Which was my point - in the other two cases you had a bigger team effectively taking over a weaker one and retaining its own identity, ground, fanbase etc with a couple of cosmetic changes.

If you're talking about a true merger of Cas and Wakefield to create a brand new "third party" club such as Calder, then (IMO) it won't carry any of those things from either Cas or Wakefield and will be starting again almost from scratch having alienated a large percentage of its potential target audience (rugby league fans in the Five Towns area).

Which is the bit where opinions are all subjective.

If the RFL enforced a merger and gave no membership to any offsprings, there is no doubt in my mind that it would work. They love their RL down in Cas, and despite it been a minority in Wakefield the diehards love it there too. They may give initial oppossition but they would go in the end.

Neither club as it stands is doing anything more than making up the numbers, yet Cas fans especially continue to go. The game would be far better with the one merged club. I see no benefit in either as a singular club in super league.

There will be no enforced merger by the RFL, IMO.

It's a matter for Castleford and Wakefield to sort out between them and merger, I imagine, would be low down both club's lists.

An agreed site for a groundshare appears the logical way forward.

The RFL wouldn't want the publicity that would ensue from effectively closing two businesses and making people redundant

Think best way forward is for the Fev Fan (s) to mediate on this and draw this to a swift conclusion.

All 3 clubs could merge though

Just blame the tories.

Works everytime.

Castlefield Wildtigers – has a ring to it don’t you think?

maybe for now, but in 10 years?

maybe a merged club would only have 5-6k now, but with a bit of success a fair few would come back, and the kids now (who are the important ones) have little loyalty, in 5-10 years when they become young adults they wont really know anything other than a one club city, and their kids will never have known a 2 club city of wakefield.

the question isnt really what is best for both clubs right now, but what is best for the sport in the district for the future

maybe £1/£2Million to the owners would help, they may not be forcing but greasing the wheels im sure

I like it kinky.

I see a scenario of both clubs getting nowt sorted re grounds
and the RFL having to make a couple of decisions re new licences
so it should be twitchy bum time for them 2 clubs

A groundshare makes a lot of sense. A new stadium with shared costs should enable both sides to be stronger than they are now.

Not at all convinced of the benefits of merging sides though. Look at the crowds of the 'merged' NRL sides and you'll see a significant net loss in support at each one (2+2<3 sort of effect).

It'll be interesting going to the same stadium for two away games on (sometimes) consecutive weeks.
Could happen.

Who's home game would it be if they play each other?

It'd be designated when the fixtures came out ala Milan and Inter.