Time to act

Money matters: Bulls may be liquidated

The RFL must act to prevent Super League clubs being forced into administration, Jon Wells told Sky Sports News.

"Whatever happens at the end of this - whether Bradford survive or not - the RFL, as the governing body of our sport, must investigate this more seriously than has been done before."
Jon Wells Quotes of the week

On the day Bradford Bulls were given just 10 working days to avoid being liquidated after entering administration, Wells says the governing body must do more.

"Whatever happens at the end of this - whether Bradford survive or not - the RFL, as the governing body of our sport, must investigate this more seriously than has been done before," he said.

"There have to be questions asked of the RFL as well - they gave Bradford a 'B' Super League licence not even a year ago. Part of that would have involved a look into the club's finances and their projections and business plans going forward."

Bradford's problems have come about due to a number of factors, said Wells.

"I know there's been an issue with long-standing debt with the Bradford Bulls," he said.

"There was a lot of fallout from a long-standing legal case over a star player, Iestyn Harris, along with some long-term loss in form for the Bulls, as well. They were once one of the leading lights in Super League, but they've had to adjust their horizons in recent years. It's been a culmination of all those things but they're in pretty dire situation as it stands.

"The fans rallied round earlier this year to raise a large sum of money in a very short time, to help the Bulls carry on, but we're reaching an end point now where, by the end of play next Tuesday, if they haven't found a buyer, Bradford Bulls will go into liquidation and the team we know and love will cease to exist."

Hope?

However, Wells did have a message of hope for the supporters: "For all Bulls fans, quaking or nervous about the future of their club: there is life after administration," he said. "Just look ten minutes down the M62: Wakefield Trinity Wildcats entered administration, they were in there for a week and were bought out. So there is hope but they're in dire straits at the moment."