ESL ESL - Bradford Bulls - News, Views and Crews !
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Bradford Bulls sign New Zealander Epalahame Lauaki, a former Hull and Wigan front-rower, on a two-year contract.
Two tries from Danny Williams and Matty Blythe helped Bradford beat Leigh to improve their chances of making the Million Pound Game.
Jake Mullaney crossed to put the Bulls ahead, while Williams extended the lead to 10 points with his first try.
Adam Higson and Gregg McNally levelled the scores, but Williams and Blythe touched down to restore Bulls' lead.
Bob Beswick's try put Leigh back in contention, before Blythe scored again to seal the two points for Bradford.
The result keeps the visitors fifth in the Qualifiers, four points ahead of sixth-placed Leigh, whose hopes of playing in the Super League next season were ended with defeat.
Jake Mullaney crossed to put the Bulls ahead, while Williams extended the lead to 10 points with his first try.
Adam Higson and Gregg McNally levelled the scores, but Williams and Blythe touched down to restore Bulls' lead.
Bob Beswick's try put Leigh back in contention, before Blythe scored again to seal the two points for Bradford.
The result keeps the visitors fifth in the Qualifiers, four points ahead of sixth-placed Leigh, whose hopes of playing in the Super League next season were ended with defeat.
Bradford Bulls have signed centre Kris Welham from Hull Kingston Rovers on a two-year deal.
Welham, 28, spent nine seasons at Hull KR and scored a try on his international debut for the England Knights against Cumbria.
Welham, 28, spent nine seasons at Hull KR and scored a try on his international debut for the England Knights against Cumbria.
The sale of financially-troubled Championship club Bradford Bulls is expected to go through after Christmas, report BBC Radio Leeds.
The Rugby Football League had revealed on Thursday that a consortium was considering a formal bid for the Bulls.
A decision was expected on Friday, but it is understood certain points of the offer need to be clarified by solicitors, which has caused a delay.
Bradford rugby league teams have played at Odsal Stadium since it opened in 1934
The Rugby Football League had revealed on Thursday that a consortium was considering a formal bid for the Bulls.
A decision was expected on Friday, but it is understood certain points of the offer need to be clarified by solicitors, which has caused a delay.
Bradford rugby league teams have played at Odsal Stadium since it opened in 1934
The sale of financially-troubled Championship club Bradford Bulls is expected to go through after Christmas, report BBC Radio Leeds.
The Rugby Football League had revealed on Thursday that a consortium was considering a formal bid for the Bulls.
A decision was expected on Friday, but it is understood certain points of the offer need to be clarified by solicitors, which has caused a delay.
Bradford rugby league teams have played at Odsal Stadium since it opened in 1934
Hopes remain that embattled English rugby league club Bradford can be saved from liquidation.
The four-time Super League champions, who have been in administration for the last six weeks, faced a bleak future earlier this week when an offer from a consortium led by former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Andrew Chalmers was rejected by the joint administrators despite gaining approval from the Rugby Football League.
However, the administrators say negotiations are continuing with another consortium and that talks will continue over the weekend and into Tuesday in a bid to complete a successful sale.
Bradford, who were crowned world champions 10 years ago, were relegated from Super League in 2014 after being docked points for going into administration.
They remain on the 2017 Championship fixture list, despite having their membership withdrawn by the RFL, but face a points deduction if they do begin the new campaign.
The Bulls players were due to be paid their latest monthly wages on Friday and are set to resume training under coach Rohan Smith on Tuesday after the Christmas break.
An offer for the Bulls from a consortium has been rejected, report BBC Radio Leeds.
The Rugby Football League revealed a consortium was considering a formal bid for the financially-troubled Bulls with a sale expected in the New Year.
That, however, has been rejected and the RFL and administrator remain in talks over the future of the club.
The Rugby Football League revealed a consortium was considering a formal bid for the financially-troubled Bulls with a sale expected in the New Year.
That, however, has been rejected and the RFL and administrator remain in talks over the future of the club.
Coach Rohan Smith says he is up for the challenge of restoring the fortunes of a new Bradford club after the former Super League champions were liquidated.
Smith, the son of veteran former NRL mentor Brian Smith, who joined as head coach on a three-year deal last May, was made redundant, along with the entire playing staff, when administrators announced on Tuesday that the Bulls would be liquidated.
Bradford officially ceased trading after the administrators gave up hope of finding a new buyer but the four-time Super League champions will be given the opportunity continue in the Championship, which kicks off in a month's time, if another club can be formed.
"I would love the opportunity to continue on if the new owners and the new management and I have the same beliefs and can work together," said Smith, whose father coached Bradford at the start of Super League in 1996.
