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As per usual, the utter ineptitude and almost certainly outright corruption, of just a few people who run/own things ruin it all for everyone else, those who've been in charge of Bradford for the last few seasons should have no right to own anything except the clothes they walk around in, until they pay off the debts that have accumulated while they mismanaged the club, but justice like that NEVER happens in real life.

As for the semi-finals, they should be a pair of crackers, they normally are anyway, but why didn't the RFL host both matches at Odsal, maybe even as a double header, they own the ground afterall and any extra positive exposure for Bradford could only be a good thing.

Wigan by 12
Warrington by 7

If it's dry I think Wigan and Warrington could win heavily but if it rains it should even things up a little since it usually means low scoring games with lots of errors.

Wigan are the standout side in Super League for me this season and Leeds recent results apart still look too open IMHO. Warrington don't look as good this year without Matt King but Huddersfield are on a wretched run of form so I still think they will have too much for them. I actually would love to see Nathan Brown win something with the Giants though to cap off his time there (assuming they don't go all the way in the playoffs).

Would love to see Leeds win, but I can't see it

Why are so many sporting clubs so heavily in debt? I don't believe every single owner is inept or corrupt especially since the vast majority are successful business people away from the sporting industry. I suspect the truth is that those in charge cave in to the pressure from fans of these clubs who demand more and more success and fans have to accept some of the responsibility for the financial problems of many if not most clubs.

This brings us to the brunt of the problem. The vast majority of any professional club's expenditure is on players wages and it's quite clear both rugby and football are paying the players too much. When a Portsmouth player is being paid over £2m a year to play in the third tier then sport has to acknowledge it has major problems.

I've often thought rugby has led the way in sporting ideas. The wage cap seemed like a perfect way to prevent clubs like Bradford going bust but it's obviously failed. I can't see how a club can accumulate debts of £1m+ with the cap in place so can anyone from Bradford explain where the over expenditure has happened?

Some are blaming the Iestyn Harris saga but what happened to the 450K for Stuart Fielden?

Really looking forward to the matches this weekend. Wigan to beat Leeds surely, Huddersfield look dire so Warrington to win that semi. If so, that means the two best teams on current form to meet at Wembley for what should be a cracker of a final.

RememberScarborough - in this case the blame has to reside squarely with the previous board. I don't recall Bradford fans demanding the club spend huge amounts on players; it has always been regarded as a big club and thus always able to attract better quality players. I've moaned about the Bradford situation enough, but here are some of the reasons for the debt:

1. Consistently paying player salaries at the top end of the salary cap - or, as some have alleged, breaching the salary cap
2. The Iestyn Harris saga and the costly fiscal penalty incurred (again, I am sure Bradford fans did not demand that he join the club)
3. Season ticket prices not in line with club expenditure (£70, yes £70 for season ticket)
4. A vast, ageing stadium that must have cost a fortune to maintain
5. Ignoring tax bills over a period of time
6. Hiring Steve McNamara as coach leading to a downward spiral of results and reduced attendances - although in fairness, leaving him with a club shorn of it's best players like the Paul brothers, Fielden and Peacock

I could go on.....

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I agree breaking the salary cap clearly didn't help, but others have done that too. Bradford have just been very poorly run. Hopefully the proposed takeover will materialise and the Bulls fans will be out in force at Odsal again next season.

As for the semi-finals, it's hard to see Huddersfield beating Wire after seven defeats from eight, but I fancy Leeds v Wigan to be a tight one. The Rhinos have a habit of raising their game in knock-out scenarios, with the exception of Challenge Cup Finals that is. Best price you can get on a Wigan v Warrington final is now just 1-2.

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With the greatest of respect how on earth can the Bulls be allowed to carry on in Super league. All this rubbish about 'we cant allow the Bulls to fold' shows that the RFL and so called experts have lost touch with the game. If this was Cas, Wakey, or Salford would they be saying the same, i doubt it very much. The problem with the game now is fans have lost interest all throughout the game. When Haven went into administration 2 years ago they were given 9 points deduction and had to get on with it. We all know that Super Duper League wont relegate the Bulls but will find some way of keeping them in. Bradford broke the rules and should be punished just like ANY club should be for what has happened. What is very worrying is that the RFL in the license process didn't find a problem that in anyone's eyes must have hit them in the face with the financial state of the club. While i have sympathy for the Bulls fans i am sorry to say take your medicine and rebuild like everyone else (outside SL) would have to do.

There's still cause to be optimistic George, crowds are still on the up and the youth system is still producing some crackers. Let's hope the Bulls can be saved and we can focus on a cracking run in. Sometimes being a RL fan you spend more time focussing on off field issues than the superb game we have (such as Wire- Catalan on Monday).

