFL are their tenants and have rights under the law. They can't just be ignored and will have to be compensated.

But the RFL are not payimg a peppercorn rent.

yes they are. they pay the peppercorn rent we used to pay when we held the head lease and charge us a commercial rent ( approx. 70k pa last figure mentioned).

Except that we're on a rent holiday and the RFL are paying the ground maintenance

Out of guilt I presume