THE Bulls can still have a competitive budget for next season, according to Chris Brereton.

The former Wakefield director is heading the consortium who are closing in on buying the cash-stricken club from Andrew Chalmers.

Brereton has already made it clear that cuts will have to be made to start clearing a debt to creditors that is understood to be currently over £500,000.

Read more: Brereton aims to get Bulls debt free in two years

Players are expected to go to help towards easing that figure.

Young talent Rowan Milnes and Matty Storton are thought to be attracting Super League interest and would attract sizeable transfer fees. Vice-captain Elliot Minchella’s future at the club could also be uncertain and he would be another asset.

Next season is already shaping up to be a challenging one with the brief likely to be staying in the division first and foremost.

But Brereton has promised that John Kear and his performance staff would still be given a budget to work with in line with other clubs in the Championship.

Brereton told the T&A: “Look at the York figures. Even though we’re saying it will be a tough season, the budget we are putting forward will be considerably more than York spent this year.

“York achieved third place with that. We do intend to put out a competitive team out.

“Some players may have to leave and be turned into money. They may still have to go but we’re at a beggars banquet.”

There have been reports of players considering exercising their right to walk out on contracts after the issues with non-payment of pensions.

Representatives from the consortium have already assured the squad and club staff that the problems will be resolved and the back-dated money that is owed will be paid back in full.

Dewsbury chairman Mark Sawyer is likely to be part of the player recruitment side should the group take control.

Under RFL rules, there is no conflict of interest in being involved in a second club providing the person owns less than a quarter of the shares.

The players are due back at Tong two weeks on Monday to begin their pre-season build-up towards the 2020 campaign, when the Bulls will be based in Dewsbury's Tetley's Stadium.

Fans will expect the takeover has been sorted out in the meantime.

The decision still has to go before the RFL board for their seal of approval but progress continues to be made for the transfer of shares from Chalmers, who remains in New Zealand.

There could be an update from the authorities in the next couple of days, although Brereton has stated that he does not anticipate anything more formal being announced before next week.