One thing to remember on this issue is I follow Castleford Tigers in whatever league and do not get nervous sweats at the possibility they may not be in SL.
Wiping out the possibility of new fans for my club just on the off chance we may not be jettison at the whim of a post-Lindsay RFL pen pusher is not really an option.
The proximity of the 3 clubs is what keeps the rivalry alive, there is respect but also a drive to be the top...

Remember SL does not equal RL

Thought Selby was York area, 17 miles to Cas, 14 miles to York, and with a York postcode, you can't surely claim Selby as being in Cas?

You are unique in the fact that you talk quite well about this without just resorting to the shallow arguement some do in that we are close together and are not top of the league so must merge.
I do agree with Walton though that I support Wakefield, no matter where they play (in league and stadium). I'd be diappointed if they cease to exist clearly, but I'd still watch them in the lower division.
I do see the point of having a strong Super league and I would love to see a league where everyone is getting 10k+ crowds and big sponsorhip deals on the table.
The problem for me is that only a few are there and we shouldn't be singled out as the merger option any more than the other clubs.
Ok, I'll exempt Leeds, Wigan and Sts as they don't need to merge financially.

Bradford I would have done but clearly they are no better than us at the moment. But they are a good example to use.
Would they have been stronger if they'd merged with Halifax or Keighley? I don't think so. They would have just killed the smaller one and carried on exactly as they were before. They would have a wider catchment area, but the stallwarts who go see a team at a lower league level are not the types to just switch teams to watch Super league. If they were they would already have been watching Bradford.

So for me, mergers don't work like the theory. They are simply takeovers. And as with all takeovers, the assets would be sold and any advantage taken, but pretty soon it is just back to where it was.

In business terms, taking over the shop next door does not expand your business. It just gives you better premises and possibly gives you a monopoly on the immediate area. If you bought some shops in the neighbouring county then you expand your business as you get new customers but that isn't a Rugby league merger.

I think there's a flawed assumption that fans of individual teams would all simply club together and support a merged club. (This assumption seems to be held by those not affected by any proposed merger).

Sport's a more emotive subject than other business and fans have emotional attachment to their team and area. So much so that in most cases there are incredible rivalries between them and the supporters of the team they're being asked to merge with. It's those emotions that sport is built on. Take that away and nobody is interested anymore.

If a merger was forced or some sort of ultimatum then I think many fans would either campaign to start their own clubs further down the hierachy (like Sheffield and Gateshead) or be lost to the game as a whole. I simply don't see how an artificial, manufactured hybrid team would generate the support it would need to be a sustainable business.

From a Bradford perspective there is an incredible rivalry between us and Halifax and Keighley. These are distinctive places with their own identities. With Cas, Fev and Wakey it's a similar situation. Just because they are close geographically doesn't mean a thing.

I think there's also too much attention given to the issue of modern stadia too. Just because a side plays in modern facilities doesn't mean they're a well run club that has a firm financial footing. It should be easier for them to operate but it doesn't guarantee anything.

If a majority of fans want a merger then so be it. However I can't see that happening unless there was a heck of a compromise and nobody felt like they were being "taken over" or wiped out of existence.

Good luck, I hope Wakey, Cas and Fev go on separately unless you all decide you want otherwise.

I presume the assumption must be that having a big successful club in the area will attract the floating voter, or those intrigued by the new big name team & forthcoming generations of kids who just want to attach themselves to a successful team, irrespective of area loyalties. The only comparison I can think of is forming MK Dons in an area that previously did not have a top flight football club. They had to attract a new fan base, at the moment they seem to get c8k crowds, whether that is sustainable or successful I have no idea. But if a Calder team was formed they would need to get >10k to be seen as a success. If they were top 4 they might achieve it, but you couldn't form a top 4 team out of the current 3 teams. All of this would come at the potential loss of several thousand speccies to the game. Personally I will watch RL anywhere, anytime, but that's probably because I am not from the heart of that region.

he played for Whitemoor warriors juniors now Selby Warriors. to say Selby is a cas area is very wrong and very annoying from my position. there is just as many if not more Rovers and Rhinos fans, i have seen many buses from Selby going to watch Rovers games but never 1 to see cas. cas have done nothing to help junior rugby in selby i myself started the warriors juniors up and rang rovers for some help, they bought us a new kit several match balls to get us going,and sent a coach round to pick all the kids up and took them to a game i rang cas and the answer i got was "must be joking we could do with some sponsorship". Rovers Are doing coaching in Brayton, Carlton and Selby high at the min and only last week Rovers hooker andy Ellis was at Brayton high doing a talk in assembley. Rovers let the Warriors use there ground all the time free of charge and the selby and district cup finals day is to be played at post Office Road on the 4th May again free of charge. cas sent Ryan mcgoldrick to do a session the other year and then sent the lottery manager to try and get the club signed up to there lottery, (no chance)If Selby is a cas area there not doing a lot to protect it are they

