As soon as wakey announced the location of Newmarket Lane I warned both Cas and wakey fans that a merger would come and I still don't see anything to make me think it wont happen. As I have resigned myself to this I have mused over the prospect for quite a while and I think the majority of people, myself included, could follow a merged team under the following conditions:

1. No professional rugby league team henceforth to be allowed to have the following words incorporated into its name; Castleford Tigers and/or Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. The names must die with the merger; it's the only way it could work.

2. The newly merged team must play in completely neutral colours (no black, amber, red, white or blue) difficult though this may be. There aren't many left as I'm sure neither of us wants to play in blue (spit!)

3. The newly formed club must be named independently of the two places. Who says a team has to bear the name of a Town or a City? It has to be something completely synonomous with the area; the only thing I can think of that alienates no-one, but incorporates almost everyone is the moniker "Miners" or some other mining industry name. This, in my opinion, could appease some of the older heads too as well as allowing the heritage and identity of the whole area to blossom and engender a lost sense of pride and community which has otherwise been consigned to the rubbish tip by successive Tory and (more shamefully in my opinion) Labour governments. Apologies I digress!

If these three points were applied, more importantly point 1, then I, as gut wrenching as it would be, could support a merged team with the pride and passion with which I have followed Castleford Tigers.

You may have noticed that I have left Featherstone Rovers out of the equation, this is purely as the thread appears to me to be talking about Cas and wakey only. They could easily be placed into the equation I have outlined above with little or no problem should they choose to.

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