Quote: Slugger McBatt "I'm going to stick up for the RFL on this one.
They are seeing a big club in trouble, and the administrator trying to sell a deal that the RFL don't like. The RFL have said that they cannot guarantee which division they will play in, but it seems obvious that they want to take the Bulls away from the scheming and the dealing that is going on, that is perhaps more related to a prime piece of real estate than it is to a rugby club.
It never became an issue for us, because there were buyers floating fairly early on, and those buyers were content to carry on in the Championship. ABC said that they weren't.
A canny piece of work by those in charge to keep land predators away from a heritage club and ensure it can rebuild from below. In terms of Blackpool, were there any buyers at all? In terms of us and Widnes, there were buyers willing to continue in the Championship. The RFL are looking for the same for the Bulls. A good piece of work that has taken the initiative away from those with perhaps motives unrelated to rugby league.'"
If the ABC consortiums plan was all about getting hold of Odsal they wouldn't be interested in which division they were playing in though would they ?
It would be easier to stipulate that getting hold of the lease off the RFL was their priority, operate in NL1 with lower playing costs, then move the team out of Odsal and then sell to build an Akbars or housing on the site.
I still think something doesn't add up with their plans but, like you say, the most important thing is their intentions weren't right and protection from these predators is what the SL (E) buy-out was intended to do.
