I honestly dont know if smokey just wants to provoke an argument or he just doesnt get it,the people of castleford and wakefield (and fev for that matter) want to support there team in the top flight but not as much as they want to support there own team. Smokey seems to think that since we share a (innept and universally despised) council we feel some affiliation towards each other, even though anyone who lives or has spent much time in that district know that isnt the case. The people of cas feel no more affiliation to wakey than they do leeds, bradford, huddersfield or anywhere else in the county, and i've never met someone from wakefield that feels any affiliation to cas. No merged team can work unless it has the fans support and there is no support for the idea. Some people seem to think that a merge team would make rl stronger in the district, when everyone who is from the district knows that it would make it weaker, so many fans that rl cannot afford to lose would be lost to the game for ever and the damage to one of rl's strongest nurseries would be all but irreversable.

Anyway this argument has been done to death a thousand times and i cant be bothered getting into one of smokey cut and paste-athons

There was a thread on here listing what every team posted, Cas were making a profit of around 20 grand.

Not spending the full cap is good business sense no? they still made the playoffs 2 years ago and just missed out on a crap decision against Hull KR last year, building a stable club with a profit is far more important than spending the full cap, doing nothing and making a loss (half the teams in the league).

rugby league has a lot of money in it at some parts, and very little in others.

The fact that some clubs still arent spending the SC which was set 10 years ago and hasnt risen since highlights very clearly just how far behind some clubs are.

Really? Why we get around 7,000 for an International and RU clubs get 80,000 and the Union club game getsa full 2 page spread when they play and we get a tiny little bit at the bottom. You want RL to expand, it isn't going to, sorry but it's not because no-one cares for it that much.

So there is no actual evidence for it.

It is good business sense, but it shows the huge difference in size between Cas and some other clubs.
Im not arguing some clubs in SL arent been run in an unsustainable manner, they are.

And im not arguing Cas should spend more than they have. Im saying they are quite a way behind the other clubs, and playing catch up, and not in a position to be turning down growth opportunities. They have to do something or be left behind.

No, its because the game was run for a long time by people who got caught in meaningless personal battles between parishes and ignored the greater good of the game, thankfully an end was put to that and we have seen almost unfettered growth since.

And we dont get 7k for an international, we (as in england) generally get between 12k and 40k depending on the opponents.

So spending more money each year building up to the full cap isn't good, but merging with a bankrupt club with no fans is a good idea, when said merger WILL lose more fans compared to what it would gain?



And as for being quite a way behind "the other teams" what other teams are they then? Bradford? Hull FC? both of them do brilliantly spending the full cap don't they?

And they're hardly being left behind are they? consistently mid table without spending as much as the teams above them? how good will they be in a year or 2 in a new stadium spending the full cap? Cas don't need a merger, Wakefield do - so it wont happen because both parties will not gain from it.

they do have fans, they have about 6k fans, we know this to be true because they turn up most weeks, its not one of your made up facts, its actually true.

And are you really saying that more than 50% of each clubs fans would quit the game altogether than watch a merged club, and there isnt enough potential in the district to attract more new fans for the merged club?

A huge amount better than Castleford on the field and in most other areas yes.

Except Cas will get the chance to target the 6k fans we know exist in Wakefield, they will lose a competitor, they will gain about £2million from the RFL, and pretty much guarantee themselves a license. Along with the fact that when they do open their new stadium their wont be another one opening 1 junction down the road fighting for the same fans. Apart from that they wouldnt get anything.

So how have Bradford and the far superior on field performances fared the last 2 years in comparison to Cas? yeah, worse

So, let me get this straight, you think that the 6,000 Wakey fans (who mustered 500 season ticket sales this year, how loyal) would come watch a merged club in numbers - when as shown they wont even help their own club in hard times?

I know, while we're at it lets merge the 2 Hull teams so they aren't competing for the same fans, Leeds & Bradford, Wigan & St Helens, Warrington & Widnes



Simple fact is, as sad as it is - if they can't survive then "for the greater good of the sport" as you put it earlier - let Wakefield die and start again from the bottom, the league will be stronger without them, and with your thinking those 6000 Wakefield fans will become Cas fans over night meaning the average attendance for Cas games would be 13,000+.

Why would we be so ridiculous as to only compare the last two years? And then why would be so ridiculous as to only compare one of the two clubs you mentioned.

Since the advent of SL and since Hulls merger, both Hull and Bradford have been superior to Castleford in pretty much every facet.

I think some of them would yes, i think it would be niave to think otherwise. I have been to games at Wakefield, and Castleford and Bradford when Leeds arent playing because I enjoy RL. If Leeds ceased to exist for whatever reason I wouldn't stop enjoying RL. I would simply go watch one of the other clubs in the area.

The two hull teams may do in time, Leeds, Bradford, Wigan, Saints, Warrington are all superior to Castleford and Wakefield.

The league would be stronger with an amalgamation of Cas and Wakefield than it would to lose wakefield and add nothing to Cas. As i said i dont believe all 6k of Wakefields fans would move over, but i dont doubt that if marketed and sold properly within 5 years we would see at least 70% of them do so. With likely around 30-50% immediately, moving to the merged club and seeing attendances of around 9-11k

I don’t believe he is trying to provoke anyone.

The gist of his argument is that Castleford as a separate entity will never be able to match the ‘big boys’ of the game.

A club under the district banner could achieve both the required attendances and also harvest what is obviously a hot-bed for future talent.

exactly.

I want to see a club in the district that is really pushing the big boys, year in year out.