Bradford could face bankruptcy after it was revealed that Leeds are suing for £3.2million over the disputed signing of Iestyn Harris.
Chairman speaks to fans' forum
Bradford could face bankruptcy after it was revealed that Leeds are suing the club for £3.2million over the disputed signing of Iestyn Harris.
Bulls chairman Peter Hood remains confident his club will win the case but admits they are expecting a week-long battle in the High Court next year.
The Bradford chairman made the revelation at a fans' forum on the eve of the new season.
The two clubs have already spent in excess of £500,000 on legal fees since the former Leeds captain joined Bradford from Cardiff rugby union club in 2004.
Guilty
In July 2005, a High Court judge found Harris guilty of failing to honour a clause in his contract which gave the Rhinos first call on his services as a league player.
The same judge ruled that Bradford had, in effect, induced Harris to break his contract with Leeds.
Hood told the forum: "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.
"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: "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."
Record
The Rhinos are claiming the huge sum in lieu of a transfer fee as well as lost merchandise potential and ticket sales that Harris' return could have provided.
But Bradford will point out that Leeds won the Super League title and reported record crowds the year the player returned to the 13-man code.
Hood added: "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.
"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 31-year-old Harris will almost certainly have left Bradford by the time the case comes to court as he 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.
