JOHN Kear has shot down suggestions the Bulls have thrown money at the Championship this season.

Kear is urging fans to consider the “bigger picture” as the club face up to the prospect of quitting Odsal for Dewsbury.

He insists that the move out of the city has been forced because of the heavy costs of maintaining their long-term home – and the impact that has on the pitch.

Kear said: “You’ve just got to look at the bigger picture. I don’t know how we’re going to continue to progress on the field without moving.

“People seem to have this impression that we’re massive spenders and we’re not.

“The full-time athletes we’ve got are young men, so you tend to get them cheaper.

“I can guarantee you that Toulouse, Toronto, Featherstone and Leigh will all spend more than us over this period of time.”

The Bulls coach has heard the talk in some quarters that his club have splashed the cash on the playing squad in their bid to return to Super League.

Kear feels it is a popular misconception – and points to the policy of balancing full and part-time players in the changing room as proof that Bradford are not spending beyond their means.

“I can categorically tell people that’s not the case,” he added. “That’s why we run this hybrid system.

“It works for me because I set myself a goal that anywhere between fifth and eighth was progression.

“Season one (when I signed a three-year deal as coach) was to get out of League One, season two was to consolidate in the Championship. An exceptional season would have been qualification for the play-offs, which isn’t dead yet but is unlikely.

“The fact that we’ve been punching in there is great credit to the players.

“Obviously season three was to challenge. That’s what I signed up for.

“Promotion, consolidation and challenge – they were my words for the years I was going to be there.

“We’ve certainly got promoted and certainly consolidated so hopefully next year we can challenge.”

York, who pipped the Bulls for the League One title, are guaranteed a play-off spot. But Kear does not see their success as an indication that his own team have fallen short.

“I just think York have been exceptional. They are the only team who will finish above us who have spent less than us.

“The team who have put the least in, Rochdale, have ended up bottom. You’re not going to get it exactly correlating (with the amount spent) but I think you’ll be 80-90 per cent right.”