Agreed. However you'll always get thoe who say "speculate to accumulate" as if that makes any sense.

What I think is needed is a more positive line from the club that acknowledges concerns of fans, provides re-assurance and explains clearly that the fortunes of the club are in their hands.

Money is tight for everyone at the moment and I know quite a few who aren't getting season tickets in 2010. I just think that it wouldn't take much from the club in terms of PR to get more to buy them. The current PR isn't going anyway to help the situation, if anything it's making matters worse.

But that doesn't seem how the board want to play it. No, much better to put your fingers in your ears and go lalalalalalalalala and hope the complaining fans go away.

And it's a strategy that's working given our drop in gates.

I mean, this press release says everything the club shouldn't be saying after selling a player who is considered to have the rugby world at his feet. It was a perfect oppotunity to say something like "Yes, we have sold Sam Burgess, but we are in talks with exciting replacements and we hope to be able to announce these players very soon"

I know Hood and the board have steadied the ship as far as finances go. But saving pennies at the cost of losing the club is not what we want to see and sticking your head above the parapit just to shout down the fans who don't want another season of poor performances and disapointement is not the message the club should be sending out. Especially as it's season ticket renewal time.

It just doesn't make sense to me. How can you ask people to fork over their hard earned cash for season tickets and yet not guaratee them entertainment or at least the chance of more home wins than fingers on a blind butchers hand.

I don't want a gaurantee just to see what the squad for next season is and make my own judgement as to how I think it will perform. From last years squad I actually think we performed worse that most thought we would and a lot worse than the club told us they thought they would perform. I trust my own judgement more than what I am told I should/could expect. We might not be experts but most of us aren't stupid. Get the fans back on board Bulls, we are part of the Club after all.......

Well back from a week away to Burgess leaving, no new signings and no news on the OSV (bearing in mind we were told Sept would bring an update).

How depressing.....

Look closely at the article... the only direct quotes from Hood is a load of guff about pressure. The controversial bit is all in the paragraph



This does not contain any quote marks so, therefore, is an interpretation of what was actually said. Given that...

suggests that, as you'd expect, the club is talking to a number players

suggests that, whatever happens, it isn't being done as a knee-jerk reaction to over anxious fans. (An optimistic interpretation being that the club is talking to someone who might fit the 'marquee' description and has been since prior to all the calamity).

We shouldn't have to be looking closely at articles for crumbs of comfort. The club's PR should be coming out with positive PR that doesn't require so much reading between the lines.

It's not [ithat[/i hard is it?

Thats just the feeling i get too.

and b) many on here have chosen to read it as being extremely negative

BUt we keep getting told that finances aren't a problem.

Simon Parker is the T&A's main football reporter mainly for Bradford City.

Actually no we don't. Well, not when you consider what has actually been said.

We keep getting told - factually - that the club has no debt and that it reported about £200k profits.

What we do not get told is that because of accounts being prepared on an accruals basis, we probably (I'll not start posting proofs on here) have to make a modest profit to be straight across in cash terms. Don't get hung up on this, but read "break even" for "profit". And then can various people quit this obsession with "making profits ahead of team", because thats bollox - trust me!

Clear to me the club is spending everything it is able to. As you would expect.

What we haven't been told is what 2009 is showing financially. And remember...at the Forum we were told (in answer to my question) that the downturn in attendances/recession was not a profitability concern in the short term...but it would be a cash concern. I have the verbatim words written down at home, so thats paraphrasing). I would say that accords entirely with my reading of the situation.

The key point to remember: Wire, Pies, Stains, Hudds, Leeds (although Leeds are financially secure regardless), Salford, and I think HKR and Celtic - are backed by wealthy individuals (I'm unsure about Cas and Wakey and more recently Quins, and Cats will always be supported anyway). If they have a short-term cash need, who ya gonna call? We don't have that luxury.

That means our board have to be much more careful than many. Same way as an individual who doesn't have a credit card or an overdraft facility and can't borrow any money from anyone has to be much more careful not to spend more than he can afford day-to-day than someone who can plug short-term needs by borrowing.

Its hard, if you have not been there in business, to overstate the time, effort and distraction involved in managing this situation.

Posted this to try and bring some clarity.

An excellent post.

As regards the article, seems to me they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I presume that the T&A (Parker or Marshall or tealady, it matters not - at least its's not Dangerous Dave) will see from the T&A Rantaforum, here, letters, other forums, wherever, that fans are pretty concerned. They will know as well as the rest of us that we have loads of outs and bugger-all ins so far. So one presumes they rang Hood for his comments. Its pretty clear the article reflects an interview with him, since it quotes his comments.

