I think it is clear to everyone now how PR has played a big part in other supporters and the media's perceptions of the licence and stadium situations and I think the old regime failed to fully understand this and AG is now having to play catch-up as the damage is done.

This is a very interesting article and and has the usual 'Wakefield are favourite for the drop' statement but the one thing that caught my eye, as the result of this perception that Cas and RW have worked hard to build-up was this "That fell through and plan B – sale to a supermarket – was put in place. Tigers are awaiting planning permission for a retail development on the site and more than 15,000 signatures have been gathered on a petition to support that."

rlhttp://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/castleford-tigers/castleford_tigers_in_good_shape_for_licence_d_day_wright_interview_1_3568144rl

You read that and think Castleford have already sold the ground and the statement awaiting planning permission for a retail development seems to suggest that they have actually made an application and are almost just waiting for it to happen, like some forgone conclusion because so many people have supported it. Now, the point I am making is that the journalist who wrote this piece is not trying to report anything other than what he beleives the true situation to be and that is what he probably thinks! Why... because Cas have worked hard in their PR to make this the perception and you can't knock them for that... it is clearly working.

RW is still telling everyone that planning for WR will be lodged in August but I know different, and unless anything has changed, which I doubt, then it will be late October IF they stick to their own plan!

Perception is everything and unfortunately, Cas probably won this battle even before AG took over!

Perception is everything in all this. Having talked to other RL supporters their perception of all this is that Cas are are far ahead in all this stadium stuff, when in reality it is probably more like 50 50. I think Cas are favourites at this time (for right or wrong) to get a franchise, but during the 3 years after this the clock will be ticking on the GH development and the time for actions will replace the need for PR.

Hopefully Savills wont be taken in so readily.

Cue Fully .....

Mentions of Cas: 5
Mentions of Wakefield: 1

Bless.

I don't think they will be but I am not sure that is going to help Wakefield, in fact it might even have the opposite effect.

I think I know what Savills report is going to say! It will say that Wakefield will know either way early next year whether Newmarket is going ahead or not. Everyone they have spoken to, Ian Thompson, WMDC and Yorkcourt thinks that it will and they are all very confident, but it is still a risk. Castleford are now back in a open-ended time frame and it is more difficult to judge the potential success of a retail planning application for WR, given that one has not been made yet, and therefore their stadium future is possibly slightly more at risk than Wakefield's because they are not as far down the line. However, this might the problem! I expect Savills to write an honest and professional report but they will stop short of sticking their heads too far above the parapet because their are no guarantees for either side and to be honest, that is not their job. I then expect the RFL to possibly think, reading between the lines of the report, that Wakefield are likley to get a ground at Newmarket (in their opinion) whether they are in SL or NL1 and that might be the problem for the short term future of Wakefield in SL.

However, it could turn out to be a problem for other clubs longer term and why Newmarket is so important, no matter what happens on the 26th, to secure the future of Wakefield and first class sporting facilities in the city. What might happen in 2 or 3 years might not be so bad for Wakey and could be bad news for these other clubs!

The old regime failed to understand positive PR at all levels to be honest, but yes you are right.

Well the saying is, only fools rush in!

Yes but to be fair if he accepted the compliment he's have to admit you were right, bit of a catch22 for Cas fans.

I hate to say I told you so... Actually, that's not true, I love it.

I posted something to this effect many months ago and have been repeating it at regular intervals ever since, by way of imploring the club to grasp the PR mettle a bit more robustly and start, as Stevo might say, getting the message out there.

I think the issue has been one of priorities - it looks to me like AG has had his team totally focussed on a) improving the areas where he knew he could make quick gains and b) revamping our franchise application to reflect those changes. I also happen to know that he personally has pulled up trees to improve the clubs standing, reputation and relationships with the RFL, who had little or no good will towards the previous regime. In this, he has been successful.

The cost to that, in my view, has been a period of taking their eyes off the ball in respect of PR and as we all know, perception is reality; to the general public, a picture of RW standing in front of a digger with a headline about £billions of inward investment is more meaningful than our community team receiving an A Grade from the RFL, regardless of the fact that one is prestidigitation and the other is a fact.

Two things to be optimistic about; the first is that in recent months, we've got back on the PR horse and have been much more vocal and visible. The second is that Savils are extremely unlikley to be taken in by the antics of Tricky Dicky - they will sort out the substance from the spin in short order and report it to RFL accordingly.

Maybe a bonus third thing to be optimistic about - the RFL want a thriving city club to take the WMDC SL spot; we just need to give them enough reasons to justify doing so.

Think the whole stadium issue on both sides has been done to death and I will only believe it when either/both are built.

However, the article isn't purely about the stadium but also mentions our junior development, finances, sponsors etc etc and how we have progressed over the last 3 years. This is what franchising was suppose to help clubs do and IMO Cas are a perfect example of a club that has moved forward. You could even argue that we have progressed on the stadium front in that we have fpp (yes I know we need funds to build it).

What I don't get is that other than the stadium aspect when do Cas get mentioned in being weak in the so called other areas of the franchising criteria ?

Junior development - NO
Finances - NO
Community work - NO
Commercial - NO

And that is the thing that hacks me off about the whole process, what's the point in having a set of criteria to work towards when in reality it doesn't make a jot of difference.

We all know the both our clubs are stronger in most of the criteria than other clubs and I don't just mean the expansion sides, but for some reason we appear to be the only two in the frame to lose out...it really is baffling.

Anyway, good luck on the 26th the game we be weakened in the long term should either of us go.

Wonder if they will be doing an in depth interview with AG shortly,very much doubt it unless I've missed it.