OK christ, look.



The RFL have done a property deal. They've paid market value and when they sell it on, it will be for market value with hopefully a bit of profit in it.



That's good for the game, simply.



It's a nothing story.



If the RFL wanted a national RL stadium, it would be brand new and it would not be in somewhere like Bradford. You can't have a national anything in Bradford for Christ's sake.

Quote ROBINSON="ROBINSON"If the RFL wanted a national RL stadium, it would be brand new and it would not be in somewhere like Bradford. You can't have a national anything in Bradford for Christ's sake.'" www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/

Quote ROBINSON="ROBINSON"If the RFL wanted a national RL stadium, it would be brand new and it would not be in somewhere like Bradford. You can't have a national anything in Bradford for Christ's sake.'" www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/

I've never quite worked out whether twitter or the North Korean Press Agency is more reliable.

rubbish to all this papering over the cracks, the fact remains that Bradford are not going to lose their franchise because the RFL have a special interest in them, their stadium is awful but this doesn't matter anymore. I think you can look at this from every angle possible and try ad justify this and that, but it remains that Bradford are tenants to the RFL.



We can have our opinions on whether Bradford were bailed out or not, but that isn't what interests me, it's the franchise bit.

Bulls should move the games against Wakefield to Bradford City. See if they keep moaning when they have to put up with the small pitch and awful stand behind the sticks.

I'll gamble that the B.C. pitch is flat, all the way into the corners

Could you not approach this situation from the polar opposite and say it is more likely that the Bulls won't get a license as the RFL can then cash in on the long lease when the Bulls fold?



I think both extremes are nonsense by the way and the reality is far more mundane and straight forward.



Besides, as if the Bulls would lose their license when they can sell 10,000+ season tickets. It's pie in the sky silliness.

Because we all know that is not the case, if people want to play devils advocate just to make a point then fine, but the rest of us will carry on living in the real world. Obviously this doesn't apply to yourself as you go on to mention...







You go on to mention season tickets...







For me this is not the point (even though the Bulls are skint despite selling a bucket load of cut price season tickets). It's the fact that the RFL by doing this have now got a financial investment in Odsal, and as such Bradford Bulls, they are no longer seen as impartial. How am I supposed to believe in the franchise system and the RFL (I had little faith before) when the RFL have done a deal to help a club (not just Bradford) and leave others to their own devices.



I understand the RFL objectives very well, they want a high profile league for larger TV deals and better sponsorship, more money ect. However their methods in achieving these objectives are abrupt and unfair at times, especially to the bread and butter of professional sport, the supporters and the clubs on which the Northern Union was built upon.

But you arent living in the real world, you have made up a situation just the same as FearTheVee did you both just approached from the opposite side.

You go on to mention season tickets...



You're not, your trust and that of a fair amount of other fans was lost long ago. There is a large section of the RL fanbase who seem to be genuinely convinced the RFL are intent on destroying their club and the game. You can't reason with that level of paranoia and circular thinking, it would be a dereliction of duty for the RFL to not run the game completely ignoring it. The fact is, even if Bradford were playing in a stadium identical to Belle Vue, in almost every other meaningful measure they are a better run club than Wakefield (+ others).

Some people like to pretend that the stadium part of the criteria is a cop out for the RFL to simply choose the clubs they want, they have it backwards. The stadium part of the criteria allows failing clubs to hide behind the 'big shiny stadium' argument rather than addressing the fact that the clubs in poor stadiums, arent only failing because they are in poor stadiums.



The Northern Union was built on one principle and one principle only, to make money, thats what the RFL are looking to do, and lets be honest most of the bread and butter of the sport, the clubs and supporters benefit greatly, a few, a small minority, havent.

Without being too partisan, I need to take issue with "they are a better run club than Wakefield". With respect your talking a load of Bull.

Yes Wakefield have had their problems, some caused by inept management, some by circumstance and some by the beloved franchise system.

However the poor management is firmly in the past, with regard to the new stadium, the club could not possibly do any more than they are doing and the franchise system is beyond their control.

ST sales are well up, average crowds last season were well up (despite the uncertainty that was present for the vast majority of last term) and they are trying to accommodat the RFL criteria despite the fact that the stadium issue will hopefully be resolved within the next 3 moths.

Wakefield and Cas are in a quite unique situation, with most of the rugby world trying to force a merger "or else" and this is the doing of the franchise system.

At least Wakefield as a club have growth in every department (apart from our league position last year) and this element will improve this time around.

Altough I've read many books on the historical beginings of our game, I certainly haven't seen a mission statement stating "one principal of the Northern Union is to make money".

I think you've been reading too much Enid Blyton.

Yet again we come back to the franchise system, where new clubs have tried and failed, Paris, Gateshead, Crusaders, Harlequins (i know there still breathing, but a long way from successful) ant the heartland clubs have suffered.

Expansion is a great idea, but has been ill thought out.

The game was spreading slowly, but it is the RFL's insistance to keep "planting trees in the desert" that is harming the game.

We should have had a strong Cumbrian team by now, but the desire at the highest level is not there.

Clever people will know the reasons why, but mere mortals certainly dont.

It's ridiculously paranoid.





It really makes me laugh when people accuse the RFL of conspiracies against their club or in favour of a rival club. As if. These people are muppets, they simply don't have the level of competence required to organise even a very small conspiracy. The muddle they've got themselves in on this Bradford deal says it all. Evil geniuses they ain't!





They're so inept that if the RFL did set out to destroy the game, it would probably go from strength to strength!!

Destroying my club, no, never really thought that but I do think the people running the RFL couldn't organise a up in a brewery.