Guess again


Money if it came in a life changing amount via a benefactor could of course make a huge change to any club, but just building slowly from the bottom up isn't going to make any difference.
We've been in SL 14 years and have been surviving by the skin of our teeth, going bust and not paying our way.
Cas have been up and down like a tarts drawers and both of us are still struggling near the bottom but for the odd glimpse of success following a year of over achieving.
Happy to struggle on, just happy picking scraps off the top table of RL.
Look at the players both clubs have lost to bigger clubs in this time, now that would have made a real team.

Come on Kinley Cat, you are better than that.
There is no reason why both clubs can't survive. Ultimately we are talking about money as Fordy says.
A merger sounds tempting because you in theory can pool resources, but that means you are also releasing resources as the club can't instanly be twice as big.
Money comes from people through the gate and sponsorship. If we merged less people will come. Its argueable of course whether it would be more than half from either side, and you could possibly split the community so no one goes and they try to generate their own teams.

On top of that, all those players you say we could keep, will still go elsewhere because it would be the same group of people running a club with less support and no identity and ultimately in my opinion less successful.

I'd rather watch an average Wakefield side that builds gradually by spending what they earn.
If it takes 10 years to build a club that can have a nice stadium with good youth system and a better than average team then so be it.

We are talking about a successful club or a surviving one, that is the point.
I will ask you a question, if we grow (as a club) slowly, constantly losing our best players and best juniors, how long do you think it will take us to get to say 6th or 7th place in SL, and out of the stronger clubs in the top eight, who and how are they going to make way for us in the top eight.
A threatened team will target players from any threatening clubs to strengthen their own squad and weaken the aggressors.
Two teams have got their way into the upper echelons, Catalans through years of support from the RFL and a near full strength international squad backed up with a load of aussies and Warrington who have now a wealthy backer and have capitalised on this and (as have catalans) seen the Bulls slide out.
These are the conditions needed to gain "success" and i dont see us benefiting from any of them.

The Merger ship has sailed. We're in the end game, a fight to the death (possibly Mutual Murder?)
The only way is Monopoly.

If the RFL want a reduced SL next time round which Lewes did mentionin an interview last year, the Merger ship is well and truly in dock taking on board fuel and provisions.

The only situation where I can see Merger re-emerging is if both NM & GH fail to materialise in the next 2 years. Otherwise, the club in the strongest position at that time will survive at the expense of the other (or both will be cut). I can't see any benefit of accepting merger if one club has a stadium and the other doesn't. If both projects come off I can't see any logic in merger.

I do get your point about survival v supieror club and I'd love to see us at the top but:
1) Someone has to come at the bottom of the league. It doesn't mean they are bad, just not as good as the others that season. If we have a well run club and improve gradually, I'm ok with mid table mediocity.
Its not settling for less its accepting where we are.

2) I agree with the other posts that it is now a fight to the death. If someone really does have to suceed and fail in the "Calder" area, then only one will survive (to paraphrase from Highlander!). If we lose I'll still support a championship side. I won't just watch Cas cos they are in Super League.

No it really isn't.

I don't disagree with your sentiment, i just think that the longer we "survive" the further we stand still/go back, as others move forward.
You have got to be able to see this, as a non club related issue, which i concede is difficult.
The three independent clubs could provide a huge wealth of talent that could be streamed into a successful representative side at the top of the pyramid.
A team full of all the best players we have produced and were producing before the wealthier or more appealing clubs took them away. a team that could rival any other in SL and an opportunity for the people of the area could be proud of as it truly represents them.
Maybe its all a bit romantic, but i see it as far more doable than the slow growth and wish for someone else's demise option.

I'm interested to know, why you think that is so certain.

Because at the end of the day RL is a sport, and in the UK sports like RL have always been run on what the heart says not the head.

So in theory it's a merger is a viable idea, in reality it will destroy two good clubs (or clubs that survive as you say) and replace them with an unwanted monstrosity that no one wants - that will wither and die within 5 years IMHO. A ground share is more viable but clearly won't slake the RFL's and Clubs thirst to destroy existing and IMHO good clubs. Only in RL could reality and reason be so lost in clouds of bunk theory and delusions of grandeur.

RL has only ever had one enemy, itself.

Vasty - I couldn't have put it better than that.

10 out of 10 for eloquentcy and a hint of romance.



I totally agree with your statement. (P.S. do you have multiple personalities or does your shift between great pieces like the above

and your other lesser works

depend on the time of the month ?)