Wigan have not won a Grand Final in the summer era but that hasn't stopped them attracting the envy of many other Super League clubs including, perhaps surprisingly, Bradford.

Despite running a club that has made four successive Grand Finals and recorded an historic treble in 2003, Bulls chairman Chris Caisley can't help looking a little wistfully at the current state of affairs at the JJB.

While the JJB trophy cabinet may be bare, owner Dave Whelan's wallet certainly isn't. And while Wigan and Bradford may be undergoing similar trials in terms of unexpected player losses, it's Wigan's seemingly unending ability to buy their way out of trouble that has ruffled Caisley's feathers.

Even the potential loss of club cornerstone Andy Farrell to rugby union doesn't seem to have flustered Wigan, with such a move merely freeing up the salary cap room for a serious tilt at the game's next big thing - budding Kiwi superstar Sonny Bill Williams.

"They've had a few injuries and a few knock backs, as we've had, but they have the apparent advantage of their owners' largesse," said Caisley.

"They just seem to be able to whistle up another player quite easily, with Jerome Guisset being the latest - and talk of Sonny Bill Williams possibly making a move there."

Wigan may be fortunate to enjoy the backing of local lad and JJB Sports baron Whelan - who also bankrolls the town's football club - but Caisley is surprised no Bradford-born entrepreneur has emerged to fulfil a similar role at the Bulls.

"We are not in the fortunate position of having - and never had - anybody with that sort of financial clout behind us.

"We work with what we have got and over the years we have had good teams because people want to come and play for us. But we've never had anybody from Bradford who has been remotely interested in trying to put some finance into the operation, which is a bit of a shame.

"I'm not talking about a gift because I firmly believe that, with a little bit more investment on and off the field, this club could do all manner of things. It could become a fantastic business.

"With the position we've got the stadium into at the moment plus the success we've already had and the brand that we've now got, it is ripe for somebody like a Dave Whelan to have come forward and say 'well, you can't take it with you, let's have a bit of fun along the way'.

"But, for whatever reason, we haven't found that."

Despite their current predicament, with only two points from a fortunate victory over the Warriors to their credit, Caisley insists the Bulls will turn their season around.

"We are not where we want to be but there are plenty of opportunities to make it up.

"The biggest blow for us was losing Shontayne Hape for so long but we have to get over it and it is an opportunity for some of these young lads to stake their claim."

And Caisley doesn't believe a new financial backer is a must if the Bulls are to recapture very recent glories.

"We've done what we've done without one. We've just got to be a bit more innovative about how we do things in future. I am sure that we'll work on this season and we'll do a

lot better than some of the doom

and gloom merchants are forecasting."