I'd love to see in detail the reasons given why we were turned down. It might be that we've not been keeping to our previously high standards? If so it'd be very interesting to hear why. Or it could be that the criteria were rigged from the start to exclude certain clubs? Perhaps someone could provide a link to past and current criteria so we could compare?

“Many of the clubs have a great track record of consistently developing senior elite players for England"

Is this actually true?

Think it's telling they isn't any defined criteria. And some idiots want to being licensing back. Reading Cas's reasons, apparently they haven't produced enough first team players for their geographical area. That reason can't apply to us.

We have probably brought more players through than most.
We're the only team in a big city.
The facilities are some of the best in the country.

I honestly can't see what we fail on.

Its quite simply politics and money. It looks like we've missed out due to them only wanting two championship clubs and then wanting Newcastle & London due to their location. I understand the long term plan with Newcastle but there's very few Geordies knocking around in the 3 top leagues at the moment. You don't sacrifice one of your most succeasful pathways with 90+ players on the system for it. You find extra funding for that long term project.

As I said it's telling there isn't set criteria as its obvious we score highly than others who have a license.

I don't want to go comparing to other clubs as it most creates petty arguments and to be fair I think most fans are shocked thier reducing the academy numbers.

Well I will await some more details and what the future holds for Bradford but it doesn’t exactly encourage me to believe their is much a of future for Bradford. The academy was probably one of the few positive things to talk about in recent years. With that gone.. what is left?

I assume this all boils down to money and the ever decreasing pot for all clubs?

Yeah it certainly looks that way. It's even more stark when SL clubs have their licenses revoked too.

Our academy has been the one shining light since 2012. In some pretty dark times it's been the one thing you could point to and say that was something positive. Had it not been for us running an academy we would not have come back in 2017 as we simply wouldn't have had enough players. Despite all that we've still produced top quality players even if we've not hung onto them all.

Now it's gone and you wonder what the point is really. Without a big money backer SL is out of the question. You can't build long term without an academy either. Our position in the championship is cemented. The future seems to be looking like a reserve grade for SL clubs. No thanks.

This pretty much sums it up for me too. After all the issues in the past 15 years, this.

Just turns you off the game in this country doesn't it?

Couldnt. sum it up any better my self. Its sickening.

Current former acadamy players currently in SL


Saints . Lees and Bentley
Wigan . Bateman
Giants . Wilson, O'Brian, Joe Wardle
Salford. Addy, Roberts,
Leeds. Donaldson, Mellor
Hull. Scott
Rovers. Storton, Ryan, Mudodti, Milnes
Cas. Truman

Throw in Whitehead and Tom Burgess

In our last league game 7 of our 17 were acadamy graduates. And no doubt there will be more through out the year

Throw in god knows how many others playing in the Champ and League 1 (Sykes, Atkins, James, Cook, Kopout, Butterworth, Tomlinson, Wilkinson, Rickett,Peltier, Conroy etc) and then tell me Bradford dont have an acadamy that produces players.

The biggest problem with RL in this country is the size of the pool of talent that players come from. World Class players are rare and you need many varied and different player development plans to mine them. This is why we have very low strength in depth and ultimately continue to fail at international level. With the world being the way it is we can't attract foreign players of the same quality as say 20 years ago and ultimately the product on the pitch is failing because of it. The result is less interest and less revenue coming into the sport.

This is a decision made by RFL after having pressure applied to them by myopic people more bothered about their own self interest than what's good for the game. Ultimately it will be completely self defeating as we'll fall further behind at international level and public interest in the super league will continue to fall. All for the sake of another cash grab by old men that will be retired in a few years.

John Kear is keeping his powder dry at the moment: https://twitter.com/TheGameCaller/statu ... 0624757763 No comment from Wood.

John Kear is keeping his powder dry at the moment: https://twitter.com/TheGameCaller/statu ... 0624757763 No comment from Wood.

So after we were forced to maintain an academy after financial ruin we are now told it isn’t up to standard? despite the already mentioned crop of players throughout super league, NRL and championship who Bradford developed. Now Huddersfield are forced to actually develop their own players instead of poaching Bradford’s, it will be interesting to see the actual quality of their academy.

Had an email from Bullbuilder, they seem to believe there is still a fight to be had to retain it. Seems a bit optimistic unless they know something we don’t. Feel sorry for those involved, I know first hand how hard they have worked to raise funds and the passion they have for the club.

Looking at the SL table as it stands, there is a chance that the elite Wakefield academy might not have a SL club, that would be another kick in the teeth for Cas. No doubt there will be another last minute change on relegation to come yet if it looks like anyone but Leigh going down.

Very depressing day.

Same here. You'll not meet a more dedicated and hard working group of supporters. I hope they know something we don't.

This is just the kind of situation where Nigel Wood's knowledge of the ins and outs of the RFL might come in useful - if he's interested in challenging it, I wonder if he'll make a comment.



Unfortunately I can't see Leigh staying up and sparing any embarrassment at the RFL.

Another demonstration of how much we are teachers pet to the RFL!!

I’d get it (begrudgingly) if for geographic reasons they had stripped say Warrington of their license, given there much smaller pull through of players in a small geographic area than Wigan & Sts.

But of course no chance, they are one of the power brokers of modern RL.

For the Yorkshire contingent, Leeds have consistently produced good quality players, Huddersfield have started to the past 3-4 years, but Wakefield!! Beyond Johnstone I’m struggling to think of many other high quality potential internationals have been produced since Gareth Ellis in the mid noughties.

As other posters have said another nail in the coffin of RL in general and Bradford in particular