Think the proof in this pudding is that all players on Bradfords books have been given permission to talk to other clubs about future playing contracts. That means that SLE/RFL have no plans on keeping contracted super league standard players for next season, is that because they know that they could not afford them on the budget they have planned next season..ie...not a super league budget with sky money

Huddersfield were given money so that they could pay off Sheffield's debts. No more, no less.

Surprised they didnt step in earlier.

Allows the club to finish the season and gives it the best chance to be sold.

Id imagine the admin threatened to walk but anyway he would be racking up fees in a continued admin.

They wont pay anywhere near the money they lost on crusaders.

Also might flush out other offers.

If no buyer is found though expect a liquidation after the last game.

Bradford and Odsals future still up in the air

Super League might even.make a profit on this.

not heard this but if correct i think you are spot on

That's almost a poem.

If Halifax get into SL we will own Bradford. Sounds good to me

Interesting one, didnt expect it.

Dont really have an issue with it, wouldnt have an issue with it if it was expanded to look at clubs like London, maybe even SL(Europe) LTD starting and funding clubs, building them towards SL. Its good to see the SL club chairmen putting their money where their mouth is

I think there is a potential for conflict of interest for Nigel Wood to be holding the top positions at both the RFL and SLE though, i think its very important we see a clear division between SLE, the RFL, and Bradford Bulls.

Just one question though Smokey. If this is SL chairmen "putting their money where their mouth is", on the basis that many SL clubs are trading at a loss, where is this money coming from ?
It seems more like a patch up job to get us to the end of the season and then we are almost back to where the Bulls set off at the start of the season.

Offer to pay their wages until seasons end by all means.

But to put the Bulls on the SLE books is pure ludicrous and has devastating potential for the game IMO. No-one viable wants to buy them now so why on earth do they feel someone will pay up at a later date? The RFL fund / SLE paying all debt in the process... Great use of the games funds that btw.

SLE has some cash, not all clubs run at a loss, not all the money has to come from profits made by other clubs. and how much really will it cost?

The RFL own the lease, i bet the Bulls wont be paying much, if any rent on it. A lot of costs will already have been paid off, the club has a skeleton staff, its not going to cost them a whole lot anyway

Bradford confimed as £1.5m in debt. SLE see there involvement as a short-term measure. Players free to talk to other clubs. SLE and 13 other teams are effectively Bradfords new administrators.

Sounds more like SL are fed up with the inaction of the current administrator ruining the game, rather than thinking they will "save" Bradford.

It is a dangerous precedent being set, but it's possibly paving the way for:-

*Centrally owned structure from top to bottom, to try and stop this ever happening again

*The return of P&R by at least 2015

Is that too drastic? Has the horse already bolted?

Great summation. Better that the main stakeholders of the professional game control the choice of who they sell to rather than someone in it for themselves.

SL chairmen have been offered this as a sweetener so that SL will go to 12 teams next season and the money from the two teams going down will be split 12 ways. They will get their £150,000 back next year. You are seeing the start of two full time leagues with P&R in the next three years. That is my opinion anyway.

Slightly OT, but I believe the the only way teams from outside SL will truly be competative and push for SL in P&R would be getting a structure in place for full time players in the Championship. It'll be very hard to do but "encouraging" (or helping) the lower divisions to make a move into full time professionals would help the game in general.

As for the Bulls situation, as long as it really is a temporary measure, then so be it.

The worry is if this is a move to own all SL clubs. If that was the case, they could dictate that certain franchises have to move in order to spread the game - Castleford moved to the midlands and renamed, Salford moved to scotland and renamed, Rovers moved to Northern Ireland and renamed etc etc.

Personally, I can't see certain owners of Warrington, Wigan and Leeds giving up the ownership of their clubs however, so I doubt it would materialise.