Probably worst post you've ever made Slugger.

Bang on Slugger. Pity so many are too blinkered to see it.

I'm not sure that you are right Slugger.
First of all, Bradford have been a "big" club for only a few years.
Granted, they embraced the Super League concept extremely well and built very quickly on the back of some excellent marketing and had great levels of success, (four titles over an eight year period is something that we can only dream about).
However, prior to this period, they were little more than "average joe's".
For the past 10 years they haven't been a big club and this may be the problem and we now have the likes of Warrington, Hull or even Cas (cough) who may take "their" place.
The issue with their current situation and what develops, for me, is whether The RFL have acted properly and whether they are doing the "right thing".
Are they acting for the good of the sport as a whole or, are they protecting Odsal and their ownership of a dodgy lease.
Something that should never have happened.
It looked wrong at the time and doesn't look any better today.

As I say, they certainly arent saving a big club, as The Bradford Bulls are no more, they no longer exist.
I'm not sure that they are even protecting professional RL in Bradford.

I agree 100% with your post Slugger. My thoughts, expressed slightly more eloquently.
And I agree with Bren2k about the fans too. There are a few that are irritating but they are no different to any other club and you caan't lump them all together.

I don't think we should just pour money into Bradford to make them big at other clubs expense, but it is clear to me that a successful Bradford club is good for the game, and individual clubs as well.
I'm sure Mr Carter would relish a home game against a successful Bulls side with the support they used to bring. Can't see another club replacing that.

If you look back in history, pre Super League, a number of clubs have been "Big Clubs", including Trinity (although we have to go back 50 years for that).
Indeed, Halifax, in the 80 were pretty successful and achieved 10,000 plus crowds.
I'm not knocking Bradford here but, any club that achieves success will put significant numbers on their fan base.
Again, Trinity started to get 8000+ crowds just a few years ago and we had still won sod all.

Bradford is a sorry, sorry tale of good turned bad but, I dont accept the "we must save a big club".

Of course, we dont want to lose any club from the sport.
However, we need to protect every club and there shouldn't be any favourites in this.

That's pretty much what I said - we really are not in a position to be so selective. Like it or not Bradford is an integral part of RL and supplies a lot of fans and players and media presence for a sport that doesn't get much of any of those.

I understand people hostility to the old Bradford Bulls set up and some of their fans I really do, I mean when they branded themselves the "peoples club" something inside me died that day. I also understand the view that they should't get special treatment but I don't fully agree with that. IMHO they should get treatment commensurate with what a revitalise new club can bring to the game and like it or not that's probably more than any Division 2 club and most of the Championship - fact I'm afraid.

I see no point in kicking what will be a brand new club when it's down, especially one with real potential it's like cutting your nose off to spite your face - I to think the RFL are probably correct.

Very ironic. I'd actually suggest it's you who has a complete lack of knowledge. We've been in administration once, at the beginning of 2011, and were given a 4 point deduction, the same as Crusaders that season. Bradford then went into admin for the first time a year later and were deducted 6 points due to owing a lot more money. We were then on the brink again at the end of 2013 and our chairman has said himself that we were told administration would mean we were relegated to Championship 1. So we made massive cut backs, sold most of our best players and avoided administration. Bradford have subsequently gone into administration twice since then. You'll have to remind me at which point you were relegated to Championship 1?

Good point by Wrencat. With their new ground imminent and exciting brand of Rugby, who's to say that Cas won't replace Bradford as a regular 10k+ crowd pullers and 15k+ against Leeds. It's all a bit cyclic and just Bradford's turn to take a step back through nobody's fault but their own.

I tend to agree; I'd like all RL clubs to be successful in their own terms, because it's good for the game; but it's a fools errand trying to retain Bradford as a 'big' club, when they patently haven't been one for a number of years.

There's probably a strong argument for a purely capitalist approach of allowing the market to decide - but I personally don't think that applies in sport; or at least not in ours. If it did, we'd have half a dozen privately resourced clubs competing against each other in an elite league, and balls to the rest.

What is required, to protect the game from the irresponsible behaviour of glory-seekers or asset strippers, is a strong framework from the governing body; something like, I don't know, franchising with a very strict set of guidelines, properly enforced...

Is it

Not sure about that.

Your point was well made at first but you can't use that tone and language on here. Your wish is granted.

And unfortunately for the rest of you on the forum, I think he is talking about me at the end

My post referred to clubs who can pull in 5K+, not that we need another huge club. Even as an average mid-table side, Bradford are good enough to pull in 8K a week. Cas won't get 10K a week. Not because they aren't good enough, but because they are a club that thrives on good local followers, but the size of the town limits it (although I know there are towns like Pontefract and Selby that contribute).

Of the others in the league, we know HKR are good for over 5,000, as are Bradford. Quite possibly Halifax, and they are certainly good enough to match us in support. Probably not with Fev, again purely down to the size of the town.

Although I'm not sure we would get the same level of assistance, I don't think that's a good enough reason for the Bulls to sink out of trace.

This for me.

What I find particulary annoying is that like many others I pay my taxes, I presume this is not the case with Bradford following the demise of the Bulls. We would all like to start debt free by walking away from what we owe but to then be allowed just to start again. Why should they lose any players because how much have they wiped off by this action. I am not surprised that they are now considered a much better gamble for investors.
I fear that the tax office will not take this too well and the whole of RL could suffer if they feel it necessary. I believe most clubs have agreements with the tax office regarding deferred payments which I presume the inland revenue could look to remove should they wish to do so.

Agree, it's all a sad sorry affair.