Dear Board of Directors,
I was at my first final in 62, then 68, 79 and then the Yorkshire Cup Final win. Highs, average and many lows have followed. Thin and thinner as many say.
That’s 60+ years of support, many players and boards of directors. Many proposed sites for stadia etc., etc.
This season has left me empty, sad and very angry, like many.
It does seem like capitulation, there can’t be any other reason for recruiting the quality and low number of players now wearing the red white and blue. Everything seems to be on the cheap. An inexperienced rookie coach was an impossible gamble.
We, as supporters all comment on the absurdity of the contracts given to Lineham and Gaskell by a former coach and what seems to be the worst pair of overseas signings in recent memory, Proctor and Atoni (I do remember Jarrod Hickey!). Pathetic performances, pathetic stats, minimal playing minutes and always rewarded with another game,(when not on holiday). Why? Players used to be dropped for being useless.
Your club’s weary supporters are watching this insane management and inept rugby and leadership and slowly but surely slipping away from care and interest in the game and club.
I am in that bracket. The first season in around 20 not buying two season tickets and now paying when I can be bothered. Believe me, many in my age bracket feel and are doing the same. Forty years in amateur rugby league gives you a lot of contacts, these lifetime friends don’t lie when they speak.
Your communication and social media output is not good enough, is there a simple reason for this? Can’t you be bothered?
17 games left, no structure, no plan, no leadership, no points, no change. No supporters and no income will be the result.
I have tried to be measured in comment and I am sure you read the vitriol on Facebook etc so why are you allowing this decline to continue without intervention unless decline is the plan.
I intend to have two more games and if as expected, no change, then that’s it for me. I’ll do what Kevin Proctor does and go on holiday.
It’s in your court, it always has been. Is there any sort of a plan to change anything? Should I hold my breath?
A very dejected lifetime Winless Wakefield Trinity Nil supporter.

Nice Post and I'm sure you are not alone but you know there are no directors on here right?

How old do you think I am for crying out loud!
Hopefully someone will get a message across to them if they can’t read as well.

One of the directors does read this

We have three directors but only one is to blame for this terrible squad. Things will not improve whilst ever he signs players.

Sadly, one of the most heartfelt and sincere messages that I've seen listed on this forum in my eight years on here. No anger, no venom, no sarcasm, just a good and honest post. I agree wholeheartedly with what Manuel states and just to rub salt in the wounds all this in our 150th year when we should be celebrating, and my sixty seventh year as a supporter. Very, very sad. Come on someone down at Belle Vue. Give manuel and ALL other supporters some explanation please. We deserve one.

things will not improve while he leaves COMPLETELY and not hangs around in the background

A good post and mirrors what we all feeling.

Up the Trin

Give over they are all over this board and even if they weren't there is plenty of the Carter police willing to inform him

You will not get explanations only excuses and pointing the blame everywhere except his own ineptitude on running a rugby League club

A very good post Manuel.

We are a hurting, and some following a lot longer than others.

Yes the directors should see this, maybe even some players

Great post nothing more to to say been watching them that long as well .Did not know we had 17 more games of this garbage to get to end of season. Now that as make me ANGRY .

Manuel don’t forget you are not allowed to say what you think on these threads unless it’s positive. I’m with you 100%.

Don’t kid yourself, every club on here as someone that monitors what’s being said on here.

Petitions are old school but maybe an option, even an online route.

I’m not sure I agree with this…

we have gone through cycles of decency… apathy… relegation… promotion… excitement… boredom… reasonable league position… poor league position… rank bad league position… and that’s just in the 49 years I have been supporting the club… literally hundreds of players have worn the beloved shirt in that time… tens upon tens of coaches, elected club officials and company board members… the cycle of excitement and optimism countered by disappointment and apoplexy has been constant…

Each coach… each owner … has done the best they can with the resources available.

But for the majority of that time… one thing has been particularly noticeable… the cycle of boom and bust… teams have been built… but the ‘holy grail’ of success has not been forthcoming… crowds and investment have not allowed for that to be sustainable… debt was built.. resulting in an unacceptable financial strain… which at various times has led to the ground being sold… star players capitalised… areas of the ground being deemed unsafe and closed down… making Belle Vue a grim and unattractive place to fans, players and investors alike.

There are no queues of philanthropic millionaire RL fans or entrepreneurial businessmen, waiting in the wings… that’s just fantastical thinking … deluded thinking!

The only way forward is to apply sound business principles, which secures the name and the club for future generations of Wakefield people. Unlike previous regimes, that’s what the current board has done… sound business principles to operate within a sustainable budget… sound business principles to (finally) secure the ownership of Belle Vue and enable the gradual transformation into a 21st century stadium.

And this has been through a period of history which has seen investment in the sport in the UK slashed, a pandemic which crucified short term development thinking… conflict in Europe and Brexit which has grossly affected and impacted supply chain vale and matériel costs.

