I am often intrigued by the question " What is success?"
I suppose if it were St Helens the answer is winning SuperLeague but does that mean that the other clubs have been unsuccessful. Or perhaps has a team finishing 10th had greater success by competing in a tough league with a small squad and unable to throw cash at a problem.

For me, I would not expect Wakefield to win SL this year (though it will be a wonderful achievement if we do) but success to me is:
Every player in the squad improves their game by 10%.
No player is assured of a first team pick because of the competition for places
A clearly planned route to financial prosperity without selling players
Pressing for Top 6 playoffs with a realistic chance of progression.

Am I asking too much?

For me, it's trophies, without them no club is a true success. Old fashioned attitude I know but that's how I see it,

However, I also accept there are so many factors involved in winning, not least good fortune. Something Trinity has not been able to summon up all that often, with the exception of relegation games. So being a realist and accepting that some things are beyond the club's control, then I will accept playing to our full potential. This sadly is something we have rarely achieved IMHO. Possibly the only times we have done so was in the early SL years when we had to punch well above our weight to survive. Add to that 2004, 2008, 2017,2018, there may be a few more, but it's slim pickings. Ok, 2019 and 2020 were blighted with problems but all the same I and many others believe we could and should have done better.

Still, the past is the past and if we are to believe what we hear then this season we should be back on track, so no excuses in my book. The CCup is always a possibility and considering how crap we have performed in said comp for the past forty years then by the law of averages we must eventually put in a shift and at least make the final. SL is a bigger nut to crack but it's not impossible, even the bookie's odds suggest it's not totally out of the question. But to do so would require a big improvement from 2018 standards let alone those of 2020. Over to CC and his band of men.

Success would be getting back to the levels of 2017/2018.

The club as just drifted in the wilderness for maybe 50 years, to me success is the club showing some ambition and giving the fans hope. Ultimately it’s winning games and trophies and being competitive in every match. I suppose survival in SL depends on ones point of view

I’m afraid it’s winning a trophy for me, league leaders shield would be nice or a grand final but I think realistic for us would be a CC win

In my opinion, we've had this for at least 5 years. Would any form of Wakefield trinity for the past 50 years have survived the global pandemic? doubtful. wonder what the succession planning is once MC and JM clear off into the sunset?

Believe me, Success is standing outside Wakefield or Barnsley town hall along with many thousands of other like minded fans watching your heroes Lifting an item of silverware and being deafened by the noise. Aaaahh! Distant memorieseusa_clap.gif

I agree with you on ambition. However I don't see the incumbents have the financial muscle to do so, therefore you need a sugar daddy or a load more fans

Stadium sorted and steady top 8 is success at the moment build on from there.

Up the Trin

I'd go with that for 2 or 3 years. If we achieve that then we can look to aim higher after that - both on and off the field.

To me it's achieving more than your expectations.
So for me this year, if we got to mid table I'd say we had a relatively successful season.

Survival in super league is success

Actual success, I think, is measured in trophies.
However, on a shorter timescale, any progress towards that goal can be seen as success.
For this season, I would say 8th or above in the league and a challenge cup semi would be regarded as relative success.
The reality is we've been held back for 40 years by lack of finance and so developments off the field this year are possibly more important than on-field achievements.
Saying that, when the team play well, we see an attractive and entertaining style of rugby with no little skill.
Expect 8th and quarter final but would be ecstatic with a cup final appearance or a play-off place.

Success is winning trophies for me. I don't expect or demand that, just dream.

One day ...

I tend to look at success on a season by season basis.

For me a good/successful season in ‘21 would be finishing 9th or higher, a decent cup run to get the floating fans excited and to see a spade hit the ground in September for the stadium.

Success is relative.
Absolute success would be the "business" growing and profitable and Trophies in the cabinet.
However, any improvement in last year (on and off the field) would also be success.

Right now, seeing the ground improvements begin and a solid season on the pitch would be a great season.
This would show that the club are indeed making progress both on and off the field.

Still dreaming of Wembley though

Imagine getting to Wembley and not being able to attend, would be just our luck....

I agree, success is relative, it`s also personal based on expectations of outcomes so not only is there a massive difference in opinion on what a successful campaign or a failure is club by club but it will also vary massively in a clubs fanbase.

In my own head, I try to find a better word for "success" in what I refer to above as I think there is a massive difference between relative success and what I would call actual or absolute success, that been Silverware 100% IMO, however if we made the grand final that would be a great success for Wakefield Trinity as we stand relative to our current circumstances.

Success to me would be just to get a bit of respect of the pundits. Not only have they said we are favourites to go down ,and the worst ground in S L .They now say we have the worst away support in S L .Success to me would have a season were we can shut them up

Seems there are a few on here that are just happy to take second best or even sit mid table and have a spade in the ground it's no wonder the club is getting nowhere with that attitude, I'm in it to win it every season else what's the point

Correct

We'd all love to win the GF or the Challenge Cup but, realistically, is that what you expect before the start of each season.
Those running the club should certainly have a plan to reach the top.
However, to go from last day survival, with London relegated and 10th from 11 last season (Toronto withdrawn), there would need to be one hell of a lot of stars aligning for us to gain a play off spot, never mind make the GF (and win it) !

I share your dream but, with where the club is at currently, starting from well down the shaft and with very little in terms of new players and looking one or two props light, we look likely to finish closer to the bottom than the top.

This isn't accepting defeat, it's just realism.

Like you, I would love Trinity to be a regular top 4 side and the ground developments are the first major step towards getting there, with the prospect of being able to attract new fans and more than we have had for a number of years.

It's all about progress and the club moving forward.
If those at the helm, supported by the fans, can get this right, "real" success will come and god knows, it's overdue.

True but at the same time I’m getting sick of the club saying they want to get to the CC final and then getting knocked out straight away. Or getting to a semi final and cocking it up.

having watched this mornings game storm v the bunnies Melbourne blitzed them within the first 20 minutes making the bunnies look inferior that's the difference between a side wanting to win, in the end it was a close game result wise this is what happens to us and we end up struggling to keep up heads go down and belief fades that has to stop.
what I want this year is a change to attitude I do expect a loss along the way as I'd be foolish to think otherwise I want to see someone laying the law down and I want to see a unity within the group even if the going gets tough

Cant argue with that Snowie

Turning up to a game knowing the squad will perform consistently and be in with a shout against any club.
Standing in a full ground, I'm not a subscriber to build it and they will come
The culture at the club needs to change and I see the changes made to the coaching staff a step in the right direction.
The club lacks ambition and that has rubbed off on the coaches players and supporters attitude itsseems content with the present level of support and will ever speculate to accumulate.
A new marketing strategy for match days should be adopted with the intention of getting numbers through the gates.
While ever supporters base success on survival and still being around the club will stagment.