Technically speaking, I don't live in West Hull, but the 'East' Riding of Yorkshire.

Bradford's current state is down to consistently poor off-field management over the last 15 years with money being squandered on large contracts for players that were not worth the money being paid as well as bizarre player recruitment. But honestly, if you don't get back up on the first time of asking, then it's likely you'll be down in the Championship for quite some time. Though a lot of that will depend greatly on your coach.

I mean, I can only give you the view's of a Bradford fan down in this division. We came down, put together a decent squad (but the weak link I felt was the coach, especially his refusal to rotate the massive squad we had which lead to some of our better players being burned out come the business end of the season as well as his stance that "not all the games mattered"icon_wink.gif, we had a wave of optimism on the back of the new owner who, although many of the Bradford fanbase have derided him, has never actually lied to the fans the way previous owners have. He said it would be hard and that the club needed the fans to put their hands in their pockets to keep the club going.

However, following the loss in the MPG the following season was not as buoyant as the previous. Certainly the players didn't look as motivated (again, blame has to go to the coach for that one) and really many of them looked like they were just going through the motions.

But still, best of luck for 2017, hopefully the Bulls will have a new owner with the funds to actually back the team and we'll be in the mix with you.

Bradford are a cautionary tale for all clubs. I'd like to think if we don't get back up in the next couple of seasons or so, we could have a managed downsizing and be a stable Championship team - in a hand to mouth sort of way. It'd be tough adjusting expectations though, and the mortgage on the new stand would be a concern (thanks Licensing system and your focus on longer-term infrastructure investment! Still at least binning you allowed the RFL to save Bradford).

We're on an emotional spike now, but I'm glad the club have called it that, because it is fragile and we won't bounce back emotionally like this twice, if it dissipates.

Even if we get back up quickly, we'll face the same old challenges. But, as well as being annoying, Hull's progress over the last couple of seasons is kind of inspiring, and challenged a lot of the conventional wisdom on how to achieve success in SL. Easier to acknowledge than replicate, of course. It'll be interesting to see whether it is sustained over a few seasons, or not.

I think the 8's format has thrown up a new way of approaching a season, with the aim of staying up or getting promoted. It is no longer about buying the best team for a full season and letting the cards land were they land at the end of it. There are 2 distinctly different competitions, where if you go into competition 2 with poor form or injuries to key players it can really hurt.

Year 1 - Leigh and Bradford seemed to run with the same squad throughout the season. If Wakey had done likewise they would have likely gone down, but instead made improvements to the squad before the 8's and stayed up because of it.

Year 2 - We run with the same squad throughout the season. Salford and Leigh both made signings to strengthen going into the 8's and both are in SL next year.

The blueprint from these first 2 years appears to be:
If in SL save enough cap for a few players to strengthen if required should you be in the bottom 4.

If in Championship - sign a squad as cheaply as possible that you believe will do the job in getting a top 2 spot. Sign 4/5 SL standard players that you know are fit and will likely stay if you retain SL status.

It looks like we will follow the above blueprint... finances permitting.

Look at that.a balanced conversation about rovers and rugby in general .I shall complain

It's a funny old situation that happened to RL in Hull last year. We almost had 2 perfect storms that managed to align a number of things that led to 2 almost opposite paths for the teams.

Hull KR.

A mixture of bad planning and long term issues coming to a head, bad luck, strange results elsewhere all along with an almost ostrich like naivety led us into a very precarious situation.

Our previous recruitment in all areas, reliance on a skinny squad and injury prone players and a calamitous preseason.

Poor coaching appointment added to by sacking and appointment of an interim into a position that even a top flight coach would have struggled.

Predictable injuries coming to pass along with non-predicable ones all aided by lack of back up.

Bottom 4 with Leeds / Hudds and Salford. Basically the 2 top 4 teams from the previous year and a team only in that position due to points deductions made it a lot tougher prospect than the previous year. Our inability to see the danger of this, fail to recruit and then have the issue compounded by Mr Kelly and his suspension all were issues that most of us would have thought improbable.

Some of this will have been part of a bigger plan, get by for a couple of years, get rid of high earning unwanted players. Bide time until the right coach was available etc but this will have been caveated with staying in SL.

Add to all this a missed drop goal an inability to hold out for 30 seconds and here we are.

Hull FC

They had these initial issues a couple of years ago and weathered the storm, this was the first year when they had got rid of the unwanted high earners and LR had a plan to go with the big lads.

Conversely Hull had few injuries with a big squad (one helps the other) and a plan of attack

A league with some of its usual big hitters drastically underperforming / injury hit.

In the end a season that should have delivered more for the barcodes.

The proof of all this will be what happens this year, if we can bounce back we might be better for it, it will have certainly aided our ability to get rid of the deadwood quicker and give the fans a boost of winning something, even if it’s a something we didn’t want to be in. Probably better (for the fans) than having to languish in the lower echelons of SL hoping Campos hammy might be alright in a week or 2.

Hull will need to show if 2016 was a flash in the pan or if they can build on it. If it’s the former they will still have bought a years grace (and an increased level of revenue) from fans who were rightly getting fed up. If it’s the latter than they are as MR says something to look at as a way of breaking into the top 4.

What is the salary cap for a team playing in the championship compared to super league?

With a big difference in salary cap will the difference help regarding overheads of running your club for a championship season compared to a super league season,and would the difference in revenue be offset by lower costs and salary cap?

Think it's the same now as Leigh complained. Was only a difference in the first year of the super 8s concept.

As far as I’m aware the cap is the same providing funding can be guaranteed (ie directors etc), having said that there are caveats that will make it different for some clubs rather than others as there are in SL anyway.

I think it changed when Leigh basically said it wasn't playing ball with the previous cap system last year.

NH has already said he will run a fair bit below cap and re-evaluate mid season in terms of recruitment for the final push.

So in short, yes our outlay will be down this year compared to last but I’d doubt it would offset the loss of revenue.

The sensible way to do it. The squad you've already assembled should get a top2 place after R23 to get the home ties for the Super 8's.

You're right re: Salary Cap, they changed it from the 2016 season as you say, after Leigh rightly complained about it. Championship Clubs can spend up to 50% of 'Relevant Income' on player salaries, which includes directors funding. I presume Champ 1 have the same, allowing Toronto to assemble such a good squad?

Yes Billy good point well made

Late night in the pub again Craig?

Just to save you from further embarrassment as it's the second time you've asserted that I'm behind the Billy persona, it's not me, no matter how much you want it to be.

I thought most people would've been able to put 2 and 2 together and suss it out for themselves to be honest; There used to be an FC fan post on here not so long ago that got on everyone's nerves (including mine). That person suddenly disappeared and stopped posting. Then the Billy persona pops up around about the same time.

Didn't you used to be Rock God X?