On this side of the world the investment in League is going through the roof… yes it means that more and more players are coming through the system , but their salary expectation even at lower levels in the game are beyond the British game’s means. E.g. I just watched an NRL reserve game between Bulldogs Reserves and Newtown Jets (Sharks reserves) and it was better… skill, intensity, speed… than any SL game I have seen this year.

Sure I’m disappointed, disaffected and ready to point the finger of blame, but posts like this thread… are little more than an adult writing to Santa or praying in church on a Sunday … cathartic maybe, but ultimately a waste of time…

Currently we have a down cycle… and its circadian rhythm is in time and in tune with ‘cost of living crisis’ … general feeling of instability internationally and within politics… a pervading lack of trust of anyone in authority…and a media fed fear of conspiracies.

There will be an up cycle… the dawn will follow the night… maybe not tomorrow, next month or next year (even)… but it will come.

The problem is that the down cycle clashes with a new structure created by IMG which could mean we have a long time in the wilderness to reminisce about the good ones.

Bang on Spooki.

I'm also a supporter of 60 odd years, ST holder etc. I agree with Manuel but the damage now been done.
Our recruitment demise started with CC's star signings and has continued.
Most of our squad are, at best average championship players - most are trying but they aren't good enough!
we're reaping what we have sowed.
I haven't seen the loanee at No 6 so cannot comment if things will change while we have him, but our ability to attack has been the worst I have ever witnessed as a trinity supporter - absolutely clueless!
We lost class players in Fifita, Arona, Miller, Batchelor and Johnstone and have replaced them with players who would struggle to get in a championship team.
I realise money is limited but we have to get someone in the club in an advisory capacity pretty damned quick because it seems to me that our rugby league knowledge in terms of recruitment leaves a lot to be desired.
BUT I'm RWB through and through and when we are in the championship, I will still support them.
To all those 'supporters' who will no doubt be thinking the drop is the end of the world I say - keep supporting them - the more that turn up the better the matchday experience, and we might see some points scored!

One of them were posting semi-regularly just last season.

I thought exactly the same which is why I didn’t respond to the initial post. In fact if it’s addressed to the directors it’s better to write a letter addressed direct to them or the club. I’m not a yes man and have my own opinions but these days if you don’t agree you tend to get ostracised (not on here but in general in social media).

The simple fact is mistakes have been made in a few areas but the club haven’t shied away from this. Fans are asking why? But sometimes mistakes are simply made. If these mistakes can be patched remains to be seen.

The club/coach have already said they accept things aren’t where they want it to be yet fans still are asking the club to explain. That’s rubbish and I would rather the club focus completely on how they can address it moving forwards.

I’m sure the poster has the best intentions and it’s wholehearted so I won’t criticise. I’ve just seen too many of these posts daily on various outlets. The focus needs to be on supporting the club turning things around not continually beating the club which are currently curled up in a ball in the feral position.

So what do we expect the fans to do? Some of the stuff on FB is rubbish, yes I will grant you that, but in the absence of anything at all from the club other than fan bashing then naturally the fans will speculate, fester and eventually criticise. All I'm hearing is that dissent and criticism should be stopped, and full support should be given to the club. Thats naive as far as I am concerned.

Let me ask the forum this - what are we supporting? What's the new plan? What can we get behind? You have to give to receive, or at least demonstrate some leadership and inspire people. Let's start with the average £300-500 that most of us have given already this season. Regarding comms, and on balance, to the untrained eye, the Club speak to the fans either when they want something or they are criticising the fans. Nothing in between. Fans won't cop for that. Looking on RW&B you now even have the dutiful super fan's criticising - surely that's an indicator.

The only member of the club that is regularly speaking to the outside world is Mark Applegarth. That is the one and only source of truth from Wakefield Trinity RLFC as we stand. Even John Minards whom I enjoy reading has gone underground.

So I don't think it's as simple as "get behind 'em". Even the Pied Piper played a tune.

A very reasoned post.
However, just how many games are we going to lose before a fundamental change is made with our head coach.

Accepting that mistakes have been made is one thing but, failure to try and rectify those mistakes is surely worse.
It's clear that we have zero or very little cash but, limping to the end of the season and accepting relegation and all that comes with that, without trying to change tack is bloody stupid..
Even "hardcore, loyal" fans have had enough.
When ST holders dont come to home games, something has to change.

Effectively, we are watching "sales" go down the plughole and without "customers", the game is up.

Yep, where the problems started and have continued.

I tried a measured approach to things. I ran an international freight business for 40 years so have some knowledge. When recession hits, as it did three times, you cut your cloth accordingly but look for new business, if you sit and wait, you stagnate and rot. Trinity’s business is rotting. No visible signs of addressing the matter other than a few sticking plasters. If you keep doing the same thing, you get the same results. This equates to Proctor and Atoni. Utter failures and not completing their jobs to the best of their ability, so it looks. Their reward, carry on being a failure. The club is now its own worst enemy by not embracing 2023 and all it offers in social media,etc. Carry on Regardless. It’s becoming a farce. Everyone has an opinion, even from Australia. The big difference is your not watching poop here.