Indeed, but I am really struggling to be positive at this time.

What the stats point out to me is that we never build off good seasons and just end up back down the bottom tussling it out for survival for one reason or another. There has never been any consistency with our club has there. It’s very frustrating for all our fans id imagine. If we are looking more likely that we will be battling it out with who ever for relegation then the club will simply have to be seen to do something to avoid that.

I agree.
I think that comes down to investment.
Peaks of success are difficult to turn into sustained success.

I think it was Webster or maybe Agar that said with the team we are able to field, we have to be at our best to win. Other teams can play at 60% and still do it. We can't.
So sustaining that is really difficult. Unless you can improve the overall quality of the team. (and keep them on the pitch)

Yes absolutely, MC has made it no secret how much we spend on players and where we are up to the salary cap, with a lot of teams spending around £1 million more than us ie marquee Players, home ground player exemptions... etc. Investment is clearly key, but you only have to walk around Wakefield centre to realise it’s Probably not coming any time soon in my opinion. Who are the financial backers of Castleford. Been a very good consistent team for a number of years now, hailing from a small town.

Jack Fulton was the Cas chairman until his death a couple of years ago, I believe and I think it's his son now ??

Just to put some context behind the investment in the squad point, in June 2018 we were £330,000 under the salary cap of £2.1 million, around 15% in terms of spend against other clubs (A bit further behind those that are paying for marquee players). I don`t have the figures for 2019 but I do know that we are on record as saying we would be spending closer to the cap in 2019 than we would in 2018 so from that you would maybe say we are somewhere near 10% below the cap?

15/16 we were below that and when Smith left Carter said Brian had the most money to work with out of any coach we have had in the SL era for Wakefield Trinity, so over the last few years in terms of squad investment we are the closest we have ever been to the rest of the league.

Or a Freudian slip lol

That doesn't mean the squad is closer. I can remember at least 3 players improving their contracts in that time.
But equally if the money has gone up, the crowds haven't so credit to the club for getting that money through other channels.

Don’t quote me but I think carter said we are 10% down this year than last.