I'm not sure if they were ever officially dropped or whether the ever increasing references to "difficult conditions" were clues for us to draw our own conclusions, but I think I'm safe in saying that no they do not. And in any case, I think they might have to own it before they can start getting the builders in.

At the end of the day RL doesn't have a home whereas all the other top sports in the country do.

Football - Wembley
Rugby Union - Twickenham
Tennis - Wimbledon
Cricket - Lords
Golf - St Andrews
Athletics - Olympic stadium
Motorsport - Silverstone

Many minor sports will now have a home as part of the Olympic legacy.

Our sport needs something to own. Somewhere to play our big games. Keep the finals at Old Trafford and Wembley because it works but we need a semi-final venue we won't have to pay rent for, a finals day venue we won't have to pay rent for, an international venue we actually own as a sport. Somewhere we can rent out for concerts and other events, the place could potentially make a tidy profit for the RFL. Most of the profit for the RFU comes from Twickenham.

Stick a fancy roof all around Odsal, do the place up, give it the things it needs to be a classy modern day venue along with the old fashioned RL style venue. It would look like nothing else in the UK.

theres god money to be made in land filling. Prehaps the RFL are diversifying

Wow. 18 posts into the thread, I was expecting something this droll a little earlier. Bravo for biting your lip for so long.

I actually like Odsal, I used to watch the stock cars there, but it is a money pit.

Because of the nature of the stadium and surrounds it would cost an absolute fortune to do any serious modifications. It will be interesting to see who are responsible for what.

Do Bradford have money troubles we don't know about?

Which would be a great idea if stadium quality wasn't a factor in deciding SL licences. If the Bulls effectively get given a super-duper stadium for free by the RFL I imagine that a few other clubs might just complain a little...

the rfl are absolute to$$ers! how come they weren't so d to help other clubs?

I don't think it's quite as easy as it sounds. The shape of the current bowl and the nature of the surrounding ground will make it expensive.

The press release reads as if the RFL stepped in at the last minute to prevent the ground being sold to a private developer. If so then that sets an interesting precedent...

Corrupt to the core this game, my last pennies have been spent on this game, whilst these crooks are in charge my cash stays in my pocket.

Not that for one minute I'm saying the RFL are going to turn Odsal into the kind of stadium Odem is suggesting, but in terms of logistics it's pretty ideally placed, right next to a major motorway and away from a city centre, with hotels aplenty in the vicinity.

The stadium already meets the current criteria, therefore it changes nothing.

What would reaction be if, and I speculate, this action was actually taken to keep the Bulls in business?

If it turns out like this then they're out of order.

I too would have preferred the RFL to buy a ground made from portacabins with an excellent road network connecting it to the surrounding terrace houses.