Time for Wakefield to swallow pride and to groundshare with Castleford

If Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are serious about maintaining their Super League place, and no one doubts they are, then surely they must grasp the opportunity which has always been sitting right before their eyes. Well, nine miles down the road at least.

I am not talking about Barnsley FC. The football club will offer them a base, but it will neither be a home nor a long-term solution to Wakefield's dilemma.

It may only be 10 miles away from Belle Vue but Oakwell sits in a different council and a different county. It may as well be a different country. Belize perhaps.

No, the Wildcats must now, regardless of how difficult it may be to stomach, consider the very real prospect of sharing a ground with arch-rivals Castleford Tigers.

The Secretary of State's decision to call in a public inquiry on their own proposals at Newmarket, where they would be tenants as part of the Wakefield and District Community Stadium Trust (WDCST) development, has left them "astounded" but was it really such a great surprise?

Wakefield Council had given their outline planning permission but local residents' concerns have always been distinctly audible.

It was almost inevitable the plans would find their way into the in-tray of communities secretary Eric Pickles and now the laborious, often expensive and, most worryingly, time-consuming process will, at whatever pace the Government decides, churn into action.

But Wakefield, as well as having little money, certainly do not have time on their side. They have to submit their Super League licence application – in which their ground issue is so crucial given they will vacate Belle Vue at the end of next season – to the RFL before April.

By that point, Mr Pickles will still no doubt be blissfully unaware of the dramas unfolding beneath him, let alone nearing any sort of decision.

And anyone, seeing as he was born in Keighley and once served in Bradford, thinking he must have some innate love for the northern-rooted game which would persuade him to help out one of rugby league's historic clubs, would be severely misguided.

Pickles is not likely to hand Wakefield any special dispensation. No one is, the RFL included, regardless of any bleating about how the governing body has aided troubled Harlequins and the maligned Crusaders.

That is why it so important to make their licence bid as strong as possible and to do that they must re-consider working with their traditional enemy – Castleford - even if only as a temporary measure while they await a result on the Newmarket inquiry.

Further advanced with their stadium plans a couple of exits along the M62 near Glasshoughton, the Tigers should have a detailed planning application submitted next week.

Although publicly saying nothing yet, they would welcome Wakefield joining them as the partnership would be mutually beneficial but it requires the Wildcats to eat humble pie and there are severe doubts as to whether they are willing to do so. They were almost arrogant in dismissing the idea of moving in with Castleford when the cash-strapped council suggested the idea of sharing one of the potential grounds in July.

Chairman Ted Richardson entered the field at half-time of the game against St Helens and declared "Newmarket is the ONLY stadium project that will carry the Wakefield name and that we will play in."

In a statement read to the crowd, saying just what fans wanted to hear, WDCST chairman Sir Rodney Walker was also quoted insisting moving into the ground at Glasshoughton "was NOT an option."

Castleford, meanwhile, had sensibly been open-minded to all possibilities, ruling nothing out, only to see their neighbours end negotiations before they had truly begun.

It will need some embarrassing backtracking on Wakefield's part to now join forces but it is the only solution in the short-term while the Government makes its decision.

Renting at Barnsley would not come cheap and that option offers no scope to develop the business with income streams like bar, hospitality and car parking all heading in the main to the football club's coffers.

Do not forget either that the long-serving Richardson is currently offering to stand aside and make way for anyone willing to invest in the Wildcats. However, who would want to plough money into a club with no home and barely any source of revenue?

In reality, even if Wakefield do discover that much-needed dose of common sense, it may still not be enough to save them. The RFL has seen the club fall short on promises before and, tellingly, has yet to announce a decision on whether Richardson is even fit and proper to continue at the club given he entered an individual voluntary arrangement in July.

As it stands, Wakefield are looking the most likely to fall out of the Super League trapdoor.

"We now need to conduct further meetings with the developer, the Community Trust and with other stakeholders to review the contingency plans put in place in the event of such a delay in planning," said their chief executive James Elston.

However, he missed out the most important meeting of all – with Richard Wright, his opposite number at Castleford.

WIDNES LEADING THE WAY TO GO UP

THE RFL has already confirmed one club will be promoted from the Championship next year with Widnes, Halifax and Barrow all submitting their Super League licence applications earlier this month.

Widnes – unlucky to miss the last batch in 2008 – are the clear favourites to return to the top flight for the first time since 2005 with that decision due in March.

But then all eyes turn to who will miss out and Wakefield's current ground issues have seen them emerge as favourites for demotion when the 14 clubs are named in July.

Like the Wildcats, Castleford and Salford were both told they must improve their facilities this time around but the Tigers have genuine plans to submit in their application and Salford will actually begin building work on a new ground in the new year.

The licence process takes into account plenty of other criteria but Wakefield's overall bid is likely to be compartively weak unless they make swift progress.