The Rugby Football League will respond privately to a threat of legal action from the three directors who quit the Bulls last week.

Mark Moore and co-directors Andrew Calvert and Ian Watt, who formed Bradford Bulls 2014 Ltd to run the club after they went into administration, withdrew their offer to the administrator after Bradford were docked six Super League points and placed in special measures by the governing body for breaching the game’s insolvency regulations.

In a bitter war of words, Moore accused the governing body of misleading the club throughout their dealings, with RFL chief operating officer Ralph Rimmer laying the blame for the crisis at the directors’ failure to fulfil their promise to purchase the Bulls from former owner Omar Khan.

The three directors have started legal proceedings for defamation, claiming Rimmer effectively accused them of lying, and Moore has called on the RFL to issue an apology.

An RFL spokesperson said: “There will be no public response but we will respond to Moore’s lawyers appropriately.”

The RFL are now involved in talks with Leeds-based administrator David Wilson in an effort to find a new buyer for Bradford.