Almost two separate competitions this year: placing in the top 8, and avoiding the bottom two places.
Realistically we are in the second one with probably London, Wakey, Cas and Widnes - assuming of course London don't get special "expansion" treatment if they finish in the bottom two. I do think the squad we currently have is better than 2013 - but with such small squads the finally positioning will likely come down to who can best keep the players in shape for the longest

As of right now I'd say we have a stronger 17 than London, Wakey, Cas and Widnes. How that will change between now and the start of the season, and how often injuries actually allow us to name something close to our strongest 17, will determine whether we actually finish above any or all of those teams.

For me, as an outsiders, I'm in a catch 22 when predicting the fortunes of Bradford next year: if you keep the same squad together, I'm not convinced you'll see the end of the season, it is pretty much the same finances that has failed two times all over again. If you have a fire sale, similar to Wakefield, I can't see who you can bring into the squad to give you a fighting chance (especially as you'll be fighting with London for signatures)

Both options don't leave me with much hope for next season for bradford

It was said by the directors that if any player was sold then a replacement would be brought in. It might be a player of lesser ability or for a different position but there would be a replacement. I think the issue might be would has the money and space under the cap to buy any of our better players. I can see that they would want to offload the high earners first but these may not necessarily be wanted by other clubs as they’d not be value for money. Then of course the player himself has to agree to the move.

As you say that could leave us struggling to make savings. Could make life interesting.

. If we do have to lose 2 or maybe 3 of our better players then we could be in trouble, but if we can get away with only losing only one.... Mmm, well maybe we'll live to fight another day - there are too many ifs and buts to be definite about anything, to be honest.
'

It's that old chestnut again about the real cost of star players - as it is often these guys who attract sponsors to a club and fans through the gate.

Don't envy the position the directors find themselves in, it would be a mighty task even without the baggage and squabbles which seem to dog the club

The directors say that they found this £400k shortfall quickly. I am wondering if the loss of L’Estrange, Bateman and even the young fullback will be counted in their required savings. That would be 2 good earners gone and a small (estimated £18k - £20k) amount. If they do and then add the redundancies that could add up to a substantial saving already. Hopefully a bit more sponsorship and that £400k could come down very quickly. Again, if these 3 players wages are counted then we may not need to lose many more. Hopefully they will get the ownership sorted next week and new sponsors can come on board in time for the game in 2 week’s time.

bringing players in aint going to be easy, you have managed to keep what you have got at least for the present. Wakey sold players, reduced contract payents and replaced with players on a reduced cntract. With the exception of smith i think wakefield have replaced well.I wish you and london all the best for next year, but will not be upset if you both finish below wakey. London have taken a risk, releasing its players at the end of last season . Ok it hasnt had contracts to pay in the off season, but it aint got a squad. Could be they know more about promotion and relegation than they are saying. THEY SHOULD NOT RECEIVE ANY KIND OF FAVOUR should they finish in the bottom 2 if promotion and relegation go a head. All the best

:1tbt4ojh

If they'd found it really quickly, you might have expected them to find the problems under a 'due diligence' examination of the business before they actually signed the deal with OK? That would have saved an awful lot of bother.

My impression [and that's all it is -[i:1tbt4ojhmy impression[/i is that Mark Moore and Ian Watt, came in maybe like so many local business people have historically done, with their fans' woolly hats on rather than their businessmen's bowlers and that the poor forward financial planning only came to light when it came under Andrew Calvert's, more experienced, gaze.

You've got to be hopeful, I suppose, and there have been a few people leaving since the end of the season, though most would have been before the announcement so would probably have been accounted for.

Best thing for us would be a surge in season tickets - though that is very unlikely after the the end of the 'early bird' prices, and some bumper walk up crowds for the friendlies and early league games.........oh, and with us winning the lot and drawing even bigger crowds for the next games...Now that would put a big dent in our 'big hole' in the finances.....well, if it's possible to put a dent in a hole, that is.

IF we keep the squad together I think it's marginally better. That means we're looking for teams in the top 8 who will fare less well. The 2 obvious candidates are Hull and HKR. HKR have lost Dobson but Sandercock seems a decent coach who knows what he's doing. Hull finished 8th and look markedly weaker.
Being positive I'm tipping 8th

Anyone who predicts we will finish out of the bottom three must be truly stark staring, raving, bonkers on some sort of optimism drugs.

