I agree with you completely about criteria being applied objectively - Cas would be in before a number of other clubs - but the expansion clubs will be in regardless of the quality of their bids - I just wish the RFL would be honest about it. But, Cas and all other SL clubs signed up to the franchise system when it suited them - and I don't blame them for that, each club puts their own needs first and that's understandable. But they and all other SL clubs created huge difficulties for other clubs by consigning them to at least three seasons in a sub-SL standard competition with all the problems that brings - lower attendances, young talent moving away, difficulties finding sponsors, etc. A downward spiral that is hard to get out of. That is what the franchise/licencing system does. It puts those excluded from the elite league at risk. Some clubs will find it hard to survive three years in the wilderness. But, if it was good enough for Leigh, Halifax, Widnes, Featherstone, then it is good enough for Wakefield, Cas, Salford, Saints, et al. They were the clubs who agreed to the system in the first place.
Why we cannot combine promotion / relegation and minimum standards regarding stadia, etc, I don't know. Cas, Hull KR, Salford and Huddersfield managed to survive in 'division 2' when there was promotion to aim for. Cas did superbly well in maintaining attendances, but would they have managed quite so well if there was no promotion for three years? Who knows? But they and the others agreed to the rules, now, they must abide by them. I hope they survive, I really do. But whatever the aims of the franchise system, did anyone expect any different than to find clubs and fans turning against each other in order to preserve their own existence either in the top flight or in any league?

Why should you throw in the towel and move? the location is ideal for you and if it came free you would have been silly to look elsewhere and in all probability would have had to pay for the land assuming land was available, and you would still have been in the unfortunate position of having your assets frozen because of Hickson+Welch and then the economic climate and the down turn in the housing industry. Sure you have had to make amendments to your plans its called cutting your cloth etc, why not just say it as it is and not how you would like it to be, you would not have to back peddle then squire, your the only one in this situation btw, Saints and Salford are on their way, Wakey's landlords have the finance and nothing to spend it on.

Not all clubs have this attitude.

Yes, but that is not down to Castleford - we have been ready to go for a few years now. It's the fact that the chemical licence from across the road at Hicksons has not been revoked until earlier this year. This has meant we've been unable to progress the sale of the Probiz Coliseum and therefore free up the funding. We could have had this built by now if we had not been hindered by that.

Well, we shouldn't have had to move but it could and would have been so easy to say sod it, let's groundshare at Newmarket, sell The Jungle and ensure we have a bit of financial backing for the future. Well, no we're not the only ones who are/were in this situation. Salford, if I remember rightly from reading their forum a few months back, made amendments to their plans and reduced the capacity because of the costs their original designs would have been. Also, they've had to phase their stadium in three stages due to the costs, I think. The only difference between all these clubs is that we have had no major financial backer to put money in (i.e. the council) and we're the only club to have the chemical works on our doorstep preventing us from the moving project forward.

Saints and Salford are both on their way but it would be silly to even bring Saints into the equation. Salford are doing the groundworks and with the current weather, it is highly unlikely IMO, that they'll start building until the New Year at the earliest. Wakey state they have the finance, but like Cas, we've yet to actually see any evidence of that.

Fully old boy its you what is bringing other clubs in to compare with yours not me, good luck with the build if and when it comes off, your bad luck with the blast zone coupled up with the recession is well documented on here and I am sure there is every sympathy from the fans on here towards Cas. The thing is that when you and a couple of other Cas fans that come on here explaining how it is sometimes try to guild the lily somewhat and some of the facts you present don't always add up thats all, you are having to do what Salford have done if indeed that is what they have done, the difference is they did not say that their plans had not changed when clearly they have, yours on the other hand have not according to you. By the way fwiw at no time have Wakefield TW ever said that they have the finances available when it is also well documented that we are soley reliant on outside funding, the community trust and its partners may have said that but we as a club realise that we will be like 75% of SL simply tenants.