Well I'm almost tempted to say game over. Wakefield have suddenly realised that they can play a bit and we, Castleford, are bang in trouble.
Not sure of anything now except that it looks like we are going in opposite directions over the next few weeks.
Wakefield beating Wigan was bad enough but any hope we had of dragging Huddersfield into the equation was probably extinguished by them winning in France and shocking Catalans.
Back to back away fixtures in Humberside next up as we trundle to that bustling metropolis that is Hull for another couple of thrapings. I don't know why we don't just save on transport and play them both on the same day, it's not like it's going to affect the outcome any.
The biggest problem with relegation is that unlike football, the players are registered to the Superleague which means that upon going down they are all out of contract and available to go elsewhere if they wish. The last 2 times we went down, we were lucky in that there were not that many attractive teams in the Championship and so we had our pick of the available players to sign and also had a crop of good youngsters who were of a standard to play well at that level.
This time that isn't the case as Widnes, Featherstone, Bradford, Toulouse, Halifax, Batley and Sheffield can probably make a case to potential signings whilst London can offer the glamour of the Capital.
The mileage will be horrendous, Fev and Widnes are horrible places with Football style hoolies and the only decent pub is the Shay at Fax.
The only consolation will be that apart from Fev, Widnes and Toulouse we will outnumber the home support.
Oh well at least I won't have to go to Hull and back.
I presume Featherstone are going up-they are miles clear in the Champo.
Nope there is a play off system with the two finalists contesting the "million pound game".
The top team I think get a bye whilst 2 - 5 play for the right to meet them in the final.
Just for the record Featherstone are the 3rd club in the City of Wakefield based in WF7 (Pontefract) and are actually the 2nd best supported club in the City after Castleford.
When Superleague was launched, the RFL wanted the 3 teams to merge and play as one and when Cas refused Maurice Lyndsey made it his lifes ambition to destroy us. That's why Cas are seen as the Millwall of Rugby League. No one like us. We don't care.
As expected we capitulate in a bad 2nd half against Hull, whilst Wakey get a bit of a spanking at Huddersfield.
That keeps Wakefield 2 points below us but pretty much puts Huddersfield out of the relegation scrap so now it's a simple dogfight between Superleagues bottom 2.
It's not a bad luck story either, both teams have been truly awful this season and both deserve, on current form, to go down.
There's 8 games left and for my money Cas have the harder run in .
Remaining fixtures Castleford.
Hull K R (a), Huddersfield (h), Wakefield (a), St Helens (h), Warrington (a), Hull F C (h), Wigan (a) Leeds (a).
Remaining fixtures Wakefield.
Warrington (h), Hull F C (a), Castleford (h), Salford (a), St Helens (h), Catalans (h), Leigh (a) Hull K R (h).
With 3 of their last 4 at home Wakefield hold a slight advantage as Cas have 3 of their last 4 away. Does it still all hinge on Wakefield V Castleford ? erm, yes I think it does as except maybe Leeds away on the last game I cannot see any other team bad enough to lose to Cas. Mind you the form that Warrington are showing I don't rule out a Wakie win there so it could all be different when the two sides clash at Ghetto Dull View in 3 rounds time.
Knew it. I just **** knew it. I should make a ruddy fortune out of sports betting.
Wakefield go and demolish Warrington, not just beat them but absolutely annihilate them and now gravity begins it's inexorable pull on Castleford. Yes of course we lost at Hull K R, like you really thought it would end any other way.
Anybody who took my advice and shorted our total points can now close your position with a kerching and count your winnings.
I will say it here and now, Castleford wont win another game this season and we will be relegated from Superleague, probably with 2 / 3 games to spare. It's made even harder by the fact that for the second time in 2 decades it will be because those knuckle dragging neanderthals from accross the City manage to survive at our expense.
The only 3 times they will have finished above us since the inception of the Superleague will be because we got relegated and they've had 3 administrations and various court appearances and winding up petitions for not paying their creditors. Hmmm no level playing field in Rugby league.
I'm not surprised that it's going to end like this. After all I've been calling it since week 4, I'm just disappointed that the players can't seem to get up for the battle.
Looks like I'm going to have to invest in a new road atlas and a list of premier inns. Oh well it could be worse, I could support Port Vale.
Friday sees the relegation decider as local rivals Wakefield and Castleford go head to head at Belle Vue.
Both teams are locked together on 8 points with Wakefield bottom only by a narrow score difference.
