We should have bit the bullet when the original SuperLeague idea was mooted and formed regions.
I was at Doncaster at the time and well remember the "never merge with Sheffield" kerfuffle. What's there now?...a Sheffield club that will never get a franchise and a Donny team on its knees. We could have had "South Yorkshire Stormers" alternating between the 2 towns with a view to a new RL stadium being built somewhere off the M18.

Some big city clubs and some regionals was always where we was heading in the end but now we've let Union take over as the next best supported code after Association Football. For League to truly evolve into something better regarded, better supported and better financed we need to make some tough decisions.

We should have had 16 franchises fully backed financially with a NFL style draft, with the clubs having to support semi-pro teams, amatuers and juniors. It could have immense....., 4 in West Yorks, 1 Mersey, 2 Lancashire, 1 Cheshire, 1 Cumbria, 1 Wales, 2 (or 1) France, 1 London, 1 East Yorkshire, 1 South Yorkshire, 1 Tyneside, (1 other if only 1 in France)

don't matter about the fans , Mr Wright comes across as a sell your grannie if price was right kind of guy. Said earlier the cas fans are being trat like mushrooms. this is also a reason i believe that TM will remain in his job.all of course IMVHO

Having read the posts on here and on the Cas Board there seems to be a definite change of attitude from many fans towards a merger/joint venture. A couple of years ago at the time of the last franchise application a merger was not even mentioned and there would not have been many in favour. There are still those dead against it but from reading both boards I sense that its something that would be looked upon favourably by many.

I would love to go it alone but I genuinely fear for our future. I'm very please where we are now and how we have got here but its the future that worries me. I cannot see both us and Cas in SL in 2012 and to be honest I struggle to see either of us in there in our own right. Even if we get a franchise what is the future going to be - another struggle for a franchise in 2015.

I'm old enough and watched Wakefield long enough to have seen us win silverware but at the moment I cannot see is even competing for any silverware let alone winning any. I don't think I'm being defeatist, more realistic.

I would love to watch a team playing in a new stadium, winning a few games but more importantly competing with the best and in with a chance of winning something. Both us and Castleford can go it alone and fight to the death but that may be the death of one of us or more likely both of us. A merger/JV would almost certainly guarantee a franchise, a new stadium, £1m from the RFL and a competive team able to attract and retain quality players and keep hold of all the junior talent that the District produces.

As I said defeatist, no realistic, yes. It certainly would get my vote.

here's an idea

:-

SANDAL CAT BECOMES TITLE SPONSOR FOR CAS!

won't be long before they disappear then !

A non-issue surely, with licensing. Sheffield merged to keep the Galpharm in the top flight due to poor Huddersfield perfomances. With licensing, the RFL can just pick who they want: the team in a new stadium representing the biggest place in England without a football team, or Castleford playing out of Wheldon Road. What is in it for the RFL to merge two clubs? Or they can choose neither, if there is a better option.

Local derbies the real life blood of Rugby League. Merged teams remove passion. Wakefield Tigers v Harlequins not an encounter to get pulses racing.Gerry Wright