Bradford Bulls are to the credibility of licensing what Leeds Rhinos are to the credibility of a Top 8 play-off system.

Both clubs are owed a huge debt of gratitude

Libellous nonsense.

That simply won't happen (be without a club) at least in the medium to long-term. A good lesson for the youngsters of Bradford seeing you bring them up.

"Dad, dad! Why do we no longer have a club?"

"Because, son, there was too much being spent on the never-never and living far beyond their means, relying on special treatment and making promises that were never kept. They got away with it for years but now its us that suffer."

"Oh."

"Now let that be a lesson to you."

See, there's always a silver lining.

You don't read the Bradford board do you.

I am sure if there actually was a silver lining at Bradford, Wakefield's fans would write to the RFL asking how Bradford could afford it, as they weren't allowed a silver lining when they went into administration!

Exactement. Of course we are talking about regulatory ramifications. You can think of it as "punishment" or you can think of it simply as a consequence. There are always consequences of delinquent actions - whether it affects the people responsible or someone else - that's life. You cannot simply ignore them or try to airbrush them all out...if you were going to do that, you would have to somehow adjust the scorelines of matches in the last few years where Bradford gained a competitive advantage by playing players who were better than they could afford.

Of course not! There's plenty of ridiculous twaddle on here already to keep me going for a while yet.

Which would have zero effect retrospectively on the sponsors they where able to gain the players who were more attracted by the side finishing higher.

If they had gone into admin prior to the end of last year they could have done all this last year.

Suffice to say, that wouldn't be the response the little boy got

I dont remember you been so even handed about Kopczak !

True...but then again, Bradford are Iconic!

I think you may have hit on something there.

The points deduction should be a sporting penalty, applicable when a team goes into administration.
Action: go into admin, Sporting consequence: deducted 6 points.
Simples! (HOUSE!

)

The problem arose when the RFL (trying to be nice?) allowed the sanction to be reduced for Crusaders agreeing to pay back creditors, thus mixing business and sporting 'punishments'.

The emphasis should be on preventing the business side from ending up in such a situation rather than trying to fudge a solution with the new owners.