Good post and sums up where the game is heading. I have been watching the recent developments from afar and chose not to comment but it is obvious what the RFL are up to. The sudden implementation of minimum standards tells you all you need to know. They want our place taken by someone else and they will not rest till we are gone.

Also, from last night, did you hear Eddie's comments regarding Leigh's challenge cup run in 2015.

He had great delight in mentioning the fact that Leigh knocked us out

The RFL should be made to make its plans public instead they will access the situation and make an announcement at or towards the end of the season and look to implement immediately.
Phil Clark s comments do nothing for a game that due to very poor management and no direction seems to take on board whimsical suggestions.
Do the RFL really think that big city's are sat in the wings prepared to take on a club simply to be associated with RL when the games in decline for what ever reasons.
With regards to Toronto it's work on progress and I would not expect them to havexpect a stronger position than Gateshead, Cardiff, Mansfield , Scarborough, South Wales before them. Infact the logistics are more of a problem than any of the clubs mentioned.
Why would anyone club in S L at this moment in time even Concider such a merger.
In short the R f L have had many a hair brained scheme in the past and they are simply not fit for purpose.

Since I started watching the game it has already shrunk massively, Barrow and the cumbrian teams are just about hanging on and they used to compete and produce a fair few internationals. Swinton were a massive club and Oldham were a decent club, RL is dead just about in that area. Then there are the areas is Yorkshire where the game is just about hanging on.

To think any large City would want an RL franchise is crazy, Rugby Union is the game, it has the profile and the money and that is what could sell a franchise, not league. In fact look at South Yorks, RL has been hanging on in there for years but never made great in roads. However they have both Donny and Rotherham RU teams which draw crowds that would do OK in SL.

Toronto, well that will be history in a few years and in the RL room 101 with Kent Invivta, Mansfield Marksmen and the rest.

As I mentioned before, unless I'm otherwise mistaken and there to be no relegation this year, Trinity have nothing to sell. An ill thought out comment not to be taken seriously. Besides Trinity have been playing SL out of a substandard championship ground for years.

I would suggest we let Mr Clarke know the error of his ways when the Sky cameras are in next Thursday.

To be fair to Clarke he has written a number of positive articles about Wakefield in recent times, one that springs to mind was about Crowther, Johnstone and Jowitt and how they were a reflection of how well Wakefield were doing in the junior ranks etc.

It really annoys me that people in RL circles spout such tripe without giving the facts of what is going on. Clarke must be in the know about our predicament, hell I bet he probably even reads these pages, it doesn't take a great deal to find out. Why cant they talk about what has actually been going on with the new ground. It does make you wonder whether there is an instruction from somewhere to get the negative stuff out on the table because if its said often enough, the uninformed masses think it must be true. See Donald Trump and how he got elected for example.

Does anybody really listen to what Clarke says anyway? His role has changed in recent seasons to be the 'controversial' one, the one that goes against popular opinion. Just listen to his commentary, he'll be the one arguing for a try when its blatently not, screaming penalty when it isn't etc. Think the daft Salford to win superleague a couple of years ago. It's an act.

The only thing that he said that worried me was how Tom Johnstone is his favourite player. He said the same about Denny Solomona.

Phil Clarke is right about the stadium, and is consistent with MC's public statements, Where he is wrong is suggesting that rather than supporting the Wakefield fans and Board in lobbying for what we were promised, he suggests that we sell to the highest bidder and forget about the loyalty to the club by the fans that has been there through some very hard times. For anyone under 45, there hasn't been anything that could be regarded as "good times" in the context of what fans of Bradford, Leeds, Warrington, Hull, Widnes and Wigan have enjoyed in their lifetimes, but still the people turn out, despite the surroundings.

Now where recently have we heard, in connection with Phil Clarke, anything to do with promises being unimportant if there is a higher bidder elsewhere ...... Hmmmmm ..... can't think .......

There can't be many teams who's own supporters bag the team/ground as much as Trinity fans. We have enough detractors out there without getting into bed with them.
If you were selling your car you wouldn't advertise it as being "ramshackle, falling apart, not worth buying" you fluff it up in the hopes that someone will want it.

To be fair re the ground, it starts from the top.

If you're referring to MC then you are correct, but my impression is that he's playing poker again and using it as leverage to try and get a positive outcome for the club as a whole. He's not using it as a tool to belittle everything Trinity as some seem to enjoy doing.
Am I an Ostrich, yeah I think I probably am, and for one good reason only, as I've posted before, plenty of others slag us off, be it the media or fans, and I'm not sure I want to join in to blast negatives at the club I've followed since '73.

But if you didn't own the car and had merely hired it, you might slag it off to the hire company and anyone who will listen in the hope that you will eventually be supplied with a car that meets your needs.

But what if you'd had that car ages and loved it. You really would love to be the owner of a car but paying subs for this one was your only option. The hire company by the way was the only local option available.

How about we knock down Stonehenge/St Pauls, they're old buildings.