Wakefield keep counsel over Castleford CEO's stadium opposition

Wakefield Trinity are maintaining a diplomatic silence over the discovery that Richard Wright, the chief executive of their local rivals Castleford, has contributed to the case against their application for a new stadium. The public inquiry into Wakefield's proposal, which involves retail and warehousing as well as a community stadium on the site of an old colliery next to the M62 motorway, began at the city's town hall on Monday. Leeds city council, which is challenging the development because it involves greenbelt land, produced a batch of documents including a letter from Wright which confirmed that Wakefield have previously rejected the opportunity to share a stadium that Castleford hope to build a couple of junctions along the M62 – although their plans are dependent on planning permission being granted for a supermarket to be built on the site of their current home in the town at Wheldon Road. Wright has yet to respond to the storm caused by his letter, although Castleford have promised a statement on Wednesday. The two clubs, whose supporters united to reject a merger that was part of the original Super League plans in 1995-96, had been thought to be battling for a single place in the elite competition when the latest batch of three-year licences were awarded last summer. The shock withdrawal of the Crusaders allowed both to survive, but each have frequently stressed the importance of moving to a new stadium to their long-term future. Sir Rodney Walker, the former chairman of both Trinity and the Rugby Football League who is now heading up the community trust that has been formed to oversee the development of the stadium, confirmed in his evidence to the inquiry that a funding package has been agreed for work to start early next year if planning permission is granted. The Super League clubs has agreed to introduce a small but significant change on the field next season, when teams will be restricted to a maximum of 10 interchanges in each match. They have been allowed to make up to 12 for the last decade, but that number will be reduced in an effort to promote forwards who can graft for longer periods in line with the game's traditional values, and to undermine the appeal of short-term impact substitutes. The clubs were considering an even more radical reduction to eight per match, but that will be trialled in the Academy competition next season with a view to its possible introduction in 2013. Jon Wilkin, the ball-playing England forward who regularly plays for the full 80 minutes and will therefore welcome the changes, has become the second St Helens player to sign a new four-year contract in recent weeks, following the young scrum-half Jonny Lomax.