I am very disappointed with the licensing system. It smacks of weak leadership at the top of the game. I was very much in favour of what it was trying to achieve. It was supposed to stabilise the game & yet we seem to be no better off than when we had P&R. Didn't they have a big 4 accountancy firm to scrutinise the clubs 3 year business plans? The RFL should explain itself on what those reports said.

I think you're being kind to the RFL toffeesaint with "disappointed", it's a farce. Relegate Bradford newco (I presume they will re-surface) and promote Halifax or Fev or Leigh etc. based on performance.

Heart-Leeds, head-Wigan. Come on Rhinos!

Sorry, but there isn't even a debate here. Let them go. Scrabbling about trying to prop Bradford up for a bit longer until the inevitable is ridiculous. No-one has an automatic right to be in The Superleague (even with the farcical lack of relegation).

Having played both codes during my youth and watched both codes over many years, i believe sad to say that RL is on the decline in this country and as been over the last 5 years. i am saying this as a bulls season ticket holder over many years, there are 2 big problems with league at the moment. 1 the low numbers of support throughtout both super league and RL as a whole, which means some clubs are struggling on the finance side and virtually running on a shoe string budget leading to a massive gap between the haves and have nots leading to a two tier SL. 2nd the Rl administrators at the top seem to have lost contact with the rank and file supporter and listen to his views and concerns. They seem unable to generate cash into the league through sponsorship, relying on gimmicks such as magic weekend which in my opinion does not generate enough money to warrant its continuation. 7 games over 2 days pulling in a gate of 58,000 tells you something about the state of the game in this country, also another massive mistake was doing away with the GB team and replacing it with a England outfit who in the last game versus the exiles were made to look second rate and this against a exiles team containing many players who would not get in their countries 2nd team, mind you what can you expect with a muppet like Steve Mac in charge.Its not all gloom and doom but if we are to compete at this top level against teams like Aus and NZ we need to be picking from all home country players rather than just english born. I also believe you need to have relegation in SL back again and a tighter control over Player budgets, How can teams like Warrington get away with it. Regarding the Semi Finals. Leeds are not good enough in the forwards to beat Wigan, Warrington to beat Huddersfield easy. Danny Brough head is already at saints along with his coach. Which makes me wonder why keep players and coaches when they are moving clubs at the end of the season, when you can promote your assitant and 2nd team players and give them a go, better than the players looking at Nathan Brown listening to him preaching royalty and commitment with a saints contract in his back pocket, What a wa--er.

Wigan & Wire final. Wigan by two scores, Wire by loads. Will be there on Saturday, but at a wedding Sunday - like you say, inconsiderate some people. Ticket booked for final already, so I'm going whatever happens.

As for Bradford. Yes it will be sad if they go bust, but it's not putting a cloud on my weekend.

This should be two seperate blogs. It doesn't help when on one of the best weekends of Rugby League, the mess of some of the clubs is brought up in the same conversation.

Surely George, with this 'cloud hanging over the semis' you could have just written the column about them rather than pontificate endlessly on the Bulls situation which has been covered everywhere. I hope this weekends coverage is not Bulls dominated too. Talk about the game!

Bradford born and bred, to me it is simple, the club like the city has been badly run.
The councils poured cash into a soccer stadium on an ego trip and lost, Valley Parade is in a dump and terrible access and no parking. Odsal is a developers' dream, close to M62, parking and land so why did the council not take the lead? Simple, no strategy, no brains. Bradford Bulls are an indicator of the slow demise of a once proud city now a poor relation to Leeds. All the wealth and investment will go to Leeds as Bradford is now the home of pound shops and chavs......oh and a big hole where the city centre was! Thanks Westfield and Council!

Just to agree with post number one, although I would of played both semi finals at Odsal on different days. Anything that can put a few quid into Northern's pocket.

It's a pity that Bradford aren't in a semi-final the other side could let them win.

What on earth has Super League Bradfords self inflicted mess got to do with the Rugby Football league Challange Cup?

Bradford are out, so none as far as I can see.

The Sl clubs are controlled by SLE Ltd not the RFL because they wanted it that way and all the money the game brought in. They have consistantly made a mess of it.

The Challange Cup was always a chance for the "smaller2 clubs to make a shock and also a few£'s in some interesting games.

That is long gone now, and the attendances at the semi's will show that interest is getting less and less.

If the RFL is stuggling to sell the Final, then isn't it obvious something is wrong?

Yeh Sooooper Dooper League, total ineptitude with no fall back because they are not interested in anything except themselves.

I am in no way a rugby league expert, but looking from the outside I always believe they shot themselves in the foot the day they took the SKY money and became a summer sport. Moving the fixtures deprived clubs of those bumper Xmas matches etc. in exchange for more TV.

Ultimately, as is shown in football,too much TV devalues the product. Tinkering with a system to protect interests because tv wants it reduces integrity of the competition and drives away fans.