Grounds for optimism as bitter rivals decide to go it alone

Unsurprisingly, neither club seems ready to jump into bed with the other, despite Wakefield council's recent half-hearted attempts to push them closer together.

That was never likely to happen. Nor will. The best chance of that occurring was in 1995 and we all know the result – Castleford, Wakefield and Featherstone staved off the unthinkable merger and being renamed Calder and everyone breathed easy once more.

Now two of those clubs are confidently – publicly at least – pressing ahead with plans for new grounds and the other is closing in on the Championship title with high hopes of eventually returning to the top table themselves.

Presumably, Featherstone will remain at Post Office Road though; there surely is not enough scope for all three of the neighbours to have one of these modern, box-ticking fancy arenas.

But, just days after the council delivered a statement which pointed towards only one of the stadiums likely to being delivered, due to the economic climate, each club has now insisted they can go it alone and have the backing to do it.

Given all the talk over the years of Wakefield moving from Belle Vue, with such plans effectively coming to nothing, you could appreciate their fans being a little wary of getting too excited.

But the goalposts have now been moved – not literally just yet – in the sense Trinity cannot secure a Super League licence next year unless they do improve their stadia so something has to be done. Maybe the project at Newmarket will come to fruition and they have certainly never had as much backing with the club, Wakefield and District Community Stadium Trust, council and developers all in agreement.

However, equally so, their old foes 10 miles down the road are just as upbeat with Tigers chief executive Richard Wright revealing that their developer has signed an agreement that guarantees them a 20-acre site at Glasshoughton to build on.

With planning consent already secured, Castleford plan on actually starting work on their stadium in the Spring and – while still not formally ruling out a ground-share with Wakefield if things go awry – are well on their way to achieving their priority.

Wakefield's new ground may take longer and there is a real chance they may move in with Barnsley FC for 2012 while building work at Newmarket is completed.

In reality, both clubs could soon boast a vibrant, money-making new stadium which would bring untold benefits to their revenue streams and provide quality facilities for their fans and the community.

The only hope is after so much effort, time and money has been invested, they both remain in Super League to give them the christening they would then deserve.

One of the top-flight's clubs is almost certain to be muscled out for 2012 and Castleford, Wakefield and Salford City Reds have long been the favourites for the axe – St Helens have never truly been in the mix, especially as their new stadium plans are well on course.

Salford are yet to see building work begin on their new ground while Bradford are the other club sweating given their problems at Odsal.

But, if Wakefield and Castleford both deliver their projects, and others fail, will it see both of them saved?

It remains to be seen whether it will be still enough to tick all those boxes for inclusion; there is still a distinct possibility that a luckless club could open its marvellous new stadium in the Championship come 2012.