This thread is pure comedy. If it was not for Hopie and Starbug trying to bring some sense, it would be an expansionists t love in!

So, lets firstly look at the current numbers.

They RFL are now, allegedly, owed an additional £500k, bringing the total to around £1.2 (of course, £700k of that is secured against the Racecourse, but that may of may not be recovered). They have to keep paying the players till the end of the regular season, so that is at least another £100k to add to that. Their is, allegedly, £400k owed to the players pension pot that the RFL, I understand (and quite rightly too!) will fill.

Ok, so that puts the RFL exposure at £1.7m + with only a possible £700k recovery that is a cool £1m that needs writing off!

So, now, having written off that £1m off they are going to stick their hand in their pocket to but the Racecourse. I understood that the Uni were looking at paying around £1.5m for it, so lets say the RFL match that bid and with the £700k already owned that leave an actual payment to Wreham Village of £800k.

So, we are now at £1.8m, and that is before we consider ground running and maintenance costs and actual financing a NL1 side in an area that is likley to see ground well below a 1000 a game to start, in an area that is not really a Rugby area at all.

Sounds like a great plan guys... sod the RFL, why don't you start your own consortium and put a bid in?

The image rights issue had no need to be a disaster for clubs. The issue has been known to clubs and theior advisers for a long time. Those concerned could have chosen to "do a West Ham" and freeze ALL image rights payments until they get a ruling, given that any ruling would at worst only relate to a percentage up to 40%, of the money, not all of it. If they had done that, then they could have built up a fund from which to pay any backtaxes. If they have instead just chosen to continue paying gross image rights payments regardless then they have only themselves to blame.

Any word on the Leeds High Court Case Adey?

If it goes the wrong way then a large number of clubs are screwed. I also heard that even if they get the 15% RU deal, a few clubs can't afford even to pay that and might be sailing close to the wind! I wonder what the RFL will do then? I would hope that they would 'help' those clubs out with loans if required.

Of course, some of the posters on this tread think the RFL should be spending money buying a mediocre stadium to save a failed experiment instead of just letting it go... I wonder if they will change the mind when their club gets hit with a nice bill from HMRC?

Yes, and that's before we even get to the fact that the RFL are not the only people with a charge against the land. There are seven, yes 7, charges against the ground registered at Companies House. The RFL's being the last one to be registered.

They all stopped some time ago and of course HMRC have closed the hole, it is just the back-tax issue that is the problem. If we get the 15% RU deal then it will probably only be a few clubs who will need some help (or a payment plan from HMRC?) but anything above that brings more and more clubs into the equation!

You are right though about planning for paying at least the 15% but I still suspect some clubs have just taken the risk because they can't afford to put the money aside!

Do you know if they would they be dealt with in order or would it dealt with on a percentage basis, if they fail to meet the full amount of charges in a sale?

people have been saying that for about 5 years, and nothing has ever happened about it.

Reply from Richard Lewis: Jonny Thank you for your email. We have been looking for some time at all the various options open to us with regards to Wrexham. We are aware of the ideas that organisations such as the University are discussing – which incidentally don’t necessarily involve knocking the stadium down. As to the RFL’s finances the £8m figure you quote is presumably the accumulated figure which doesn’t reflect our current reserves – the clubs are given some of our profits each year otherwise it would be lost in tax. Thanks again for making contact Regards Richard Richard Lewis Chairman RFL Red Hall, Red Hall Lane, Leeds LS17 8NB Phone - +44 113 237 5012 Fax - +44 113 232 9193 Mobile - +44 7971 141017 richard.lewis@rfl.uk.com www.therfl.co.uk

Reply from Richard Lewis: Jonny Thank you for your email. We have been looking for some time at all the various options open to us with regards to Wrexham. We are aware of the ideas that organisations such as the University are discussing – which incidentally don’t necessarily involve knocking the stadium down. As to the RFL’s finances the £8m figure you quote is presumably the accumulated figure which doesn’t reflect our current reserves – the clubs are given some of our profits each year otherwise it would be lost in tax. Thanks again for making contact Regards Richard Richard Lewis Chairman RFL Red Hall, Red Hall Lane, Leeds LS17 8NB Phone - +44 113 237 5012 Fax - +44 113 232 9193 Mobile - +44 7971 141017 richard.lewis@rfl.uk.com www.therfl.co.uk

So he told you precisely ......... Nothing , much like Mr Wood when answering questions about the Franchise results on B n A last week , five different questions all answered with the same words in a different order , but not actually answering anything

My dads excellent at that. I wondered who that Lewis' file was in the office upstairs... But no, its nice of him to give you a reply and I think you can read into that they're looking into their options ahead of their meeting with Moss and Roberts

Quote: jonny the leyther "Reply from Richard Lewisat all the various options open to us with regards to Wrexham. We are aware of the ideas that organisations such as the University are discussing – which incidentally don’t necessarily involve knocking the stadium down. As to the RFL’s finances the £8m figure you quote is presumably the accumulated figure which doesn’t reflect our current reserves – the clubs are given some of our profits each year otherwise it would be lost in tax. Thanks again for making contact Was that before or after last Monday when they told you they couldn't continue ?

Quote: jonny the leyther "Reply from Richard Lewisat all the various options open to us with regards to Wrexham. We are aware of the ideas that organisations such as the University are discussing – which incidentally don’t necessarily involve knocking the stadium down. As to the RFL’s finances the £8m figure you quote is presumably the accumulated figure which doesn’t reflect our current reserves – the clubs are given some of our profits each year otherwise it would be lost in tax. Thanks again for making contact Was that before or after last Monday when they told you they couldn't continue ?

After, sent it at the weekend when we were all talking about this thread, why?

No , I was asking Mr Lewis , read the post Jonny with the highlighted bit

They have been looking for some time at the various options

Why would they need to be looking earlier than Monday if they weren't aware of the Crusaders problems

You should be a lawyer.

You're right , or maybe top dog at the RFL would do