Agree with a lot of that, in fact I also like the Premier League regulation that clubs have to prove quarterly that they are up to date with all tax, VAT and PAYE requirements.

The cap didn't make the Bulls spend a penny more than they could afford. But it's the licensing system that failed the Bulls (and the rest of the clubs) on this occasion.

If the doom merchants are to be believed, who could afford to take on extra players and not go bust?

Us? Warrington? Hull? Leeds? That's pretty much it.

You have to feel sorry for the Bulls fans, I literally cant imagine how id feel if this was Wigan we were talking about.

We have to be thankful we have a man as decent and sensible as IL in charge, oh for a few more like him in RL.

I'd agree. I would be interesting to know just how skint Saints are. I suspect things are difficult for them. It certainly looks like they couldn't afford to finish off Trailer Park (and given the bargain basement build quality you have to wonder whether they are going to be able to afford the large maintenance and refurb costs that are coming their way over the next 20 years).

Professional RL is in a very precarious position, the number of clubs with finances in decent shape (and/or a committed and very wealthy backer like Wire's owner) is far too small. That this is the case given the better stadiums, healthy crowds at some clubs and a salary cap that is at least 30% lower in real terms than it was when it was brought in (meaning that the players are effectively subsidising clubs by accepting a lower standard of living) is a damning indictment of the management of clubs and of the RFL.

If this continues we are heading for a semi-professional future for the game, with the league hopefully a feeder for the NRL (rather than RU or talented young athletes simply not getting involved in RL in the first place). In 10 or 20 years' time we could well see SL reduced to something similar in status and size to the French domestic competition if the attrition of clubs and falling real terms revenue continues.

the official bulls website has had the plug pulled on it.

Must be to slash there hosting costs?

Very funny.

The lack of walls was due to cost cutting because the rest of the building is state of the art. You haven't seen the corporate facilities for instance or inside the playing area. However, the lack of walls is due to be put right in the off season. Also, every new build has one year for all the niggles to be identified and then put right without any cost to the purchaser. There are a number of niggles that fall into that category and which arise with most new builds.

As for being skint, since Saints own their own ground then they have one great big asset right there that is worth anything between about £15 million to £25 million, depending on which report is the more accurate! In cash terms though I wouldn't have thought Saints would be realising a profit for a few years. However, it isn't impossible that they will realise a profit sooner. If the economy recovers that will help but even so, the stadium is now being used by revenue streams other than the rugby.

For instance, there was a week long NHS conference held there just last week. There are weddings, parties and other events held there on a regular basis already. Liverpool FC u19s played a game there in an international a couple of months back. 3000 were expected; treble that turned up. Next year 10 such games have already been booked: by Liverpool, Everton and Man Utd. It's awful to think of soccer being played at Langtree Park but it will bring money in and at least Saints are the host club rather than it being the other way around!

Maybe you should have taken the pi$$ out onto the pitch, a bit like our team did that day.

The lack of Walls would have been instructed, nothing to do with the final retention being released.

Has Bullman & Bull boy gone too, or is the administrator planning on appointing them to coach the team this Sunday ? - seriously this is getting beyond a joke

The running of the club was the "Joke", this is reality....

Quote: Deano G "There's no way your stadium is worth much. The land can only be used for a sports venue and in St Helens there is only one occupier of significance (unless you are usurped by the football club you tried to destroy). Assets with no market are worth very little - things are only worth what people are prepared to pay for them.'" Given the fact that there is a top level rugby team in St Helens then the stadium is a significent asset to have. I would guess its value could be put at the net present value of whatever the annual rent is over the period of the service life of the stadium. Certainly auditors have valued Warrington's stadium at circa £12m. Its intersting that Warrington's turnover is greater than Wigan's - how do you think they manage that (and turn a profit in four of the last five years - something Wigan can only dream of saying) on average crowds 40% less than Wigan's? Deloitte's report into European Rugby finances was interesting in what it found - a summary ios given here for those who dodn't have access to the full report: www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/i ... 0aRCRD.htm

Quote: Deano G "There's no way your stadium is worth much. The land can only be used for a sports venue and in St Helens there is only one occupier of significance (unless you are usurped by the football club you tried to destroy). Assets with no market are worth very little - things are only worth what people are prepared to pay for them.'" Given the fact that there is a top level rugby team in St Helens then the stadium is a significent asset to have. I would guess its value could be put at the net present value of whatever the annual rent is over the period of the service life of the stadium. Certainly auditors have valued Warrington's stadium at circa £12m. Its intersting that Warrington's turnover is greater than Wigan's - how do you think they manage that (and turn a profit in four of the last five years - something Wigan can only dream of saying) on average crowds 40% less than Wigan's? Deloitte's report into European Rugby finances was interesting in what it found - a summary ios given here for those who dodn't have access to the full report: www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/i ... 0aRCRD.htm

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