What is surely clear (Sam, tell me if I am wrong?) is that this is NOT a club press release (if it was, the article would be worded differently and we'd see the content on the Bulls site?). And therefore it reflects the editing and any spin of the T&A. Suggest folk bear this in mind when treating this as an official club announcement?

Had Hood declined to be interviewed, can you imagine the furore on here in response to "Chairman Peter Hood refused to comment..."?

But he may well not be in a position to say things yet which might give more comfort, and through choice would keep his own counsel until he can say something more positive without fear of it not happening - look at the Bird debacle as an example?

I'm speculating, but it does just seem to me that whatever the guy does he'll be damned on here.

And yes, I'm as concerned as the next man too. But I try to be realistic and adult about the situation.

Thats you banned from here Then!

I'm sure this wasn't a press release from the club but if ever there was a time for positive press releases it's now, that's my point. The club's sitting back and the agenda and the media coverage isn't being determined by them anymore.

It may only amount to spin but I feel the club needs to get a grip of events and start dictating the agenda like it used to. For too long recently they've been forced on the back foot to react to players leaving. It's time we read about the positive things happening at the club a bit more (I'm presuming there are some?). There was a time when the Bulls used to dominate the positive news in the RL media, new initiatives, gimmicks, etc whatever. What we need now is for some lines from the club that give us a reason to be happy again.

It may only amount to re-assurance that the club is working on delivering a better side but it'd be more upbeat.

Can't argue with any of that!

Reminding me of the days when Caisley was hunkered down in the Odsal bunker and we heard sod all (folk with short memories may not remember we had a spell like that?)

Oh yes it was a classic case of "Infamy Infamy they've all got in Infamy"



Don't forget Sams fee being quoted will now get agents to reconsider upping the ante in negotiations and the Club are going to keep a lid on it till the deals are signed sealed and delivered

Been wondering when someone would raise that. Or maybe realise that if Hood comes out and says something like "we really need and intend to make some major or even marquee signings..." that will be an open invitation to the Caisleys and other middlemen to try and enrich themselves even further by thinking the club is desperate to sign their charges and ramping up the asking prices.

Maybe the nature and emphasis of Hood's reported comments need to be considered in that context as well...?

Finally some good news for the club. www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 64,00.html

Finally some good news for the club. www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 64,00.html

[iParramatta chief executive Paul Osborne said he was still hopeful of working something out with Robson after the grand final, and reassured Moimoi that he was very much in the club's long term plans.

''Fuifui is under contract next year and he isn't going anywhere,'' Osborne said.[/i

Doesn't look like Moimoi will be coming, I for one am relievd that we won't be signing the big lump. He's not all that.

Lets hope we pass on this Jeff Robson characetr aswell.

tad's [url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbulls/4659522.Tadulala_set_for_exit_after_rejecting_deal/exit[/url confirmed. Not saying where hes going thou

[i'But they are expected to unveil a new face next week to go with Manly duo Heath L’Estrange and Glenn Hall.' [/i

I'm presuming this is either Kearney or Walker?

Well I think I am right in saying he is the last player with a doubt about their future lingering over them. So hopefully next weeks announcement will be the first of many.

I think Semi will be a loss though and he has been consistently good for us since he joined. Our backs were already pretty average.. so some strong recruitment is now needed in this area. I'd suggest at least two new faces are needed in the backs.

I read a rumour on the Saints board that Maurie Fa'asavalu may have fallen out of favour with Potter. Probably a load of bull but worth an enquiry? He'd certainly provide some impact off the bench that we have lacked this year.

Shame, he doesn't know where he's going to play but he knows its not Odsal...



So we now have one winger on the books for next season, I would expect at least one of our INS to be a winger then, with maybe an outside back who could play a few positions?

I would have liked us to look at someone like;

[url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leeds-rhinos-news/Leeds-Rhinos-Beware-the-foreign.5689524.jpJodie Broughton[/url

"[iMeanwhile, out-of-contract Rhinos winger Jodie Broughton, who had a spell on loan at Hull this year, is in talks with Leeds and has also attracted attention from Super League rivals Salford City Reds."[/i

Looked decent with potential when I've seen him play, wouldn't cost a huge portion of our massive cap availability and could be an option for the wing. Looks like he's Salford bound though.

Yeh I thought Broughton looked good. He has played well whenver I've seen him play.

We have now lost 8 players and brought in only 2. We must need to bring in at least another 4, and then promote a couple from the acadamey. IMO we should be looking at a winger, centre, half, and another prop/2nd row.