Quote The Clan="The Clan"In view of the RFLs investment into the expansion process it's a conflict of interest to also be the judge and executioner regarding the number of points they are deducted.'"
Who else could possibly fulfil that role? The RFL are the ruling body for the game, if they arent the ones making these decisions, who can do?
Quote The ClanThe RFL being the governing body have an obligation to the HMRC to ensure that it's member clubs do all they can to stay out of Administration and not actively aid them to do the opposite. This is a clear conflict of interest between their responsibility to the HMRC which in turn protects all RFL member clubs and their attitude toward one member club, Crusaders, and therefore the expansion concept which is obviously sacrosanct.'"
The RFL have no such obligation.
Quote The ClanWith franchising decisions just months away the RFL have a conflict of interest in that they must protect their £700K investment by favouring Crusaders, not just this time round but next time round as well.'"
But this £700k investment simply wouldnt exist, it would already been lost had the RFL not taken such a hard line with them.
The RFL had two options, either A) right off £700k with no chance of it being paid back, or B) ask them to pay it back on more realistic terms. From the information in the public domain £700k would be paid back over 10 years, That is only £70k a year. Its not a huge amount.
Quote The Clan
Point me in the direction of one single link, report or whatever that suggests Crusaders were doing anything to rid themselves of debt other than seeking Administration.'"
And again, i ask the same question, What would you have liked them to have done? I see no reason to expect that the owners of Crusaders wasted many thousands of pounds going through administration if they could have avoided it.
Quote The ClanThe loan was to aid cash flow and could easily have been secured against the SKY money due this season!'"
And how would the club function for the rest of the season? It would be all well and good to loan Wakefield £350k for cash flow, but then they would be £350k down on income already this year and considering they were losing money who was going to pay it? Ted clearly didnt have the money to put in again so who covers the rest of the losses?
All that would have happened had the RFL advanced Wakefield £350k of this years Sky payment is that Wakefield would have gone bust a couple of months later and the RFL (and more importantly the new owners) would be £350k down.