The vision of the Leeds Academy is hugely distorted by a once in a lifetime crop emerging around the turn of the decade.

Within the space of three or four years, the club brought through numerous players who have gone on to represent their country (Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, Ward, Diskin, Jones-Buchanan, Sinfield - off the top of my head).

I'd be surprised to see any club replicate that in the near future.

If an Academy system feeds one or two players in who go on to establish themselves in the first team every year, it's performing adequately IMO.

It's a demise in part which is what I said.

You don't think it's a demise in part when the club has to look outside it's own internal structures of several Academy teams?

I personally thin its refreshing to see our club looking at local talent rather than over the hill aussies, Im quite happy to see other clubs signing over rated aussies on stupid wages whilst we concentrate on getting the best local talent, it makes me laugh to see the hull fans creaming themselves over signing omealy when the couple of local youngsters we have signed will probably be far far better value for us

In which case around 12 of the current SL sides have Academies which are "demising in part".

If the aforementioned forwards don't develop then maybe,but to see other quality youngsters signed to add depth to the overall squad i wouldn't call a demise in any form.
Sometimes players take longer to grow into SL players i don't think it's a major problem and afterall looking at Ben-jones-bishop,kallum watkins,broughton at hull plus mcshane that indicates to me that the acadamy is still producing the goods.

Any club can do it.

Its a case of setting your goal out for what you want. What Leeds achieved was not by luck, it was by setting that goal, to devlop the players, with a plan for first team action.

They have not carried on the same way on such a scale over last few years.

Saints, Wakey, and Cas, can still repeat what Leeds did now, if they continue with the players they have been developing.

I don’t think we’ve had an over the hill Australian for years tbh and this is a myth. The only one I can think of from the top of my head is Bradley Clyde. But I’m sure some people on here will have more to offer than just that one player!

I can safely say though that we’ve had more decent signings over the SL era than terrible ones!

It is a shame that we cant produce our own players but we have brought players through from lower leagues and acadamy befoer with great sucess so fingers crosed in a few years time they will all be first teamers

You are joking right?

Pitts and Amor seem like really good signings.

The good thing is that these lads probably aren't on top money either, meaning there's nothing to stop us bringing in the so called big names.

Mark O'Neill?

What does the Pitts signing say to the likes of Worrall, Allan and Manning?




There are several other Academies that never reached a position they could, in part, demise from.

It says "Earn your place, don't expect to be given it"

If you read the article in the yep and watch the bluey interview pitts is seen as a prop!!!
I know what you mean though and as has been stated before the coaching staff feel the younger forwards are a couple of seasons away from SL at the elite level.
I have posted previously that i think the dual registration will work in those players and the clubs favour next year and everyone knows that the reserve league has been pretty ordinary overall.

they are not big enough to play at prop when needed?

That would be one interpretation, another might be (in Worrall's case) start looking for another club next season.

And I for one wouldn't be at all bothered if that was the case.

It certainly looks that way, he hasn't imo performed as he did last year which imo was pretty good considering how long he'd been playing league.
I admit it tvoc you were right and i got this 1 wrong!

TVOC am I right in thinking you have been bemoaning the size of the squad this year?

I look forward to seeing 8 Cas Academy products representing England over the next four or five years. I won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen though.

For all those players to emerge in such a short space of time at the same club was exceptional IMO - to imply otherwise would raise the query as to why no other club has done it over the recent past.

Yes.

I term squad as players capable of playing at 1st grade level. Only time will tell if Pitts will add to this anytime soon.

So you can take any set of young local amateur lads and turn them into GB players can you?

What if the club have signed the very best young local talent and trained them the exact same way as we did with McGuire, Burrow, JJB etc but unfortunately they are just not as naturally talented?

So we should only sign experienced 1st team players from other clubs?

If we need to strengthen this season's squad we need to sign players capable of playing 1st team football this season.

Only time will tell if Pitts fits that bill at Leeds in the 2009 season. So far Leeds' other recruits (bar Buderus) haven't improved this season's first team squad that I have noticed. Non of Eastwood, Ambler, Coady or Amor have troubled the 1st team selector/s.

I've welcomed all the signings as ones with potential for the future and continue to do so.

Good buy for the future it is clear we need to strenghten in the front row. I do hope it does mean we are going to loose Burgess