No, they got it wrong, right from the start

P&R failed for many more years than franchising has been in place. It will fail again if reintroduced now. Probably best to give franchising a chance before going back to a system that we know doesn't work.

We are in the world of licenses, the RFL should have the power to transfer the license from one club to another. Meaning either Bradford get bought out and the Bulls wound up, if the RFL think the new club will add to SL they get the old Bulls license or scenario B they don't like the new owners, think the new Bradford club needs time to build and the license is either suspended or given to another club to come into SL next year. Isn;t that the point of licenses?

The RFL have a fairly simple question to deal with

Which is more important

The short term future of Bradford Bulls

The credibilty of the franchise system

A simple question, but a very difficult one to answer, either way they will upset a large part of the RL community

Good piece on RL from the BBC Website...

rlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/georgeriley/2012/07/bradford_bulls_cloud_hangs_ove.htmlrl

Depressing. They shouldn't use the word "invest" though. No-one "invests" in a sporting club (well, not many in this country anyway). The "money men" are benefactors or hobbyists.

Bradford need to get back to basics and build up slowly again. Charge the going rate for their matches and cut their cloth accordingly. After this meltdown no-one expects them to be billy big-balls anymore so the pressure to be a top club is off.

For the RFL - they're going to have to take a hit unfortunately. The last two years have been pretty costly on the central funds, what with Crusaders and now the Bulls. Ah well, you live and learn .......

Because they don't get to gloat at Bradford fans if the Bulls aren't kicked out of the league.

If the Bulls are bought, then why is there a problem with them continuing their franchise? Newco or not, it's fundamentally the same club.

Far from a good piece. Don't talk about a cloud hanging over the semis, talk about the semis! There's enough Bulls articles out there without another adding nothing new to the story. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

The inevitable result of living in the fantasy world where our game, uniquely, can manage without wealthy backers. We introduced a crude system to deliberatley shut money out of the game with the idea that Wakefield would become Wigan, if only given a level playing field. Nonsense then, and nonsense now. Before i get flamed, i'm not saying scrap the cap, i'm saying design a much more intelligent system that lets rich people come in. Squad limits and debt limits is all you need. Yes, some clubs will dominate. Tough. Concentrate on what you can do to get your club into the 'elite' instead of asking for others to be handicapped.

It isnt a problem , but it does then mean that financial issues will never see a club have its licence removed, and the licence process is a complete sham, not that we didnt already know it

Is this the same standard that saw your club go bust whilst holding a license? The same standard that Bradford are currently setting? I have no doubts that Halifax are NOT up to a good enough standard to be able to compete in a "proper" Super League but there's some clubs up there that have frantically polished themselves, but as the saying goes . . . . .

Why can't you do both things at the same time? Who said that it has to be one or the other? The important thing is to safeguard the future of the game. The licencing issue is key but we can't just pretend this is as simple as "somebody broke a rule and now we must crush them".

Part of safeguarding the future of the sport is having credibility , and part of that is punishing things that damage the sport, now either the RFL didnt do their job when assessing the Bulls last licence aplication, or the bulls told huge lies

Somebody has to be punished, and as we know, a points deduction means absolutely nothing in a franchised comp, so what punishment do you suggest, financial?

Our credibility will be determined by what rules we put in place to stop it happening again during the next licencing phase. That may not be quick enough for some but it gives us time to get it right rather than trying to rush things through as we reach the climax of our season. I'm not suggesting we do nothing but the priority at the moment has to be assisting with getting new owners for the Bulls and completing their season. That may also mean apply a penalty either during this season or next.



I don't know what should be a reasonable penalty but I don't think relegation is one of them. Would the NRL just demote a club? Would the NFL? The MLB? These are sports that are similar in that they have franchised systems in which teams are not instantly replaceable. All three of these sports have dealt with issues far worse than ours yet they continue to grow because of the commitment to the bigger vision of improving their sport. I'm not sure that effectively consigning one of the sports strongholds to the outer wastes fits with that ambition and that should be something fans whose teams have been cast aside should be able to relate to.