I concur with Bugsy that we'll be 8th.

With all the comings and goins.

Unless London are given a huge dispensation to sign a team of aussies or islanders (which considering its P&R is unfair on the other teams) they are going to be 14th i think, that leave 1 more position to be filled from one of us, Cas, Wakey, Widnes, Hull KR and maybe Hull - only as they dropped of horridly last season.

Salford will most likely make the 8, the top 5 will be the same as last year, so there will be a great scrap for the last of the 8 spots, i predict 9th or 10th for us again, we have a stronger squad than last year (marginally) and i think we are stronger than Widnes and Wakey, maybe KR but teams on paper are not always as good on the field.

Long as we can make the start and keep the squad together i am looking forward to this season.

If we manage to keep the current squad im going to go with an optimistic 6th

There's a lot of cowardly defeatism going on here. Pipped to the league leader's shield by Salford for me and then not enough in the tank to win a single play off match. Civil war on here about whether it's a disaster or not.

I would include Les cats and salford rather than the 2 hull teams, now their form has realy dropped off and where I their recruitment?

Looking at how other squads have recruited I think that if we can hold the team together then we'll end up in a three way shoot out with both Hull's for eighth place. Even writing that feels optimistic mind you, but we are better than those we finished above last time round.
I would tip the league to look like this...
1. Wire
2. Wigan
3. Giants
4. Saints
5. Leeds
6. Salford
7. Catalans
8. Bulls
9. KR
10. Hull
11. Widnes
12. Wakey
13. Cas
14. London

Clearly this is my heart talking, so to put things another way, if we finish above KR we'll be in the playoffs, but honestly, I'd take 11th if it meant we could build for 2015.

skoda's are also better than Bentley's then Roger?


I hope the Bulls are successful this season by the way

I think Roger is right, at least regarding what Ferguson will give to Bradford this coming season. That is not to say Bateman does not have greater potential and a move to Wigan will give him a tremendous opportunity to reach that potential.

In my opinion Ferguson is the better player for Bradford now, he will play to consistently good level. Bateman is the better fit for Wigan they can afford to nurture him, rest him as needed, drop him if he steps out of line and make sure he becomes the terrific player he has the potential to be.

This.

Bateman has been touted as a great "potential" star. But really, he's not shown that at SL level. I mean, how many games last year has anyone said or even thought "if only Bateman was playing, we'd have won that game"

Ferguson is a more rounded, more experienced player and will be more beneficial to Bradford as, rather than Bateman's if only potential.

Thank you GiantDee and Roofaldo,that was exactly what I meant

Have to agree the squad is better than last season, and if it stays in situ we would probably be OK, however "IF we keep the squad together", doesn't that leave us hurtling towards that financial 'black hole', somewhere near the Doo Doo galaxy?

Heaven only knows Bulliac. There's so many things we don't know despite a great effort by everyone on here to run through the possibilities. My guess is that the 'black' hole isn't so very black. Anyone could look at revs v costs and see a gap. Calvert's trade is about applying pressure and taking matters to the brink. He'll be one hard faced mofo that's for sure.

On the squad we're in a double bind. Lose good players to London and/or Wakey and we step inevitably closer to the galaxy of which you speak. Very hard to call it right as London and Wakey are probably playing poker. Clubs, probably including us will be trying to offload fringe players, which they don't want. In our case they'll be hoping we have to blink first. We're maybe the loss of 2 or 3 players away from significant danger.

The variables are virtually impossible to permutate. It's all about "if"isn't it? The fact we haven't the stability that London and Wakefield seem to have, is baffling to me? Agreed they are also backs to the wall outfits, however , all our plans, unlike theirs, seem to have been stymied once more! Maybe the crucial and significant difference,is the fact that £650k per year we are down over 2013 and of course 14. Those clubs not penalised by this situation are guaranteed £1.15m in 2014 which in essence is just income not turnover. Therefore I agree with everything said.
Level our playing field a bit more, and then we can assess our true prospects.

nothing like being optimistic

Yeah, there's no way you guys are finishing above Cas