Bradford Bulls: Business as usual says Green from Ibiza

BRADFORD will stay full-time in the Championship despite failing to make the top four this year.
A dejected Bradford Bulls fan at the end of the Featherstone match at the weekend.A dejected Bradford Bulls fan at the end of the Featherstone match at the weekend.
A dejected Bradford Bulls fan at the end of the Featherstone match at the weekend.

The Bulls’ 20-0 defeat in the last match of the regular season at Featherstone on Sunday meant they missed out on the Super 8s Qualifiers, including a money-spinning tie with Leeds, and instead will play out the season in the Championship Shield.

It also means a third consecutive season outside the top flight for a club who with St Helens dominated the early years of summer rugby and were world club champions only 11 years ago.

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The Bulls narrowly missed out on a return to Super League a year ago, losing 24-16 in the £1million Match to Wakefield, and this year’s failure prompted speculation over the club’s future.

However, stung by the reaction and subsequent criticism, Bradford chairman Marc Green issued a statement from his holiday base in Ibiza to insist it is business as normal and that the club will continue to mount a full-time operation in 2017.

Green said: “From the club’s perspective - it is our intention to continue as a full-time team for next season.

“We are pretty much sorted with our squad for next season although we will hope to add to it if the right person becomes available.

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“Furthermore, it is also our intention to continue developing our youth policy, which over the year has seen the Under-19s put themselves in the mix for a play-off position as they currently sit fourth in the league, seen us recognised as a Category 1 Academy placed in the top eight of the sport and has seen both an Under-19 and an Under-16 called up for England.”

Bradford are one of three full-time clubs in the Championship - table-topping Leigh and Sheffield Eagles are the others.