isaac1 wrote:
The Whole issue comes down to a question of integrity.
Even though we have been one of the most successful clubs in the Superleague Era, WE ARE SIMPLY NOT "ENTITLED" TO BE IN SUPERLEAGUE.
Superleague has in place (rightly or wrongly) the licensing system, and by entering administration, the RFL reserve the right to revoke that license when they see fit. The RFL has already gone above and beyond what other governing bodies in sport would do in helping to keep us afloat, in terms of the stadium purchase and drawing down Funding early.
They hold all the cards. they will not want the adverse publicity of a top club going bust, but they wont want to be seen to be condoning financial meltdown at a club without punishment.
This will go to the brink! They dont want to have to expunge all our results, as it will leave a very strange looking league as we play leeds 3 times! but they also will want to be seen to be fair to the likes of Featherstone and Halifax who are potentoally in SL.
With my cynical hat on, I feel the RFL will "conduct" a mini license review of the three clubs, and that we will keep our place until the next full license review. It will be a sham, and the fans of fev and halifax will quite rightly cry foul.
The ABC people will keep the club going until the point of the next license, but then, who knows? Even Guilfoyle isnt looking beyond the next 18 months!
Speaking as a Fev fan I agree with most of what you say, I won't however be crying foul.
Fev would mad to take your place for 2013. We currently have a large number of the current squad signed to part time contracts for the next year & in many cases 2014 as well. Some would not be considered good enough to step up, some would have no interest in giving up jobs to go full time at the back end of their careers. We couldn't simply walk away from these contracts, it would no doubt be expensive, probably requiring salary cap exemptions to pay them off. It would also be the kind of logistical headache you really don't need when trying to assemble a SL squad at a few weeks notice.
Oh yeah, and when you've dealt with the chaos that ensues from the above at the end of the first season you need to submit your application to retain your licence and unless you've been given all manner of exemptions you will be judged against the existing SL clubs to the SL criteria not the ones you were planning to meet as recently as 12 months ago. Sounds like a suicide mission to me. I see no reason why the same would not apply to Fax.
I'd be amazed if those running Fev really wanted to replace you, more likely they see it as an opportunity to ingratiate themselves with RFL by willingly providing at least a superficial sense of competition to a 'mini franchise round' and an opportunity to attempt to position ourselves as next in line for 2014, when I believe they are deadly serious about being accepted.
Provided whoever emerges as owner of Bradford is willing and able to fund a full time operation I genuinely can't see you not being in SL for 2013. Whether a written guarantee is offered might be another matter of course.
Digressing slightly, is the ABC's anticipated conditional offer expected to be to buy the existing company(Bradford Bulls holdings??) and take on its debts or a newco proposal? Was under the impression it was the former but then saw Guilfoyle quoted to the effect that when the offer was received he would then apply to have the licence/franchise transferred to a new company.
) and I agree with all your points, fev and fax will have very strong cases come 2014. 
