Richard Wright, the chief executive of Castleford Tigers, was also expecting a restful night on the eve of the day when the Rugby Football League reveal the identity of the 14 clubs who have secured a three-year franchise in rugby league's elite division.

Nineteen clubs have applied for one of the 14 licences and though the 12 existing Super League clubs are expected to retain their places, Castleford and Wakefield are widely regarded as being most vulnerable because of continued uncertainty over their plans to build new stadiums.

Wheldon Road and Belle Vue hardly fit the new Super League ideal of "premier 21st century sporting venues" and are the weak links in their applications but Richardson believes that to reject either club would cause irreparable damage to the very fabric of the sport.

"Wakefield and Castleford are at the very heart of the rugby league heartland and it would be hugely damaging were both clubs not to be awarded a licence," said Richardson. "This area has produced 40 per cent of the players currently playing in Super League and to leave Wakefield or Castleford out would have a massive impact.

"To interfere with the production line would be crazy."

Wakefield are hoping to leave Belle Vue within three years and move into a new local authority-backed community stadium close to the city centre while Castleford have already secured outline planning permission for a stadium at Glasshoughton.

However, doubts over the deliverability of two stadiums within the same metropolitan borough have continued to cast a shadow over their licence applications, not that Richardson has any worries.

"I haven't had any problem sleeping through all of this," he said. "In life you can only do your best and we have left no stone unturned to ensure we secure a Super League licence.

"Our application is as strong as most clubs in the division. The hard facts are that we have been in Super League for 10 years, we have been in the top six, we are aware of our deficiencies and are working hard to address them and on Sunday we are playing in the semi-final of the Challenge Cup."

Wright said he was confident the Tigers had done enough to merit one of the licences that would guarantee them a Super League place until at least the end of the 2011 season.

"It's out of our hands now but I have every confidence the decision-makers will get it right," said Wright. "We put a lot of work into our application and have every confidence in the information we have supplied to the RFL.

"We know we have a lot of work to do, we know we need a new stadium and we're confident it's going to happen."

Two other applicants, St Helens and Salford, are also planning to build new stadiums but the decision on who wins a licence will be based on more than the quality of the club's facilities.

All 19 clubs – the 12 already in Super League plus Celtic Crusaders, Widnes, Halifax, Salford, Featherstone, Leigh and Toulouse – have undergone a searching examination of their administrations, junior recruitment and player development departments, financial history and business plans over the last few months.

The information that process generated was reviewed by the RFL board at a meeting last Friday and their decision will be announced this morning when the clubs will hear by e-mail at 9.45 before Richard Lewis, the RFL's executive chairman, informs the media at a news conference 15 minutes later.

Bridgend-based Celtic Crusaders are the favourites among the non-Super League clubs to win a licence because of the RFL's stated aim to look outside the sport's traditional northern heartland, although the shortcomings of their Brewery Ground stadium could see Widnes and Salford reclaim their place in the top flight.

Featherstone and Halifax have both conceded they are not yet ready to compete in Super League, Toulouse's hopes appear dashed because there is little appetite for a second French club and Leigh, despite a new stadium, are thought to lack the infrastructure required to muscle their way past Salford and Widnes.

The RFL hope the security of tenure a three-year licence affords will have the same impact on the clubs that it is has had on Catalans Dragons who have gone from whipping boys to title challengers since they entered Super League in 2006.

The 14 lucky clubs will all have to reapply for a licence for the 2012 season onwards in 2011, when many of the clubs who miss out this morning will all look to stake stronger claims for a Super League place.