Withholding Tv monies was the idea of a "sugar daddy" chairman who wanted a disincentive for a club to walk away from debts.

His argument being that a less scrupulous sugar daddy could decide to not subsidise his club for a year, keep his money in his pocket, put the club into admin, wipe the debts clean and start again.

He keeps his money, the club has a reputational & competition hit but not a financial one , the only losers being the taxpayer & other creditors.

1. The RFL most definitely is a private company.
2. What governing council? Why should it be consulted? Which members were disadvantaged?
3. The NRL are a good example of assisting one club over others. But why do you insist the RFL be like other governing bodies when RL isn't the same as other sports?
4. You keep saying that Bradford have had a far better deal, what deal? How much does it add up to? How much did other clubs assistance add up to? Including the mergers over the years. If you don't answer we'll assume you don't know and are therefore simply guessing that Bradford have had a better deal. Which is fine, but does make it seem both hypocritical and like you simply don't like Bradford.
5. Hang on, you think the owners/CEO's of the clubs think the RFL has been too bold and radical in its effectiveness in recent times? I think you haven't got a clue why the owners/CEO's are upset with the RFL leadership.

The rfl is a company ... The World Cup was a company ... Super league is also a company ... FIFA is a company, the rfu is a company ... The only "governing bodies" are in fact governments ... Do you not understand how it works? If you need further convincing start here

Playing favourites isn't favouritism :s

But since you insist, the obvious example is the fa buying wembley as a land redevelopment ...

The current callings out has nothing to do with helping Bradford ... You know that right? More to do with power plays and politics ...

It was an more of an advance rather than a loan wasn’t it.

Pre-season Bradford short of cash and going to go bust, RFL extend advance of Sky money/loan Bradford some money with Sky money still to be paid, Sky money advance/loan doesn’t get club on right footing, have more going out than coming in and Bradford going to go bust mid-season, RFL agree with Bradford to cancel loan/advance and take Odsal lease as asset instead. Bradford have improved cash flow with not having loan/advance taken from income/being paid back RFL have asset on balance sheet. Bradford go bust anyway.

I don’t think the RFL opened themselves to any risk because had Bradford gone bust without paying back the advance, then the RFL would take that repayment from Bradfords unfulfilled SL contract. I think the risk they opened up was Bradford going bust mid-season and the clusterwhoopsie that would cause the competition.

I too would be fine with the RFL acting as lender to its member clubs. The problem will be that a decision needs to be taken on who gets to borrow what, and for what, and the repayment terms. And the chip on shoulder brigade of RL would have a field day complaining that Club A got a loan but Club B didn’t.

The RFL and SL having the same leadership will always create the impression of bias to some people because A) RL seems to attract a fair few people who are as dumb as they are paranoid, and B) because how can Nigel Wood fight for the interests of the semi-pro leagues and fight for the interests of SL if those two things are opposed? They aren’t always but there will be some instances where they are, and whether or not Nigel Wood can realistically wear those two hats, the image will always be there that there is bias one way or another.

We should completely change our governance, so that the RFL as an entity is the over-arching governing body for the international and grass-roots game, It handles disciplinary issues, the international game, the youth and amateur game and challenge cup in its entirety. An SL commission handles everything to do with SL it negotiates its TV rights, its marketing, all commercial aspects and revenue and the sharing thereof. There is a Championship commission which does the same for the Championships.

Where there is cross-over, on such issues as P+R, the structure of comps, international windows etc, there is an RL board with 3 RFL board members, 3 SL board members, 2 Championship Board members and a 70% vote needed to pass any resolutions.

As I said at the time, a much better way of preventing this would simply be to fail anybody who put the club in to administration, whether as shareholder or benefactor from investing in or being a board member of an RL club for a period of 10 years and make the list of those who would fail the ‘fit and proper persons test’ publicly available.

Well Smokey if that's the case then the initial loan/advance was not as risky as I thought.

I think as lender of last resort the RFL do what they need to do. It would be difficult to set up lending rules as each clubs has such a different array of assets and liabilities that I'm not sure how you could do it.

If you go to a bank they will have general lending rules but some variation with in that. But go to Wonga and their rules for lending are completely different but cost more.

As a lender of last resort, you have to cover all these prospects.

A 'lender of last resort'? Like Wonga?

Maybe that's how Wonga got the shirt sponsorship at the Bulls? Or maybe that's how a Debt Collector became a director: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... _investor/

Maybe that's how Wonga got the shirt sponsorship at the Bulls? Or maybe that's how a Debt Collector became a director: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... _investor/

- The RFL is a governing body for RL with a clear role within the national sporting framework.

- You want to know who the Governing council are? Its called the RFL council. HTH

- Clubs not receiving £1m and finding ways of funding themselves or not getting a fair share of RFL money are disadvantaged.

- Several clubs have had advances of Sky money but non have had anything approaching the Odsal lease purchase. If you don't like that, tough.

- If you read my posts on here, no reason why you will have done so, you will see that my criticism is of RFL execs not Bulls staff and supporters.

- I am sure YOU will make your own conclusions re the reason 6 or more SL clubs are challenging the RFL executive. Back in the real world there is little doubt the owners are challenging the exec on corporate goverance.

1. So it is a private company?
2. Yes, thanks very much, everyone knew about the RFL Council already. They are different to a governing council. Do you know who is on the RFL council? Do you know what their remit is? When they have to be consulted? When a vote has to be taken? If you don't then it makes your statements irrelevant.

3. So which members were disadvantaged? Have they been disadvantaged in the past by other measures taken by the RFL in assisting clubs? Or only in this case?

4. You could have just said you haven't got a clue.

5. Why? Wouldn't you criticise Bulls staff? Its the Bulls staff that got them into this mess.
We know what the problems are (of the clubs), they've aired them. Not once did they mention Bradford or any other attempts to assist other clubs in this context. Their grievances are well known. The clubs are annoyed at the lack of commercial "nous" for want of a better word at the top of the RFL and the lack of direction. Nothing at all to do with the Bradford situation. But keep on making things up if it makes you happy. Or just keep saying the same things over and over without any evidence to back it up. You've been asked time and again for evidence of how much Bradford have benefitted compared to other clubs yet you can't provide it. It seems in your "real world" there's just you in it.

Everything is OK at Bradford Now.
After a day long meeting between all parties, the 3 amigos have been re-instated and are directing the company.....phew, I'm glad that's all over

Is the RFL council(which doesn't exist) anything like the RL council (which does exist) which is a different thing from the RFL?

You do realise that the RL council isn't the rfl, but the RFL, SL, chAmpionships and barla and the community game right? You understand that the RL council isn't just another name for the RFL board don't you, because you seem confused about it.

Based on this current farce, understandings by posters, the lack of positive news about anything RL since the World Cup, I am totally convinced that the game in this country has lot the plot in its current form.

Time for a total restructure from International level to Under 7's and a pro active system implementing.

Ah well I can only hope. At least Premier Sports and the NRL website etc keep my RL interest going