Yes, I said it before and I'll say it again, there are some clubs out there that are(granted with a bit of a push from IMG) that are genuinely looking to make sustainable improvements for all of the right reasons and become a better club with better facilities etc. I think just looking at the things we are doing as a club, we fall into the category.

Then you have the clubs that aren't buying into it, that will scrape the bare minimum with sticking plasters (quite literally in some cases) all over the place just to pick up points on the technicality that they do meet a minimum criteria on something, this is Cas, it's very clear to see. This is a club that is going to pick up points under financial investment because there "investor" transferred a million pounds into the clubs bank account, with zero plans to actually use the money on the club and will be back in his pocket the first signs they've picked that point up... Again a loophole in the criteria.

Lets not forget though, before Matt Ellis arrived we probably fell into this category too.

The thing is Cas can command and big crowd and large social media following even with an old stadium.
They don't need the change as badly as us.
Thar will only take them so far though.
If Toulouse or Bradford kick on, or even Widnes get some investment, they'll be left behind.

Agree that Cas’s crowd is good but I think they will fall into the same media bracket as us and alot of teams in SL as it’s a very large jump to the next step of the bracket. (Think us and Cas would sit in the 100k plus subscriptions and associated interaction banding.

Just on that million pound for financial investment.

I wonder if Ellis will do the same and leave it there for the grading and then after points secured use it for the new restaraunt/bar/ground improvements?

Maximum points on finance would be excellent. I’m sure the club have it under control.

That £1m investment is split over 3 years, the first injection of approx 1/3rd of it wen in to last years accounts about 48hrs before the deadline for it to be considered in 2023's IMG assessment, the 2nd payment has gone in this year and you can presume if they stay in SL that the 3rd will go in to next years. it isn't £1m in this years accounts.

So can we do the same or have we done the same? I assume at least for this year and possibly last as Ellis was providing some funds/investment for players.

I’m sure that the club will be all over securing maximum points that it can in every area. I just don’t know how it works and actually transitions to points.

ME's investment in to Trinity Dwarfs MJ coppers in to Cas

No our submission will be in a leather bound brochure as opposed to the back of a fag packet.

Apparently that was because they were counting with 6 fingers on each hand

Just returned from Cas v Warrington game and had the misfortune to sit in the wooden rickety stand, if that stadium is fit for SL under the IMG system then the scoring is corrupt, it’s an eyesore and definitely not fit for purpose

I agree with your judgement but let’s be careful that we don’t turn into those fans who have plagued us for years with accusations of “doing nothing” and “breaking promises” made when we won the Grand Final 25 years ago.

Right now we are lucky to have an owner who has the finances and the ambition not just to take us back into the top flight but to compete as well as make our stadium fit for the modern game, its players and its supporters. Not since Stuart Hadfield some 6 decades ago, have we had such an owner so let’s not forget our recent history and become like those fans with short memories that pervade these boards from fortunate clubs like Warrington, St Helens etc

More points on the board. Hopefully https://t.co/agp8sjvyvM

More points on the board. Hopefully https://t.co/agp8sjvyvM

Not disagreeing with you regarding the years of pain and suffering we’ve had regarding stadium issues, but we’ve eventually done something about it and been relegated whilst doing so, Cas have done nothing about it apart from a bit of wonky seating, it’s the reaction of some Cas fans last night who think that they are definitely in SL next season with lack of investment in their poor stadium that riles me when like I’ve said have suffered to get us in a great position to hopefully get back into SL, hopefully at their expense

Reading between the lines it looks like cas have with the help of some creative attendance figures…. Some Blue Peter type re modelling of the ground, managed to cobble together enough points to make the cut this year. And I think they will be one of the 12 teams in SL next season.
However I can’t help thinking that they have taken the p£&! In doing so..the whole point of IMG was to encourage clubs to make serious changes to the structure of how their club was run across the board.. not bodge it up in the hope that your score is better than those around you…I know we have been fortunate to have new ownership but the last directors started to implement proper change years back .. not just this season…
Moving on to next year what’s to stop other clubs using the same methods to gain extra points