Bradford relegated to League 1
Former Super League champions Bradford have been relegated from the Championship.
Their fate was sealed by a 26-10 home defeat to Toulouse on Sunday.
They sit 12 points behind Swinton with six games to play, but with Oldham just a point behind and those two sides still to face each other in the run-in, the Bulls can’t get out of the bottom two.
It completes a remarkable fall from grace for the four-times Super League champions, who were only able to take their place in the Championship thanks to a controversial decision by the RFL.
After the old club went in to liquidation, the RFL kept open the Bulls spot in the second tier for a new club playing in Bradford, but they would start with a 12 point deduction.
Bradford won five of their first seven games, but have managed just one win in the last 17, despite retaining a full-time squad and the experienced Australian Geoff Toovey as coach.
Speculation continues as to whether a change in the league structure may offer Bradford a reprieve.
Thanks Ralph Rimmer who said keeping #bradfordbulls in @RLChampionships was best for all parties. Yes all parties barring Bulls & it’s fans.
— Mark Wilson (@MarkWilsonRadio) August 6, 2017
Who ever started the rot at Bradford bulls,I hope you can sleep at night,how can you go from being crowned three times world champs to this
— Gary Ormiston (@GaryOrmiston1) August 6, 2017
Bradford Bulls relegated after one game of the new post-season. And the RFL still think this is the way forward. Should’ve started in Lg1.
— Ben Rossington (@benrossington) August 6, 2017
Bradford Bulls, with all their resources, would still be in a relegation spot even with the 12 deducted points back. Let that sink in. https://t.co/bsJmWc7M4R
— Rod Studd (@Rod_Studd) August 6, 2017
Elsewhere, there were three big home wins in the Championship Shield.
Batley beat Swinton 62-10, Dewsbury defeated Rochdale 56-8 and Sheffield thrashed Oldham 56-16.
