Here's to long term benefits. I love me some long term benefits. My heartfelt thanks to any long term benefits that come our way.

I'd rather have a steady growth, building the right way from the bottom upward and reap the rewards over time than walk along the path the club has the last couple of years..just my opinion.

What do you base this on, bigger gates I suspect, gates that are inflated by £60 season tickets!
Leigh & Halifax have better grounds than Odsal and Fax are on a solid financial footing now!
But the RFL pick who they want based on who they like in their fantasy Franchise system, the same system that waved Bradford through despoite their forthcoming financial meltdown!

Have to think the RFL have done right here, they cant bow to the pressure of this consortium. Saying no shows they won't be held to ransom and will wait for the right offer or someone probably better than the likely lads thinking they can nick a bargain and own a sports club.

Rugby League will still be here long after the Bradford Bulls seemingly. It's sad but it happens.

Boohoo, Fax fan in RFL cherry picks everything when it was the clubs poor aplication that stopped it succeeding. If I were a Fax fan I'd be more furious that the board didn't take the application seriously enough rather than being mad at the RFL.

However, I think with the fine youth talent that the Bulls have often brought through, with the retention of a few old hand, Bradford would have a great Championship team. This couple with keeping a decent percentage of its fanbase, even just 50% would be a good foundation to build a club.

All this of course is if they get demoted...hopefully this wont be the case.

I just knew it a SL drone who accepts everything that Fat Controller and his sidekicks at the RFL say and who dare question the Mighty One???
You know our bid was poor do you? Seen it personally?
This is the problem with this naff system its like a private club or more like a Communist state all done under cloak and dagger and you cannot challenge the authorities or if you do they turn things on you like slag off your application and the ones 'in the club' swallow every word like you have done pal.
As for Bradford's youth set up they come over to Halifax and take young players from this area which is still strong as Bradford believe it or not is not a strong area for RL below the Bulls, plus the RFL do not fund anything for a youth set up to clubs below SL apart from 'Development' areas like London, Sheffield etc...
We have to raise money through the supporters Trust to help run an U23s, we don't get any money for the TV deal now so life is tough down here but hey you stay in your chummy club and stick up for your 'mates' even if they are bust!

If they end up in Championship 1 then they will struggle to keep hold many players at all. Going from a salary cap of 1.6million to a salary cap of £150k will mean any academy/youth teams will be vastly reduced/scrapped in order to stay within the cap. Hopefully they could take some of the most promising youngsters with them to CC1, but if those youngsters have SL ambitions they will more likely move to another SL club.

I think the Bulls could find it more of a struggle than some would expect if they do get demoted. Not certain they would 'walk it' straight away. It takes time to build a team on such a small salary cap and I imagine most of the top teams in that league will be spending up to/close to the cap so they will not be able to spend any/much more than the likes of Barrow, Whitehaven etc. are spending.

Hopefully it wont come to that, but I imagine we will find out more tomorrow, isn't that the 'deadline'?

First things first, my club is one of the fortunate clubs that at the moment, wouldn't be affected whether we use P&R or franchising. My personal opinion is franchise for the medium term to get clubs such as Fax, Leigh, Fev & whoever else closer to SL level (for what its worth, from what I know Fax have been carrying out some great work that should be applauded). The when there is a reasonable amount of clubs at that level, revert to P&R, then best team wins.

No, I dont know it was poor, nor do you know it was one of the best 14 so I dont really see the value of your point. But I'm not buying into the conspiracy that the RFL would do teams over to look after its mates...at the end of the day it's success comes from having the best product, therefore the best 14 clubs. I have as little reason to doubt the accepted 14 teams being the best as you do reason for thinking they're not.

It's a case of "my club didn't make it, its stings and I will stomp my feet"...that's natural but doesn't make it right. Do a Widnes...go away, work hard come back stronger next time...that's a good approach to any rejection in life I think.

I'm not going to criticise Bradford for casting its youth net beyond Odsal...that's good scouting and that's part of a good youth set up. Warrington have had a few Welsh lad and Cumbrians come through its youth team...it makes sense to get the best of what's around.

SL teams have Supporter's Trusts too to help support the youth system, but I acknowledge your point about further funding...how the funding is split is a whole different bigger arguement that needs addressing. I know its tough for teams in the lower divisions. Halifax should be praised for turning a profit in the tough times!

End of the day, it wont change my life as to who enters or leaves SL over the whole Bulls situation...but a year on I'm bored of bitter fans crying they didn't get in.

Go away, work hard come back stronger next time

Fax are in their 9th season out of SL, and we're off to our 4th final in 4 years this Sunday. Life really ain't that bad outside of SL, and any "test" of loyalty for fans just demonstrates that they're not really true fans. A little different for any financial backers, admittedly.

I've supported Fax for nearly 40 years, seeing pretty much everything the game can offer in that time, and I still get a buzz on a Sunday afternoon (or Thursday/Friday evening) in anticipation of going to watch my team.

Great post! Enjoy your Final day!

As a london Broncos supporter, I believe the post above sums up what's great about our game. Regardless of point scoring between rival clubs fans, collectively, we are some of the most passionate sports fans around and it's just a shame there aren't more of us.

Would still kick you out on principle though.

The only post you have made on this thread that isnt bollox

I have recently stopped going to games because quite simply they are pretty meaningless, you say ' go and do a Widnes ' , so you mean find somebody to tip millions into your club?

Yes clubs do need to work harder, but they also need a guaranteed prize for that work, anything else is just a waste of time

It could be argued that there is a prize for all the hard work, just not the same prize that exists in most other sports ie promotion to the top tier.