Prudent Bulls will attempt to return at first shot

Ferres spent yesterday formalising plans with owner Marc Green and head coach James Lowes after the three-time World Club champions were relegated at Huddersfield on Sunday.

As expected, the club’s board of directors decided – “with a heavy heart and a degree of reluctance” – to abandon their High Court pursuit of the six points originally deducted by the Rugby Football League in February for entering administration.

That would have been their last hope of redemption. but in a statement last night they said it was time for “closure” and to move forward despite reiterating their continued belief that the original decision, later upheld by a Sporting Sanctions Appeal Panel, was “legally incorrect”.

At least now there is clarity and, although there are still six fixtures remaining this season and the club are keen to finish with a flourish, attention can also turn to 2015.

That, of course, is when the new competition format is introduced whereby Super League is reduced from 14 to 12 clubs and, after 23 rounds, the sides that miss out on the top eight form a new eight-team league with the Championship’s top four.

They play each other once and which the top three teams will secure a place in Super League for 2016 while those in fourth and fifth play off for the final berth among the elite.

In theory, up to four Championship sides could be promoted offering more hope than ever before for promotion-chasing sides. But far more likely is that four top-flight clubs retain their spots.

“I think next year, by default, Super League clubs will be stronger,” Ferres said.

“Some players from (relegated) London Broncos and Bradford will filter back in there and, if they’ve done their recruitment right, they should all be stronger.

“It’s a tough ask for anyone (promotion) and it’s difficult to say, too, as it’s never been done before.

“It’s a different format in 2015 and it’s going into the unknown. We’d like to think it’s possible going straight back up and we’ll try to aim for that. But financially it’s important that we don’t spend money we haven’t got.

“If you start doing that the club will end up just doing what it’s done before. We’re here to make sure the club’s run on a sound 
financial footing.”

Bradford, who have won Super League four times, have endured administration twice in the last two years following mis-management by previous regimes.

Whereas top-flight teams will each receive £1.825m next season as part of the new Sky TV broadcasting deal, Bulls will be handed just £780,000.

Admittedly, that is more than this year’s leading Championship team will receive in 2015 – £500,000 – and, ironically, it is also more than Bradford have taken in the last two years as well.

They had their £1.2m television revenue halved to £600,000 as part of the terms of staying in Super League after Omar Khan brought them out of administration in August 2012.

However, the salary cap in the Championship next term is set to be around £1m compared to nearer £1.8m in the elite, illustrating the vast differences in spending potential.

Bradford, though, hope to be able to re-sign a raft of their current squad with Lee Gaskell and Dale Ferguson having already done so and more set to follow.

There will be inevitable losses, such as England Knights scrum-half Luke Gale and Australian full-back Brett Kearney, but Ferres remains confident of Bulls’ ability to assemble a suitable squad.

“We’re going to retain some people, send contract offers out to others and feel we can quickly put together a competitive side,” he said. “At the moment we’ve not had confirmation what the cap will be but I think it’s going to be £1m in the Championship.

“We’ll look to put a side together with that in mind but we’ll be as frugal as possible with our money, too, for obvious reasons.

“Some will go, some will stay and some will struggle to get a Super League contract so, unfortunately, might have to go in the Championship away from us. But that’s the nature of the beast.”

Ferres, who arrived at Odsal at the end of March when Green took over, added: “We’ve still some tough games to come with Wigan on Sunday and Leeds plus a London side away on the last day who will be desperate to beat us and put a marker down for next year.

“But Jimmy is desperate to get his first win and there’s plenty to still play for building towards next season.

“So many fans travelled over to Huddersfield on Sunday, too, and there’s great passion in the city to have a Super League club.

“Their desire is there and if they get behind the ethos we’re creating down here I’m sure we will get back up.”