WITH Steve Bruce admitting his attempts to sign Jordan Rhodes are ‘dead and buried’ you would hope that brings to an end what, while not quite a saga, has certainly been the only story in town as far as Rovers fans are concerned this past week.

So, with the dust seemingly settled on a tale that twisted this way and that, have Venky’s made the right decision to refuse all offers from Hull for their prized asset, both from a footballing and a financial point of view?

Well one look at the latest annual accounts for the club’s holding company would suggest that they should snapped off Tigers boss Bruce’s hands.

However it is clear that the best way – some say the only way – to improve the financial situation at Ewood is by winning promotion back to the Premier League.

And if you are serious about doing that then why sacrifice the best goalscorer outside of the top flight?

Rhodes has netted 55 goals in the Championship since the start of the 2012-13 season, more than any other player.

And pair him alongside the ever improving Rudy Gestede – who has swiftly dismissed any fears he would be unable to pick up from where he left off – and you are looking at the deadliest frontline in the division.

And as Leicester and Burnley proved with David Nugent and Jamie Vardy and Danny Ings and Sam Vokes respectively last season, prolific strike-partnerships can take you a long way.

Not that Rovers are a two-man team. I said before the start of the season that I would not swap Gary Bowyer’s first-choice starting XI for most in the Championship.

But I also said his squad needed bolstering if Rovers were to stand a stronger chance of following in the footsteps of Leicester and Burnley and winning automatic promotion.

Back then Bowyer had been restricted to a pair of free transfers and a season-long loan. Well, with five days of the transfer window remaining, nothing has changed.

Would it have changed had Venky’s given the go-ahead to cash in on Rhodes? You would hope so given Hull were willing to pay £10m-plus.

With funds at his disposal Bowyer could have set about strengthening the two or three positions he needs to.

And, as Burnley proved when letting Charlie Austin leave on the eve of last season, there can be life after your star striker.

However selling Rhodes would have done much to deflate the genuine air of optimism among the Rovers fan base.

So in this instance – and it’s not often we have been able to say this over the course of their ownership – credit where credit’s due to Venky’s for the stance they are taking.

It is a big call.