I thought I'd left this excellent debate but the superb post above requiress further comment. I agree with all of Bullseyes comments with a couple of important caviats.
re. passion and emotion - I only advocate a coming together so that that passion can be bottled up and given to any new club born out of the 3, and never lost. Purely because that seems a far better option to me than losing 1 or perhaps 2 of the 3.
New stadia do not guarantee a thing...... I would again agree with that, and good examples of this are at Salford and Widnes where the passion and size of crowds I witnessed in the late 60s and 70s simply is not there today despite new Stadia. But in the Calder area(excuse the term I can think of no other) we are dealing with fans who ooze passion without having any real recent success. Thats why I believe the model you will be looking at is the KC Stadium/Halliwell Jones/and Langtree Park/DW. ie. A model whch is successsful. Indeed Wires success may be a factor in the Widnes's supporter malaise despite all they won in the 70s.

Takeover; Again I agree, this could never be a Hull/Gateshead scenario, it has none of the Geographic or club size/history issues. We are dealing here with Fans and Directors who would never allow that to happen and the RL HQ would not dare even try forcing it as they did so poorly with Gateshead. It would have to be completely fair, transparent and favouring not 1 former club. Each club would be divesting its future and its own fan base to something bigger and BETTER of course, that could hold its own against the very best. (Some of these points also cover TigerTots insightful comments above too.)

Having said all that, I am of course aware that the strength of feeling on here is so anti any merger that even with such potential as can be seen at the Club stadia models I refer to, I still feel there is just not the will to let go of what you have and come together for the good of the game in the area. And believe me I do respect and concur with that.

Over in Hull, mergers were talked of prior to the KC being built and both clubs rejected it. Hull FC believed they had the fan base to be sustainable and indeed we are and have held an A Grade license throuout our tenure in SL. Ironically Rovers also believed they had that same potential to recapture their success of the 70s and 80s. I say ironically because it is their lack of acceptable stadia and smaller fan base which are 2 of the things holding them back. I say ironically also in terms of this discussion because Rovers are sadly now looking down the barrel, and at the same time you 3 could have the opportunity to make sure you never are in that position. I'm convinced Neil Hudgell at HKR would hapilly merge with a club who had similar support base / size etc/East Hull based/ if it meant keeping the East Hull SL flag flying AND SUSTAINABLE. One day that club may even be Hull FC who knows ?, FC may yet find difficult imes ahead, anythings possible. But for today FC are doing well on their own, with a great place to play and an owner who continues to run the club on a firm financial footing and a fan base most would die for.
FC are indeed fortunate and I want this fantastic RL area to ensure they can feel the same fortunate way in 20 years time by making the tough decisions today.

Right, thats it I'm outa here, bye.

(p,s. just for the record I'm 100% behind HKR sorting out their problems too.)

If I were in charge down at Red Hall (and not a Cas fan) and was looking at the conundrum of Cas/Wakey/Fev this is what I would do. Sod mergers, they will never fly. It would be a case of build it and they will come.

Set up a new club, new stadium, invest some proper cash to allow the club to spend up to the full cap and a appoint a top coach. Basically, a franchise team, but in the heartland. Then stick Cas and Wakey with Fev in the Championship. You would end up with the best players at Cas and Wakey leaving anyway and you give the new side first pick from of the refugees. Then the three sides would also end up acting as feeder clubs for the franchise team, dual regs. etc. Each club also gets to keep their identity and rivalry.

Of course it would be a risk, but in an area that loves rugby I think you would soon see fans from all three clubs start turning out at the new club; if it were properly competitive and playing in good stadium. Also, in one stroke you get to reduce the number of sides in Super League (something which apparently has to happen...) and add another competitive team into the mix.

There is no conundrum. Just supporters of other clubs pontificating on what they think should happen. (as long as it doesn't involve their club)

I dunno, I think the conundrum is that you have a relatively small geographic area that lives and breathes Rugby League, that produces many many top players but yet cannot muster a side that can challenge for honours, nor one that is particularly sustainable, or who can get their house in order to move to a modern stadium.

edit. Your bolding has highlighted the grammatical error in my post- now corrected!

Out of interest... how many Hunslet or Bramley fans turn out at Leeds games?

That is why it would need to be new club. No ingrained rivalries.

However considering that only a few hundred turn up the watch the Hawks each week I'd take a guess that a few fans (or former fans) do go see their big city neighbours.