Quote ="tb"Apart from the fact that the project is progressing? www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?773_9195 www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?761_594610'" I think people are just at the stage where they won't believe anything until it's started being built. There's been so many announcements from so many clubs over the years about things like this and yet so many stadiums still haven't been built. I've no idea where the stadia are up to, I thought Salford and Saints were dead certainties yet they still aren't actually starting building work. I reckon Widnes winning the NRC will have done clubs like yourselves a favour. You can effectively go the council on Friday and say that if they want a Super League club in the town they need to build this stadium. Just a little bit of added pressure.

Quote ="tb"Apart from the fact that the project is progressing? www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?773_9195 www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?761_594610'" I think people are just at the stage where they won't believe anything until it's started being built. There's been so many announcements from so many clubs over the years about things like this and yet so many stadiums still haven't been built. I've no idea where the stadia are up to, I thought Salford and Saints were dead certainties yet they still aren't actually starting building work. I reckon Widnes winning the NRC will have done clubs like yourselves a favour. You can effectively go the council on Friday and say that if they want a Super League club in the town they need to build this stadium. Just a little bit of added pressure.

Ground works have been a primary excavation of the land. Nothing to do with the proposed stadium. In theory anything can be built on that land at this moment.

Where is your source that says in 5 months that Stadium work will begin? Its all right saying it on here to make your argument look good but reality is a different thing.

In 5 months your talking about stadium architectural design been complete, Full planning permission applied for and approved. Then allocation of all building contacts before any work can commence. This is assuming all funding is fully in place.

Remember it was Richard Wright that said 2 years ago he expected the stadium to be complete by October 2008.

I'm not saying you won't eventually get your stadium, just don't believe the hype the Cas PR machine churns out.

A very long road lies ahead for teams after new stadiums in the current climate at least be realistic.

Iwas under the impression that even with the new stand at the Shay, the capacity of the ground would be 10500. Therfore, you need to un-tick that box as the minimum requirement for SL is 12500

The RFL would look very silly if Widnes didn't get a licence, they have been using the ground for years for internationals, cup semi finals and NL grand finals. And the new regime under Steve O'Connor has certainly added the neccessary professionalism and stability.

im taking that no as an answer to my question.

its fine if you dont want to back it up with cash.

if i were a cas fan, i wouldnt either.

Quote ="tb"Apart from the fact that the project is progressing? www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?773_9195 www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?761_594610'" so it seems that full planning approval hasnt been granted, that its only the outline approval thats been given?

Quote ="tb"Apart from the fact that the project is progressing? www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?773_9195 www.castigers.com/cgi-bin/news.cgi?761_594610'" so it seems that full planning approval hasnt been granted, that its only the outline approval thats been given?

Your attempt to change the subject when asked to back up your accusation is noted.

they wont expand to 16 teams either because of lack of player depth to cover it and a desire to get imports down.

SL should stay at 14 for a while now.

a few current SL clubs should be kicked out given their failure to grow from last year and a failure to deliver promises in their bids.

clearly wakey and salford are top of the list.

im guessing there is a lot of stuff you read on internet message boards which you agree with which you dont ask for a link.

when you read something you dont like you raise that furphy.

hence my comment to bet on it.

easy. im willing to back my views in a bit of cash for charity.

But not with facts. Fair enough.

money talks. in this case, silence is golden.

c'mon, whats a 50 pounds bet? even for a tight yorkshire man

C'mon – what's so difficult about backing up your statement that "reports suggest a financial hole in Cas's plans" by actually providing those reports: even for a congenitally untruthful Ocker?

The fact that things are progressing is positive, but it isn't an indication that the funding is fully secured.

the only club with a chance at a new stadium by the next round of franchising is st helens.

all the rest will just dust off their fairy tale plans for next time and hope they con the RFL.

the RFL wont have the guts to kick them all out so will pick the worst 1 or 2 of the lot

*cough* Bradford

buckleys mick.

edit : bradford dont need a new ground to get into SL anyway. its cas, wakey and salford that are the ones.

That is only because the North Stand is currently at reduced capacity due to insufficient toilet facilities. To sort that out would not cost much, either with temporary or permanent facilities, and this would take us over the threshold.

[urlhttp://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/local/Halifax-RLFC-Fax-buoyed-by.5480910.jp[/url

To quote Halifax Chief Executive Graham Clay:

"There are some concerns that we must address, but fortunately the stadium is not one."

In what sense could Fax be above the team sitting 5th in SL, with their U18's team TOP of the league, with reasonable rather than spectactular crowds, with a leading Community programme and a proven corporate track record???

Wakefield's major failing is the overall state of the stadium, which is only a portion of the franchising criteria.

The same balance is needed when mentioning Cas and HKR who are also performing well on and off the field.

Salford are clearly in trouble and Crusaders are developing slowly.

wakeys crowds are down quite a bit this year too.

does SL need a club like them in the heartlands with sub 6000 crowds?

So you suggest dropping them for a club with 2-2.5K crowds???

You are justifying your call to drop Wakefield on the strength of their stadium, by claiming it is their crowd numbers that is letting them down!

Wakefield's crowds aren't the worst in SL.

id drop wakey today for widnes in a heartbeat.

the other team is toulose id let in.

any current division 1 side getting 2500 + in NL1 (whatever its called) will easily get the same crowds as wakey are getting now (eg halifax)

and wakey have been in SL for donkeys years.

If we’re honest, it’s both that are letting the club down.



No but they are still poor and the club need to reverse the downward trend we have seen from midway through last season to the present. A new stadium will help but the club need to be averaging a hell of a lot more to score points in the other criteria (turnover, 10K average crowd).

Off the field the club have taken major strides in sorting themselves out. The new stadium will be the catalyst for the club to develop further and hopefully become a major player in SL.

It's because they've earnt the right to be there.

You clearly don't like Wakefield - SL clubs aren't picked on who people most like. It's done on evaluating a range of performance criteria - against which Wakefield, Cas and HKR are doing quite well, particularly on the field.

As for your Mystic Meg crowd predictions, it is for exactly the fact that is is complete guesswork that we have a criteria based assessment in the first place!

Aside from your own preferences, how can you justify Quins, Celtic and Salford (and ndeed Fax) above any of Wakefield, Cas or HKR?