Instead of starting out in League 1, the lowest tier of the professional game, the Rugby Football League said the Bulls would be allowed to keep their place in the Championship, albeit with a 12-point deduction as punishment for breaching the game's insolvency regulations.
In a statement, the RFL said: "While a number of alternatives were considered the board were most mindful of the planning already undertaken by all other clubs in the competition structure, the season tickets already purchased and the players and staff who will now be seeking employment in and around the sport in 2017.
Smith, the son of veteran former NRL mentor Brian Smith, who joined as head coach on a three-year deal last May, was made redundant, along with the entire playing staff, when administrators announced on Tuesday that the Bulls would be liquidated.
Bradford officially ceased trading after the administrators gave up hope of finding a new buyer but the four-time Super League champions will be given the opportunity continue in the Championship, which kicks off in a month's time, if another club can be formed.
"I would love the opportunity to continue on if the new owners and the new management and I have the same beliefs and can work together," said Smith, whose father coached Bradford at the start of Super League in 1996.
Instead of starting out in League 1, the lowest tier of the professional game, the Rugby Football League said the Bulls would be allowed to keep their place in the Championship, albeit with a 12-point deduction as punishment for breaching the game's insolvency regulations.
In a statement, the RFL said: "While a number of alternatives were considered the board were most mindful of the planning already undertaken by all other clubs in the competition structure, the season tickets already purchased and the players and staff who will now be seeking employment in and around the sport in 2017.
By Bradley Jurd, 4 Jan 2017 - The name Bradford has been synonymous with rugby league for over 100 years. But after the Bradford Bulls entered administration for a third time in four years in November, it was just to much for the club.
The Bradford Bulls Rugby League Football Club was liquidated on January 3.
Administrators had hoped to have a deal agreed for by Christmas, but turned down a bid from a consortium in late December 2016.
Yet the city remains hopeful of having a team in this season’s Championship.
It will not be the first time the club has come back from dead.
On November 23, 1963, the club, known as Bradford Northern at the time, attracted a club-record lowest crowd of 324 against Barrow in their final match and disbanded the following month.
It was resurrected the following year, after a meeting on April 14, 1964, saw over 1000 people turn out to discuss the formation of a new club for Bradford.
The people present, including ex-players, promised £1000 to help rebuild.
But the Bulls side is one that has fallen from grace.
After experiencing a golden period between 1997 and 2005, resulting in four Super League grand final victories (1997, 2001, 2003, 2005), adding to the two previous RFL Championships (1979-80, 1980-81), the Bradford Bulls revealed a £1 million shortfall in March 2012, and fell into administration for the first time in June that year.
The club struggled to fix the financial problems from then on, entering administration for a second time in 2014.
The telling moment was a loss in the Million Pound Game in 2015 to the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. A win in Super League play-off match would have awarded the struggling Bulls club with a much needed £1 million.
Let’s hope a new team is up and going for this year’s Championship, because the city of Bradford needs rugby league and rugby league needs Bradford.
The Bradford Bulls Rugby League Football Club was liquidated on January 3.
Administrators had hoped to have a deal agreed for by Christmas, but turned down a bid from a consortium in late December 2016.
Yet the city remains hopeful of having a team in this season’s Championship.
It will not be the first time the club has come back from dead.
On November 23, 1963, the club, known as Bradford Northern at the time, attracted a club-record lowest crowd of 324 against Barrow in their final match and disbanded the following month.
It was resurrected the following year, after a meeting on April 14, 1964, saw over 1000 people turn out to discuss the formation of a new club for Bradford.
The people present, including ex-players, promised £1000 to help rebuild.
But the Bulls side is one that has fallen from grace.
After experiencing a golden period between 1997 and 2005, resulting in four Super League grand final victories (1997, 2001, 2003, 2005), adding to the two previous RFL Championships (1979-80, 1980-81), the Bradford Bulls revealed a £1 million shortfall in March 2012, and fell into administration for the first time in June that year.
The club struggled to fix the financial problems from then on, entering administration for a second time in 2014.
The telling moment was a loss in the Million Pound Game in 2015 to the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. A win in Super League play-off match would have awarded the struggling Bulls club with a much needed £1 million.
Let’s hope a new team is up and going for this year’s Championship, because the city of Bradford needs rugby league and rugby league needs Bradford.
New owners have been secured for Bradford, the Rugby Football League has announced.
The governing body has reached agreement with a consortium that will see a new club formed to take the place of the old defunct Bradford for the start of the Kingstone Press Championship season on February 5.
However, the identity of the new owners will not be known until a press conference is held early next week.
