I bet there is alot of teams in trouble. How many teams are spending more money than they can afford so they stay in superleague!!!

rlhttps://therfl.co.uk/licensing/super_leaguerl



Are you sure about that?

Questions need to be asked about the credibility/thoroughnes of the franchise application process.

I feel sorry for the fans not the club management. The number crunchers will have seen this on the radar months ago, a business does not go belly up in a matter of weeks. They were looking to take money of the hard working fans to fill a huge gap in their bank ballence and they must have known it was not going to work. As for the comment that Bradford is "an iconic ground" The ground is e, you need a telescope to read the numbers on the players shirts.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if that was case. Salford pumped in lots of money for their new ground (ditto St Helens, but the difference with Saints is that they have always had and will always have very sizeable crowds there compared to Salford). Hull KR's (long overdue) building work on a new stand may well be burning several holes in their pockets, coupled qith how much they spent on bringing players like Willie Mason and Joel Clinton to the club.

Quote:Bradford Bulls - Grade B

Bradford Bulls provided a solid submission detailing a strategy, tactical plan and targets to achieve improved commercial and financial performance. The club has a solid fan base, a strong brand and good operating structure/governance in place. However the club faces some challenges. These include the local economic environment, poor recent on-field performance and an ageing facility. The application acknowledges these challenges; however the club believes that its business plan for the next three years will move it to a position of sustainability with good prospects for further growth. The club has invested heavily in its youth performance programme in recent years, and it is expected that the club will soon start to reap the rewards of this investment with improved performances and increased numbers of quality club-trained players.

This really shows the RFL and their license system for the sham it is!!!!

Absolutely! Sounds like their business plan was a complete work of fiction and should have been robustly challenged. The RFL have metephorically kick the tyres of the fanchise application and said "it'll be reet".

Doesn't say much for KPMG either!!!

We don't know what remit they were given or whether any of their findings were swept under the carpet. If they were told to do a thorough audit and did not highlight their concerns, then I agree, but I think this is unlikely.

Where are all the ex players and TV personalities who used emotional blackmail to get the Bulls fans into pledging money?

Just keep Sykes and get Elima IMHO.

It's true, we dont know but, they did receive a loan from the RFL last season and the RFL then took over the lease on Odsal due to non payment of the loan. Therefore, regardless of the findings during the licensing process, I think its fair to say the RFL knew the true picture but, at the time it would have been unthinkable to "demote" the Bulls and allow Halifax to be promoted.
Even with the benefit of hindsight, it would have been a very difficult call.

I wouldn't want Burgess anyways, he's useless. He was only on the pitch 5mins on Sunday and was blowing out of his . And please please please don't let me see the headline " Jeffries Returns To Wildcats"

I thought they were referring to Chase and the 'want away' Daryl Clark? - though who actually knows what's going on in the boardrooms and accountants offices of any of the clubs? I feel really sorry for the Bulls fans - when it happened to us it was the most depressing and worrying (Rugby related) time.

If Hemmings, Stephenson and the Statistics Bore of Bolton go on much more about how the franchise system is the best thing since sliced bread, I may just have to start watching the televised matches with the sound off! It seems, in simple terms to the fan on the terraces that "It Isn't Working!!!!" and if we carry on like this we'll have a number of great stadia but far fewer good Rugby teams left to play in them. And if a club does go under? Do the RL dole out a franchise/licence to the highest bidder with a nice stadium - or to a team that can play a good game of Rugby?

I think they are more than aware of the state of the game this is their monster and as long as they keep the truth locked away in the red hall cellar and away from the non biased media, sky can keep the illusion going.
The game is in tatters!!!