This game itself isn't the final word on the matter but with neither team looking like winning again the loser could well be gone.
With the new rules regarding promotion for the 2024 season, relegation could mean no way back for the team eventually relegated.
The last time Cas were relegated in 2005 it was after losing a winner stays up last day game against Wakefield at Belle Vue.
The big fear is that it's going tp be Deja Vu and to that extent I'm not going to watch. Not because I feel that it will make any difference but it will turn me into an absolute wreck who sits there screaming invective at the tv, berating anything that adversely affects Cas and generally acting like a total spanner.
It also avoids that touch paper moment you know is going to come when the Missus remarks about it just being sport as she gets in the way or yaks on the phone etc.
Thought this 'photo was bit of a shocker. I watched the TV coverage intently, & Rob's carer was continually wiping his face clean of "drool" & generally looking after him. Saddest thing I've seen in a long time.
I wish I had even a fraction of the courage, resilience and fortitude that Rob and many others battling terminal illness display.
When I am having a self pity party, I remind myself of people who fight with dignity and bravery just to see another day and then I realise how pathetic and insignificant my problems really are.
Met my youngest's other half last weekend. He's not that keen on Rugby League. Asked him why-he said he was brought up in Wakefield, and his parents made him go to every Featherstone game for years
Met my youngest's other half last weekend. He's not that keen on Rugby League. Asked him why-he said he was brought up in Wakefield, and his parents made him go to every Featherstone game for years
I actually forced myself to watch it, I sometimes stick pins into myself as well, and what a rollercoaster.
I think realistically that we could get results at Warrington and Leeds and that would be enough.
Fully appreciate the fact that your youngest's other half has been scarred by years of exposure to Fev. I have a mate who dislikes football after his father made him attend Port vale games from the age of 5 until he was 15 or so.
Thought the Airlie Birds were very unlucky at the Pies by the way. You deserved the win. I have to ask why you follow Hull F.C., is it a family thing, were you born there, did you want a team that sported Tottenham colours.
Well I started this thread after 4 games of the season and with just 4 games left to play it's still very much as was, as Castleford sit just 2 competition points above Wakefield.
This weekend sees Cas travel to Warrington on Saturday in a game that Sky are showing live whilst Sunday sees Wakefield host Saint Helens in what will be a much closer game than the form guide suggests.
In fact Whilst the odds would slightly favour a Cas win before one for Wakefield I'm going to suggest that as in years past Wakefield will find a performance to shock a Saints outfit that will take the game too lightly. Cas I feel will get blasted in the first 30 minutes and leave themselves too much to do.
Cas must try and keep things close at all costs. They currently have a +44 points difference over Wakefield and that could be so crucial after round 27.
The big thing about this situation is that both Cas and Wakey are in a state of limbo. whilst other teams are announcing signings for next season, until they know what league they will be playing in all recruitment has to be placed on hold as upon relegation all contracts are voided.
Also different Salary Cap regulations apply which affects how much money a relegated team can spend. Unless your name is Kourkash, Hetherington, Lyndsey or Beaumont.
Talk about getting a thraping. That was more like jailhouse gang rape without the lube. Seriously from 0-6 ahead and only 18 -12 behind to a 66-12 final humiliation is abject. In fact I take back the analogy as I'm sure a jailhouse victim would put up more of a fight.
I've been saying all season that to be relegated at the expense of Wakefield would be the ultimate kick in the nuts. However, it would appear that Cas just don't care anymore. At only 18 -12 behind and in the game Jacob Miller, an ex Wakefield player of the year, gets rightly sin binned for a dangerous tackle.
What was unacceptable was that in the 10 minutes he was off the pitch Cas conceded 4 tries, 4 tries, one every 150 seconds. Yes that killed the game but even then Cas should be giving it everything as relegation could well come down to points difference.
Yes we are still above Wakefield by 2 competition points as they lost to Saint Helens. That was expected but, whilst they lost, they didn't get hammered and showed some pride and passion.
Can Cas stay up, well our last 3 games are Hull at home followed by Wigan and Leeds away whilst Wakefield have Catalans at home, Leigh away and finish at home to Hull KR. I can't find a win there for Cas whilst Wakefield could well get a victory somewhere, probably Hull KR on the last Friday.
With Wigan and Leeds both capable of putting 40+ points on us and Hull is a just don't know fixture, it could well be that we are relegated on the last Friday at Leeds on points difference whilst the inbred armies of the great unwashed return to their hovels celebrating yet another great escape.
