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.

Whilst there is lots of talk regarding Junior development, Finances, Stadium facilities, Community work, Commercial operations and so on you might be forgetting the following:-

1. Wakefields Administration
2. Current league standing
3. Attendances

Wakefield having city status means zero to the RFL - its just another straw your hanging onto.

Doesn't count, jog on.

Fair enough - I agree it doesn't OFFICIALLY count but I bet these 2 items are looked at if its a straight shoot-out between the 2 clubs.

Would be very interesting but we all know it won't come to that as the announcement is a mere formality.
What would have been more interesting is if AG had taken us over 12 months earlier then I believe it would have certainly been squeaky bum time for Cas if you look at what he has done off field in such a short space of time.
PR is 100 times better.
TV advertising.
Revamping BV to SL standard.
We are now debt free,I believe apart from what he took on as goodwill.
Attendances are on the up.
Also the community side,junior development were already excellent so we would have been in with a decent shout.