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From http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/display.var.2005926.0.harris_outcome_could_bust_bulls.php
Harris outcome could bust Bulls
By Dave Craven
Bulls chairman Peter Hood says Leeds could bankrupt the Bulls if they win their £3.2million battle over Iestyn Harris
Peter Hood has admitted Leeds Rhinos could actually bankrupt the Bulls if they are successful in their High Court action.
The Bradford chairman told a fans forum their arch-rivals are suing them for an astonishing £3.2million in the long-running Iestyn Harris saga - and the Bulls won't be able to pay out.
Hood remains confident they will win the wrangle though and avoid such catastrophic consequences but admits the club are now steeling themselves for a week-long battle next year.
"Our legal team says we should prepare for a seven-day trial in the High Court in London in the second quarter of next year, probably April, May or June of 2009," he said.
"That would be absolutely horrendous and dreadful to contemplate because of the costs and litigation risk but that is where we seem to be heading. The juggernaut has set off.
"The only thing that could stop this case is if the claimant - Leeds - chose to stop it."
Asked whether it would threaten the future of the club, Hood admitted frankly: "Yes. If we had to pay £3.2million within 14 days, we could not do it.
"We are not Manchester United. We don't deal in millions of pounds here and don't have that sitting in the bank."
However, Hood is adamant the Bulls will stave off such a frightening conclusion and insists they are still positive about winning the case themselves.
"It will be argued vigorously and we have a very strong defence," he maintained.
"We expect to go to court and win. It is a major problem in the background for us but we are confident when it comes to the trial we will succeed.
"Even if we don't, we don't believe Leeds will be able to claim such damages. It is a daft claim, a nonsense, and they can't prove it."
The legal dispute has been on-going since the Bulls signed former Rhinos skipper Harris from Cardiff RU in July 2004.
A year later, a High Court judge found the stand-off guilty of failing to honour a clause in the contract he signed at Leeds prior to his move to Wales giving the Rhinos first call on his services as a league player.
Harris and the club have already made payments to the court to cover Leeds' legal costs, pushing upwards of £500,000, but the Rhinos are still pursuing Bradford for compensation, claiming they induced the player to break the contract - a claim the Bulls deny.
Meanwhile, Harris may have actually left Bradford by the time the case comes to court as the 31-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season.
He has instigated action against the legal team which represented him in 2004 and who advised him that the clause in his contract with Leeds was not binding.
The Rhinos are claiming the huge seven-figure sum in terms of a transfer fee as well as lost merchandise potential and ticket sales that Harris' return could have provided.
But Bradford will contest that the Rhinos had just reported record crowds and massive receipts the year the player headed back north.
They actually won the Super League title and had star stand-off Danny McGuire emerging as one of the game's finest talents.
Hood said: "How can they have lost out when the rest of the time they were saying how well they'd done? You can't sell the same seat twice."
Hood admitted he was "disappointed" that the RFL seemed "disinclined" to get involved in the issue between two of the game's biggest clubs.
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Scary that this has been allowed to go on for so long.
Harris outcome could bust Bulls
By Dave Craven
Peter Hood has admitted Leeds Rhinos could actually bankrupt the Bulls if they are successful in their High Court action.
The Bradford chairman told a fans forum their arch-rivals are suing them for an astonishing £3.2million in the long-running Iestyn Harris saga - and the Bulls won't be able to pay out.
Hood remains confident they will win the wrangle though and avoid such catastrophic consequences but admits the club are now steeling themselves for a week-long battle next year.
"Our legal team says we should prepare for a seven-day trial in the High Court in London in the second quarter of next year, probably April, May or June of 2009," he said.
"That would be absolutely horrendous and dreadful to contemplate because of the costs and litigation risk but that is where we seem to be heading. The juggernaut has set off.
"The only thing that could stop this case is if the claimant - Leeds - chose to stop it."
Asked whether it would threaten the future of the club, Hood admitted frankly: "Yes. If we had to pay £3.2million within 14 days, we could not do it.
"We are not Manchester United. We don't deal in millions of pounds here and don't have that sitting in the bank."
However, Hood is adamant the Bulls will stave off such a frightening conclusion and insists they are still positive about winning the case themselves.
"It will be argued vigorously and we have a very strong defence," he maintained.
"We expect to go to court and win. It is a major problem in the background for us but we are confident when it comes to the trial we will succeed.
"Even if we don't, we don't believe Leeds will be able to claim such damages. It is a daft claim, a nonsense, and they can't prove it."
The legal dispute has been on-going since the Bulls signed former Rhinos skipper Harris from Cardiff RU in July 2004.
A year later, a High Court judge found the stand-off guilty of failing to honour a clause in the contract he signed at Leeds prior to his move to Wales giving the Rhinos first call on his services as a league player.
Harris and the club have already made payments to the court to cover Leeds' legal costs, pushing upwards of £500,000, but the Rhinos are still pursuing Bradford for compensation, claiming they induced the player to break the contract - a claim the Bulls deny.
Meanwhile, Harris may have actually left Bradford by the time the case comes to court as the 31-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season.
He has instigated action against the legal team which represented him in 2004 and who advised him that the clause in his contract with Leeds was not binding.
The Rhinos are claiming the huge seven-figure sum in terms of a transfer fee as well as lost merchandise potential and ticket sales that Harris' return could have provided.
But Bradford will contest that the Rhinos had just reported record crowds and massive receipts the year the player headed back north.
They actually won the Super League title and had star stand-off Danny McGuire emerging as one of the game's finest talents.
Hood said: "How can they have lost out when the rest of the time they were saying how well they'd done? You can't sell the same seat twice."
Hood admitted he was "disappointed" that the RFL seemed "disinclined" to get involved in the issue between two of the game's biggest clubs.
-----------------------------
Scary that this has been allowed to go on for so long.