I can guarantee one thing, it'll be a long drive back to Stoke from Sheddingley if that's the final scenario. The missus suggested staying at my Nieces house but she lives in Wakefield and as Blackadder so adroitly put it.
"I'd rather sit in no mans land, at night, smoking endless cigarettes through a luminous balaclava"
Wow, what a couple of results as Cas Beat Hull FC whilst Wakefield lose narrowly to Catalans.
What does it mean in real terms? put simply Wakefield have to win both their final games and hope that Castleford lose both theirs with enough of a points differential to cancel out our advantage.
If Wakefield manage to win both then I feel that they will survive as Cas have to play Wigan and Leeds both away and I think that's a potential -60 or 70 points there. Wakefield though, are playing Leigh and Hull KR both of whom are chasing top 6 and therefore play off spots.
If both teams lose next week then that's good enough to keep Castleford in Superleague.
Permit me a smirk, nay an evil chuckle as finally after more escapes than Houdini Wakefield Trinity finally get relegated.
To be honest they didn't deserve to stay up after posting only 4 wins out of 26, yes Castleford weren't much better with 6 wins but that's all that matters.
It will be interesting to see who replaces them. At the moment it would appear that Featherstone Rovers are the strongest team in the Championship however, their propensity for blowing it in the play off final is almost Tottenhamesque.
Should they prevail then it means we simply swap 1 local derby for another. Cas and Fev are actually closer than Cas and Wakey and all three teams have Wakefield post codes.
So with this being the last season with automatic relegation Castleford will certainly need to invest both on and off the pitch. Do I agree with the new grading system that will replace it. Absolutely not. It's simply another form of franchising which effectively protects the heritage clubs and creates almost a closed shop. It's akin to the Premier League ringfencing the big 7.
No for me it would have been better to allow the current system to prevail but give the promoted club 1 season of being exempt from relegation in order for them to become competitive.
Back in the early 2010's a licensing system was in place which granted teams 3 years without promotion or relegation. Many teams went bust trying to raise the standards of stadia and facilities in order to meet the criteria. Bradford Bulls, London Broncos, Welsh Dragons, Halifax and Widnes all had to pretty much start again, whilst Wakefield survived 2 winding up petitions, rumour has it with the help of the Council.
In the last 5 years alone Toronto came and went from Superleague, a team from Russia tried to climb the pyramid but went under and several former big clubs, Keighley , Batley, Dewsbury, Oldham, Swinton, Rochdale and Dewsbury all struggle.
The game staggers on in Cumbria but with none of the three teams ever likely to get enough grading points to get any higher than the championship one has to ask how long for.
Maybe mergers are the answer for the smaller clubs although Sheffield have had more partners than katie Price and that hasn't really worked out.
So Castleford are safe for at least another season and maybe, just maybe next year will be better. Roll on February.
Comments
Not sure of anything now except that it looks like we are going in opposite directions over the next few weeks.
Wakefield beating Wigan was bad enough but any hope we had of dragging Huddersfield into the equation was probably extinguished by them winning in France and shocking Catalans.
Back to back away fixtures in Humberside next up as we trundle to that bustling metropolis that is Hull for another couple of thrapings. I don't know why we don't just save on transport and play them both on the same day, it's not like it's going to affect the outcome any.
The biggest problem with relegation is that unlike football, the players are registered to the Superleague which means that upon going down they are all out of contract and available to go elsewhere if they wish. The last 2 times we went down, we were lucky in that there were not that many attractive teams in the Championship and so we had our pick of the available players to sign and also had a crop of good youngsters who were of a standard to play well at that level.
This time that isn't the case as Widnes, Featherstone, Bradford, Toulouse, Halifax, Batley and Sheffield can probably make a case to potential signings whilst London can offer the glamour of the Capital.
The mileage will be horrendous, Fev and Widnes are horrible places with Football style hoolies and the only decent pub is the Shay at Fax.
The only consolation will be that apart from Fev, Widnes and Toulouse we will outnumber the home support.
Oh well at least I won't have to go to Hull and back.
COYF
The top team I think get a bye whilst 2 - 5 play for the right to meet them in the final.
Just for the record Featherstone are the 3rd club in the City of Wakefield based in WF7 (Pontefract) and are actually the 2nd best supported club in the City after Castleford.
When Superleague was launched, the RFL wanted the 3 teams to merge and play as one and when Cas refused Maurice Lyndsey made it his lifes ambition to destroy us. That's why Cas are seen as the Millwall of Rugby League. No one like us. We don't care.