That means another weekend of uncertainty for coaches and those players remaining from the old club who have been largely kept in the dark over events since meeting one of the bidders a little more than a week ago.
A statement read: "The RFL is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with a consortium to create a new professional rugby league club in Bradford.
The governing body has reached agreement with a consortium that will see a new club formed to take the place of the old defunct Bradford for the start of the Kingstone Press Championship season on February 5.
However, the identity of the new owners will not be known until a press conference is held early next week.
That means another weekend of uncertainty for coaches and those players remaining from the old club who have been largely kept in the dark over events since meeting one of the bidders a little more than a week ago.
A statement read: "The RFL is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with a consortium to create a new professional rugby league club in Bradford.
A combination of poor management by Bradford, and typical ineptitude by the RFL.
You may or may not be aware that the RFL now actually own Odsal. But Odsal is too big a stadium for the Bulls' current reduced situation, and needs serious money spending on it. In an ideal world, the RFL would get the place done up, and turn it into a world class stadium; RL's Twickenham, if you will. But that won't happen, because the game in England is financially broke. Not helped by the NRL and kick-and-clap plundering our best talent.
And what's the point of giving a team a 12 point deduction? You are guaranteeing them relegation anyway.
You may or may not be aware that the RFL now actually own Odsal. But Odsal is too big a stadium for the Bulls' current reduced situation, and needs serious money spending on it. In an ideal world, the RFL would get the place done up, and turn it into a world class stadium; RL's Twickenham, if you will. But that won't happen, because the game in England is financially broke. Not helped by the NRL and kick-and-clap plundering our best talent.
And what's the point of giving a team a 12 point deduction? You are guaranteeing them relegation anyway.
sounds like the NRL playing games at ANZ stadium.
Rugby league is a "working mans" game and they keep trying to boost it up to be yawnion elitist style game.
Growing a sport is fine as long as you don't over commit and outspend your income levels.
Yes getting access to a large sum of cash usually causes a rush of blood to the head or "stuffing your wallet or purse" syndrome.
David Smith must have thought he was Santa the way he was handing out huge pay packets to Nrl staff when they should have been getting peanuts.
Padding your own and friends pockets has been around as long as prostitution and currently they are not trying to hard to find an antidote for it in Politician land.
Its not our fault the Bulls are having financial and crowd attendance issues which seem to be similar to Nrl management style.Can't we keep on topic for once? Aren't there enough threads for discussing the NRL's financial situation?
Perhaps our mob have been copying your clubs business management plan
Can't we keep on topic for once? Aren't there enough threads for discussing the NRL's financial situation?
Its not our fault the Bulls are having financial and crowd attendance issues which seem to be similar to Nrl management style.
Perhaps our mob have been copying your clubs business management plan
True - but are the issues "common". Is money well spent in either Country ? I think that is the point being made.
I remember when NRL players were flocking to the UK for the money.
Do we hire the right people to run the game. Ex-footie players or real business men ?
We also have teams on the brink - owned by the NRL (eg Newcastle, Gold Coast). It is a very similar situation. Perhaps we can learn from each other.
Its hard to get a good mix of those with knowledge of the game(ex players) business managers and Bean counters.
The ones to watch out for are gung Ho go Forward without careful consideration type executives that should just stick to the advertising lurk.
The ones to watch out for are gung Ho go Forward without careful consideration type executives that should just stick to the advertising lurk.
The first task facing the owners of the new Bradford rugby league club will be to appoint a head coach to replace Australian Rohan Smith.
Andrew Chalmers, one-time chairman of New Zealand Rugby League, and former Wigan and Kiwis coach Graham Lowe, got the go-ahead from the Rugby Football League to form a new club and met a 25-strong group of players, interim management and coaching staff after flying into the country on Monday.
The pair held another meeting 24 hours later with the 35-year-old Smith after which Chalmers said: "There were various points that both parties disagreed on and it was decided that both the club and the former coach of Bradford Bulls would not move forward together."
Smith, who joined Bradford on a three-year contract last May, had indicated his desire to stay on as coach after wholesale player departures but hinted at his departure on Twitter.
Andrew Chalmers, one-time chairman of New Zealand Rugby League, and former Wigan and Kiwis coach Graham Lowe, got the go-ahead from the Rugby Football League to form a new club and met a 25-strong group of players, interim management and coaching staff after flying into the country on Monday.
The pair held another meeting 24 hours later with the 35-year-old Smith after which Chalmers said: "There were various points that both parties disagreed on and it was decided that both the club and the former coach of Bradford Bulls would not move forward together."
Smith, who joined Bradford on a three-year contract last May, had indicated his desire to stay on as coach after wholesale player departures but hinted at his departure on Twitter.