TrueBull

Make your mind up. For 10 years the general RL fanbase has been whinging that Bradford needs to “cut its cloth accordingly” but now that we have put in 3 years of break even or minor profit accounts (even whilst putting £180k annually into the academy) and are obviously working to a tight budget, you want us to randomly start buying players? This is the way the championship works. We’re being careful with loans. I await the day you have >5 long term injuries in your squad to see how your principles hold at that point.

He was poor. I was comfortable playing him against Hunslet, but it’s shocking that he’s fallen so far that Hunslet is his level. You (York) would have taken him apart. Supposedly Myers at Wakefield was in the frame for centre cover as we have a season long “first option” on him as part of his contract after leaving us. I would have much preferred him as he at least has a connection with the club and academy.

Hurrell gone back to Saints. So as above, 7 injuries, 3 short term loans to cover. One full season loan - which I do look at slightly differently to a 2 week loan

7 injuries/hia, 3 short term loans. Hooley came in for a full season loan, no recall option when Holmes was out for 14 weeks with a torn pec.

Probably similar to last time. In the 1500 - 1800 range.

Catalans. Very strong corporate income

I got why fans of Halifax, Fev etc were against IMG. It looked like it was set up for single city clubs like London & Bradford to get their act together and score points in the IMG league. But this is another level. I like it, feels like an iconic moment….

Just to throw another log on the fire… I’m fairly sure Rhodri was the Bulls commercial manager sometime round about 2000? 2001?

And now, Halifax are being forced to play at Odsal for the next 5 home games! Are they not being punished enough? I didn't realise Ken was that mean....

I'm working from memory now but was it £15m world cup investment fund they had from the government? The last iteration of Odsal upgrade pre-2011 had promised £2m from Yorkshire forward, £4m from the EU infrastructure fund, whatever they could get from selling Red Hall. Then it depends on how the stadium is used going forwards I suppose. That's why is said a visionary would be needed. We had Nigel (I've brought in the best TV deal ever) Wood and Ralph Rimmer.

Bad, no, naïve? trusting? I mean how did that conversation go? Bradford - Hello RFL, we have a bit of a cashflow problem at the end of the season. RFL: that's fine, we've often helped out lots of clubs like this. How much? Bradford: £800k should do it RFL: Inhales drink, that's a lot of money. How will you pay us back? Bradford: It's ok, we have a cunning plan. It's as cunning as a fox etc RFL: That's ok then, if it's that cunning, here is £800k. Can we keep this secret from the other clubs as there's obviously nothing wrong here, we would just prefer if Eamonn and Ken couldn't ask questions about this. Bradford: That's fine , thanks. I mean really?

Well, the other option is what the RFL called it - "Saving the stadium for the good of the game" from all the rapacious land investors out there. No mention of their secret unsecured loan then. How is that going for Salford? Have the RFL learnt any lessons yet?

This is all water under the bridge. It just challenges the RFL approved spin that their actions were purely to help the Bulls, to the fury of everyone else. With hindsight, the long term ramifications were not understood and caused significant harm to both the RFL and the Bulls. I just wish that at that first meeting, someone had said no. Either the Bulls chairman had not asked for a secret £800k loan, or the RFL had said no to the secret loan. They must have anticipated how it would play out. If that had happened, Bradford would have gone into administration then, still with their only main asset, without as much debt and crucially without having "gone to the fans" and blown all their goodwill. Instead, we got a 14 year car crash.

Land has value. It either appreciates or depreciates, depending on development opportunities, or lack thereof. When I talked to the administrator 6 months later, he was considering going after the RFL as in his opinion Bradford only had 2 assets of value he could leverage to get the best deal for creditors, one was a franchise spot in the SL, which was dependent on the SL clubs and the RFL and the other was the 140year lease which had been taken 6 months previously, in his opinion, to convert an unsecured loan and take the RFL out of the list of unsecured creditors but reducing the options available for him to get value for the creditors. The only actor with influence over both those assets was the RFL. Administrators, in their narrow field, have quite significant legal powers.