Some light pierces Bulls’ gloom as RFL chief eases fears

The four-time Super League champions have until Tuesday to find a buyer to avoid liquidation but the governing body insist even that looming deadline will not threaten their foreseeable future.

Administrator Brendan Guilfoyle says he has only £20,000 to run the club and will be unable to meet the players’ wage bill of around £200,000 next Friday.

But, ahead of tomorrow’s game against London Broncos at Odsal, RFL director of licensing and standards Blake Solly has moved to ease the fears of both employees and supporters.

He says there are ample ways of maintaining funding for the club to ensure they do, at least, reach the end of the season in September.

“One of them is through monies that he (Guilfoyle) makes through putting on the matches,” said Solly.

“He may also consider player sales and, thirdly, he’s got the Sky distribution.

“Between those three sources of revenue, we believe he has enough to finish the season.

“We’re really confident the players will get paid next week.”

Bradford received further support yesterday from their rival Super League clubs who convened in a specially-arranged meeting to talk about the issues engulfing Odsal.

Although there was no vote on any matter, the other 13 clubs did express their backing for aiding the West Yorkshire club as much as they could.

RFL chief executive Nigel Wood – who suggested the governing body may advance Bradford’s next instalment of television money which is due in 10 days – said: “There was a full and frank discussion.

“There was a unanimous position taken about making sure the game supported the club as much as possible.”

Solly, meanwhile, says there are at least four potential buyers and that the RFL have fielded calls from two separate consortiums involving new people who are interested in taking over the ailing club.

“It’s only very early stages,” he said. “They’ve asked us for information that anyone purchasing a business would want as far as due diligence is concerned.

“In terms of whether they would be able to buy the club or are the right people we don’t know yet because they haven’t come back to us with a business plan.

“We’ve had two consortiums contact us direct and we understand the administrator has had more than one as well.”

Bradford still have some doubts hanging over them; by going into administration, they effectively gave up their membership of Super League and any decision to re-admit them is one for the RFL board in consultation with the clubs, who have the power to decide on the number of teams in the top flight. Within the next week, they will also discover how many points – up to a maximum of six – will be deducted for breaching insolvency rules.

Bulls’ preview: Page 7.