As expected we capitulate in a bad 2nd half against Hull, whilst Wakey get a bit of a spanking at Huddersfield.
That keeps Wakefield 2 points below us but pretty much puts Huddersfield out of the relegation scrap so now it's a simple dogfight between Superleagues bottom 2.
It's not a bad luck story either, both teams have been truly awful this season and both deserve, on current form, to go down.
There's 8 games left and for my money Cas have the harder run in .
Remaining fixtures Castleford.
Hull K R (a), Huddersfield (h), Wakefield (a), St Helens (h), Warrington (a), Hull F C (h), Wigan (a) Leeds (a).
Remaining fixtures Wakefield.
Warrington (h), Hull F C (a), Castleford (h), Salford (a), St Helens (h), Catalans (h),
Leigh (a) Hull K R (h).
With 3 of their last 4 at home Wakefield hold a slight advantage as Cas have 3 of their last 4 away. Does it still all hinge on Wakefield V Castleford ? erm, yes I think it does as except maybe Leeds away on the last game I cannot see any other team bad enough to lose to Cas. Mind you the form that Warrington are showing I don't rule out a Wakie win there so it could all be different when the two sides clash at Ghetto Dull View in 3 rounds time.
Wakefield go and demolish Warrington, not just beat them but absolutely annihilate them and now gravity begins it's inexorable pull on Castleford. Yes of course we lost at Hull K R, like you really thought it would end any other way.
Anybody who took my advice and shorted our total points can now close your position with a kerching and count your winnings.
I will say it here and now, Castleford wont win another game this season and we will be relegated from Superleague, probably with 2 / 3 games to spare. It's made even harder by the fact that for the second time in 2 decades it will be because those knuckle dragging neanderthals from accross the City manage to survive at our expense.
The only 3 times they will have finished above us since the inception of the Superleague will be because we got relegated and they've had 3 administrations and various court appearances and winding up petitions for not paying their creditors. Hmmm no level playing field in Rugby league.
I'm not surprised that it's going to end like this. After all I've been calling it since week 4, I'm just disappointed that the players can't seem to get up for the battle.
Looks like I'm going to have to invest in a new road atlas and a list of premier inns. Oh well it could be worse, I could support Port Vale.
Both teams are locked together on 8 points with Wakefield bottom only by a narrow score difference.
This game itself isn't the final word on the matter but with neither team looking like winning again the loser could well be gone.
With the new rules regarding promotion for the 2024 season, relegation could mean no way back for the team eventually relegated.
The last time Cas were relegated in 2005 it was after losing a winner stays up last day game against Wakefield at Belle Vue.
The big fear is that it's going tp be Deja Vu and to that extent I'm not going to watch. Not because I feel that it will make any difference but it will turn me into an absolute wreck who sits there screaming invective at the tv, berating anything that adversely affects Cas and generally acting like a total spanner.
It also avoids that touch paper moment you know is going to come when the Missus remarks about it just being sport as she gets in the way or yaks on the phone etc.
@TheEdge949
In other news, the Rob Burrows Racing Club had it's first winner last night when Paul Hanagan booted home Macarone at Beverley.
Might just be the worst "before & after" we'll ever see.
So, so, sad.
When I am having a self pity party, I remind myself of people who fight with dignity and bravery just to see another day and then I realise how pathetic and insignificant my problems really are.
Thanks for the reality check @Tikay10
Met my youngest's other half last weekend. He's not that keen on Rugby League. Asked him why-he said he was brought up in Wakefield, and his parents made him go to every Featherstone game for years
I think realistically that we could get results at Warrington and Leeds and that would be enough.
Fully appreciate the fact that your youngest's other half has been scarred by years of exposure to Fev. I have a mate who dislikes football after his father made him attend Port vale games from the age of 5 until he was 15 or so.
Thought the Airlie Birds were very unlucky at the Pies by the way. You deserved the win. I have to ask why you follow Hull F.C., is it a family thing, were you born there, did you want a team that sported Tottenham colours.
This weekend sees Cas travel to Warrington on Saturday in a game that Sky are showing live whilst Sunday sees Wakefield host Saint Helens in what will be a much closer game than the form guide suggests.
In fact Whilst the odds would slightly favour a Cas win before one for Wakefield I'm going to suggest that as in years past Wakefield will find a performance to shock a Saints outfit that will take the game too lightly. Cas I feel will get blasted in the first 30 minutes and leave themselves too much to do.
