Moore seeks apology from RFL and offers assistance to any would-be Bulls buyer

Moore, Andrew Calvert and Ian Watt left a week ago after the governing body said the three-times Super League champions would be docked six points and put in special measures for entering administration twice in 18 months.

The trio, who formed Bradford Bulls 2014 Ltd to run the ailing West Yorkshire club, withdrew their offer to purchase it and issued a stinging press release which attacked the RFL for the way it had treated them during recent weeks.

In turn, the RFL struck back with a stern statement of its own, headed by chief operating officer Ralph Rimmer, which defended its actions and made a series of claims against the exiting board.

Moore says those words effectively accused the three directors of lieing and, therefore, they have warned the RFL if they do not withdraw the statement by the close of business tomorrow then they will press ahead with a defamation suit.

“We have stated if they don’t retract the press release and issue an apology in the time frame then we will take legal action,” he said.

“They have made a serious allegation against me and all of us. Of course, anything is negotiable but it just depends and it takes two people to talk.

“At the moment, the RFL aren’t talking to us.”

The governing body, which has said there will be “no public response but we will respond to Moore’s lawyers appropriately”, is currently striving to help secure a new owner for the club.

It met the Leeds-based administrator David Wilson yesterday amid growing speculation that a brother of Marwan Koukash, the flamboyant multi-millionaire owner of Salford Red Devils, could make an offer.

Racehorse owner Koukash denied that on Twitter, but it did little to dampen the rumours that one of his six siblings is poised to follow him into rugby league.

Moore, meanwhile, insists his negative experiences would not lead to him dissuading any potential bidders for the club.

But the owner of online bed company BedzRus added: “It is a bit of a warning to them to make sure they cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s while maybe getting more stuff in print. Bradford Bulls are a great club to buy and really I should be talking to you at Odsal not out of my office in Bradford.

“It’s an excellent brand, an excellent team with a superb support base and all of this should certainly not put anyone off trying to rescue the club.

“You just have to make sure you are covered with the RFL.”

Moore claims all of the directors, who took over the running of the club when Omar Khan stood down in September, are now out of pocket.

“We’ve been adding it up over the weekend, everything we’ve done and our families too, and it equates to just over 100K each,” he said. “We’ve got bank statements to prove that and all of that will become evident if it becomes a slanging match (with the RFL). We’re hopeful it won’t.”

Despite the upheaval, Bradford, who are today set to announce the signing of Leeds Rhinos’ stand-off Liam Sutcliffe on a month’s loan, won a second straight match with a 25-12 win over London Broncos on Sunday.

London-based businessman Richard Lamb is on record saying he wants to purchase the club while Bradford Park Avenue FC are also understood to be keen.

Khan has, reportedly, revived his interest too.

“I’m out of the loop now but we had meetings with the people that were really our competitors before we pulled out and, if it helps, I’d be more than happy to assist them and advise them on how we were planning to run the club,” added Moore.

“We need to make sure Bradford Bulls survives. We worked right up to this weekend to make sure the game went on and, as long as it’s right for the club and there’s no hidden agenda, we’d do anything to help it happen.”

Meanwhile, relegation rivals Wakefield Trinity Wildcats – who signed prop Nick Scruton from Bradford on Saturday – could soon further bolster their squad.

They are in talks with Leeds about a month’s loan deal for Ben Jones-Bishop, the England Knights winger who has failed to feature so far this term.