Bradford rebuilding begins as Smith told to depart

THERE was no press conference, no grand unveiling nor any of the usual sights expected when new owners take over running one of rugby league's most famous names.
Rohan Smith.Rohan Smith.
Rohan Smith.

Instead, a relatively simple eight paragraph statement was released confirming that the sport does, indeed, live on in Bradford after months of disarray and fears.

Admittedly, given the false hope they have endured before, some long-suffering supporters of the Odsal club may still be unsure about the veracity of it all.

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And when, within a couple of hours of confirming their involvement, new owners Andrew Chalmers and Graham Lowe produced another statement saying they would not be retaining the services of head coach Rohan Smith, the news was met largely with dismay on social media.

Nevertheless, the incoming New Zealanders – given the green light by the RFL ahead of three rival offers – have to be given the benefit of the doubt as they look to avoid the perils of previous regimes that suffered three administrations inside just five years.

Having stated they were focusing on recruiting a “proven and experienced” coach as Smith’s replacement, an announcement is expected shortly.

There was speculation last night that Henry Paul is a leading candidate, although the 42-year-old Kiwi – such a star at stand-off during the height of Bulls’ fame – does not fit that criteria given he has little experience as a coach.

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England assistant Paul Anderson, the former Huddersfield Giants head coach who played alongside Paul at Odsal, would seem a better fit while former Hull KR chief Justin Morgan, who is New Zealand No 2, has also been suggested.

Also, Lowe, the 70-year-old former Manly, Wigan and New Zealand coach, has a long friendship with Ellery Hanley, the legendary ex-Great Britain captain who started his career at Odsal but has been out of the sport since leaving Doncaster in 2008.

Regardless, whoever does take on the role has a massive job to undertake given Bradford – it remains opaque as to whether the new regime actually own the rights to the ‘Bulls’ title – are just 19 days away from starting their Championship season at Hull KR.

Crucially, they have lost eight leading players to other clubs since they were made redundant through liquidation on January 3.

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Furthermore, starting on minus 12 points as a penalty for the previous club going bust with debts of more than £2m, they can ill-afford a slow start.

There has been no mention yet of how much money the new owners plan to invest but it will have to be significant given their central funding has also been slashed to just £150,000.

Smith, 35, had stayed on after the club went into administration in November, overseeing pre-season training and helping maintain team spirit despite no one being paid for two months.

The Australian had only arrived last May having gained a release from his contract as a Gold Coast Titans assistant to sign a three-year deal at Odsal.

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He wanted to stay at Bradford as did the much-respected Chev Walker, the club’s former captain who had been assistant coach for the last year, who was also told yesterday he was not needed.

Chalmers, involved in Marwan Koukash’s takeover of Salford four years ago but no longer a director of the Red Devils, said via a statement last night he will meet again with remaining players to attempt to sort their futures.

“We are pleased to be able to finally resolve some of the uncertainty that has surrounded this group of players and staff so that we can all begin to move forward,” said the former New Zealand Rugby League chief.

“We have committed to meeting each of the players individually tomorrow morning to discuss playing contracts for the 2017 season. I would like to place on record my thanks for the patience and professionalism that they have all shown so far.

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“I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity to create what we hope will be a strong and stable club in Bradford. The history and tradition of Rugby League in this great city is something we are both very aware of.”

Having met Smith yesterday, he 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.”

Lowe, who helped turn Wigan into a dominant force in the late ‘80s and also coached Queensland State of Origin side, added: “I fully understand the difficulties faced by the club.

“I know it has been a tough few months for Rohan.

“We appreciate all he did for the Bradford Bulls and the support he has given the playing group.”

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