STEVE Crossley insists Bradford Bulls are in good hands after the takeover of the club was confirmed.

The Bradford-born player has pledged his future to the Bulls as they look to recruit for next season after being lifted out of special measures by the Rugby Football League (RFL) following a sale of shares from previous chairman Andrew Chalmers.

Crossley has first-hand knowledge of two of the men associated with the takeover, shareholder Mark Sawyer and interim chairman Eric Perez. They will be joined by the Wood family, featuring former RFL chief executive Nigel Wood.

The 29-year-old prop worked under Dewsbury Rams chairman Sawyer during his playing spell at Tetley's Stadium.

Crossley was also with Perez during the early days of the now Super League club during his spell there during the 2017 season.

He said: "Eric was the visionary behind Toronto. He has a big amount of love for rugby league.

"He is developing a new team in Ottawa. He brings a lot of success and rugby league knowledge.

"I have also worked with Mark. He stabilised the club (Dewsbury), everything he has done around the club; a new stand, new gym and 4G pitches. He keeps himself out of the spotlight."

Crossley has also called for a line to be drawn under the negative publicity Bulls generated during the weeks leading up to last Tuesday night's announcement, saying it is time for everyone to move on and look towards the future.

He added: "There seems to have been a lot of scaremongers out there. There was nothing to tell before, but now the takeover is taking place, now there is something to tell.

"It was all doom and gloom before apparently with administration talk. It's about moving on. Looking forward and being positive.

"We've got to move on and do our job."

Meanwhile, Sawyer says the new consortium will deal with the unpaid player pension payments cash but have to follow the correct protocol and cannot progress the matter any further until next month.

Sawyer added Chalmers has money in an account ready to pay the pensions.

Earlier this month Bulls apologised for mistakes made regarding player pension payments.

In a club statement, they admitted not “properly implementing” the workplace pension scheme because of an administrative error.

Sawyer says the matter is in hand and the pensions regulator will review the consortium's handling of the pensions payments next month.

Sawyer said: "It's disappointing pension money has not been paid. There has been a lot of negative publicity about it.

"It's just a case of a lot of issues out there and it's p*** poor how it's been dealt with. We have taken a hold on it. Andrew has money in an account of what is due and is ready to pay and we have to follow a procedure. it was just incompetence. It's an embarrassment.

"Hopefully we will have news on the pensions when it's reviewed on November 16 by the pensions regulator."