I'm absolutely astounded by the total lack of respect for the integrity for our sport by the ineptness and stupidity of Nigel Wood and the rest of the RFL. Imagine if the SFA had done the same with Rangers. I thought the RFL had grown a set until they announced this decision.

This decision makes a total mockery of our sport. Although the sentiment, to try and save a pro rugby club, may seem ok how can the governing body move the sport forward in an even handed manner.
This is a disgrace, total and utter disgrace, whatever next ?

Sorry wrong thread

I really don't know what to say....

I hope that an announcement is made clarifying exactly what the intention of the SL clubs is with regards to the future of the Bulls before this is approved, as it looks to followers of non-SL clubs that the Super League has taken all the money out of the game, shared it between its member clubs and then when one of them has wasted it they are giving them even more money to start again!!!!

If the intention really is that Super League Europe will continue to own the Bulls after the end of September then it would be the final straw in my 40 year love affair with Rugby league as a player, supporter, administrator and sponsor....

I also fear it could be the action which causes the biggest break up of this great game since 1896 as it may be in the interests of the other 13 clubs in SL, but I am not sure how those clubs outside of SL can continue to operate under a common administration which allows the minority of members to take the vast majority of funding and then run the game purely for their own benefit.

Please don't let this destroy our great game....

Well well well, what a difference a day makes !
First thought was Phew it's finally over...
Second thought was what league will we be in next season..
Third thought was never get into this mess ever again.
Thank you Super League clubs and RFL. (I think i'm the 1st Bulls fan to swallow my words on this).

From reading the statement it looks like the RFL have decided to stop the bad publicity, the long running saga and to avoid the Bulls going into liquidation, they have put an offer to take the Bulls out of administration. It looks like they will be then looking to offload the club for the 2013 season to an investor. Don't be expecting SL to be owning the Bulls next year. This is short term.

How this is simpler than refusing all conditional offers is beyond me.

I can completely understand other fans feeling annoyed at this, but this would never happen if we didn't have franchise system! We would have been deducted 6 points, been taken over and the season would have carried on as normal.

I think this saga once and for all proves that the franchise system is a total mess.

No, it shows that the sport in this country is run by clowns.

No way should this have happened, they should have let Bradford liquidate - like any business if they can't be taken over when in admin.

All they've done is make Bradford bigger than the sport, what a joke.

Utterly Utterly ridiculous.
How can we have a fair licensing system when a member club is owned by the authority giving out the licenses.
How can any other club in the same situation not now be afforded the same treatment.
I foresee the next club in difficulty if not treated in the same taking legal action.
What a mess.
If you told someone this story they would think you were making it up.

Your club voted for it. The RFL don't own the Bulls, Super League LTD does. (Although how they can afford it when nearly all the clubs are struggling is something i'd like to know)

So all the clubs survived and and an intervention did not have to be declared.

Learn to think.

Reading between the lines, this can only be a short term solution. It's a way of getting rid of the deadline of liquidation, so that the club can then be sold on to the best perspective owner. This way, the RFL have full control over who buys the club, and they can be the ones who put 'conditions' on any sale.
The rfl, or more specifically SLE would not own the Bulls long term, but it would give breathing space for the sale of the Bulls to go through the full and right process, rather than being rushed through to beat the liquidation deadlines.

Can totally understand why other clubs that have struggled in the past would be annoyed - although that doesn't necessarily mean its wrong. The RFL clearly believe rugby league would be a weaker sport were Bradford to disappear (which i cant really see how anybody could disagree)and are therefore doing what they can to keep the game as strong as possible.

So, all things considered, you're in favour, then?

Which leaves us with Leeds a fixture down (I know, ), or retrospectively cancelling the Magic weekend.

The other clubs agreed to it - unanimously, so I'll wait to see the details. Very curious.

Yes it is, it's biassed and unfair.



The game would NOT be weaker without Bradford, they're an average SL side, if they liquidated they would have probably come back in Championship 1, where they deserve to be. All the RFL have done is said Bradford are bigger than the sport of Rugby League.



I fully expect that they were forced into doing it and we will never know what they were "offered" to agree to this ridiculous decision.