Fax boss: We want new Bradford side in the Championship

The struggling Bulls were liquidated on Tuesday with debts of more than £1million after administrators failed to agree a deal for the stricken club.

But a rapid resurrection seems probable, with the Rugby Football League likely to give any new business, whatever form it takes, a start in the Championship when it kicks off at the beginning of February, albeit with a 12-point deduction that would virtually rule them out of top four contention.

“I’ve been in rugby league all my working life and you don’t like to see coaches, players and administrators go through what the people at Bradford are going through,” said Marshall.

“I experienced it a little bit at Halifax when we went into a CVA in 1999 and it’s not nice; it’s stressful and it’s difficult.

“From our perspective, we want those games against Bradford.

“We have a great rivalry and great contests and we don’t want to lose that.”

The Bulls’ playing squad are all free to leave, although Marshall suggested there would be other clubs more interested than Fax, who have gone through their own round of cost cuts this winter.

“They’ve got players that would be of interest, but unless people are prepared to come and play for considerably less money I think there’ll be other clubs around us more in the market,” he said.

Marshall, who will put his side through an opposed training session against Toronto Wolfpack at Calderdale College on Saturday at 11am said he expects half back Gareth Moore, who limped off against Featherstone with a dead leg, to be available for the Widnes game.

“Gareth is training again and apart from that we came through against Featherstone with a clean bill of health,” he said.