Cas must try and keep things close at all costs. They currently have a +44 points difference over Wakefield and that could be so crucial after round 27.
The big thing about this situation is that both Cas and Wakey are in a state of limbo. whilst other teams are announcing signings for next season, until they know what league they will be playing in all recruitment has to be placed on hold as upon relegation all contracts are voided.
Also different Salary Cap regulations apply which affects how much money a relegated team can spend. Unless your name is Kourkash, Hetherington, Lyndsey or Beaumont.
I've been saying all season that to be relegated at the expense of Wakefield would be the ultimate kick in the nuts. However, it would appear that Cas just don't care anymore. At only 18 -12 behind and in the game Jacob Miller, an ex Wakefield player of the year, gets rightly sin binned for a dangerous tackle.
What was unacceptable was that in the 10 minutes he was off the pitch Cas conceded 4 tries, 4 tries, one every 150 seconds. Yes that killed the game but even then Cas should be giving it everything as relegation could well come down to points difference.
Yes we are still above Wakefield by 2 competition points as they lost to Saint Helens. That was expected but, whilst they lost, they didn't get hammered and showed some pride and passion.
Can Cas stay up, well our last 3 games are Hull at home followed by Wigan and Leeds away whilst Wakefield have Catalans at home, Leigh away and finish at home to Hull KR.
I can't find a win there for Cas whilst Wakefield could well get a victory somewhere, probably Hull KR on the last Friday.
With Wigan and Leeds both capable of putting 40+ points on us and Hull is a just don't know fixture, it could well be that we are relegated on the last Friday at Leeds on points difference whilst the inbred armies of the great unwashed return to their hovels celebrating yet another great escape.
I can guarantee one thing, it'll be a long drive back to Stoke from Sheddingley if that's the final scenario. The missus suggested staying at my Nieces house but she lives in Wakefield and as Blackadder so adroitly put it.
"I'd rather sit in no mans land, at night, smoking endless cigarettes through a luminous balaclava"
What does it mean in real terms? put simply Wakefield have to win both their final games and hope that Castleford lose both theirs with enough of a points differential to cancel out our advantage.
If Wakefield manage to win both then I feel that they will survive as Cas have to play Wigan and Leeds both away and I think that's a potential -60 or 70 points there. Wakefield though, are playing Leigh and Hull KR both of whom are chasing top 6 and therefore play off spots.
If both teams lose next week then that's good enough to keep Castleford in Superleague.
COYF.
Permit me a smirk, nay an evil chuckle as finally after more escapes than Houdini Wakefield Trinity finally get relegated.
To be honest they didn't deserve to stay up after posting only 4 wins out of 26, yes Castleford weren't much better with 6 wins but that's all that matters.
It will be interesting to see who replaces them. At the moment it would appear that Featherstone Rovers are the strongest team in the Championship however, their propensity for blowing it in the play off final is almost Tottenhamesque.
Should they prevail then it means we simply swap 1 local derby for another. Cas and Fev are actually closer than Cas and Wakey and all three teams have Wakefield post codes.
So with this being the last season with automatic relegation Castleford will certainly need to invest both on and off the pitch. Do I agree with the new grading system that will replace it. Absolutely not. It's simply another form of franchising which effectively protects the heritage clubs and creates almost a closed shop. It's akin to the Premier League ringfencing the big 7.
No for me it would have been better to allow the current system to prevail but give the promoted club 1 season of being exempt from relegation in order for them to become competitive.
Back in the early 2010's a licensing system was in place which granted teams 3 years without promotion or relegation. Many teams went bust trying to raise the standards of stadia and facilities in order to meet the criteria. Bradford Bulls, London Broncos, Welsh Dragons, Halifax and Widnes all had to pretty much start again, whilst Wakefield survived 2 winding up petitions, rumour has it with the help of the Council.
In the last 5 years alone Toronto came and went from Superleague, a team from Russia tried to climb the pyramid but went under and several former big clubs, Keighley , Batley, Dewsbury, Oldham, Swinton, Rochdale and Dewsbury all struggle.
The game staggers on in Cumbria but with none of the three teams ever likely to get enough grading points to get any higher than the championship one has to ask how long for.
Maybe mergers are the answer for the smaller clubs although Sheffield have had more partners than katie Price and that hasn't really worked out.
So Castleford are safe for at least another season and maybe, just maybe next year will be better. Roll on February.