I fear they are coming.I dont mind Rogues,but I hope this thread is not going to entice them over,they've been licking their wounds I know,but I dont want em over here till february

There are Hood, McShane, Keinhorst, Singleton who have played this season. There's also a list as long as your arm of Leeds academy players playing in SL, whose path into the first team hasn't been blocked by a series of imports (like some clubs) but by other academy players who are just simply better

Rogues is an intelligent articulate poster who watches a lot more Academy rugby than I do.

That said, he's been dooming and glooming about the quality of our Academy for some time. It's still drip feeding quality players into our first team so I don't agree with his opinion.

The credibility of his opinion isn't helped by being supported in the past by doom mongers like Bywater and Gotcha.

I think Rogues posts are a bit tongue in cheek.Like I said I dont mind him.

2. Ben Jones-Bishop
3. Kallum Watkins
5. Ryan Hall
6. Danny McGuire
7. Rob Burrow
9. Paul McShane
11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan
12. Carl Ablett
13. Kevin Sinfield
14. Lee Smith
16. Ryan Bailey
18. Chris Clarkson
21. Richard Moore
24. Liam Hood
25. Stevie Ward

I make that 15 players who are Leeds Academy graduates who've played for the first team this year. Then, in the rest of the game, you have:

Richie Mathers, Peter Fox (both Wakefield), Jodie Broughton, Ashley Gibson, Danny Williams (all Salford), Scott Murrell, Jason Netherton (both Hull KR), Kyle Briggs, Matt Diskin, Luke Gale, Nick Scruton, Chev Walker (all Bradford), Jordan Tansey (Castleford), Danny Allan, Gareth Raynor, Jonny Hepworth, Ben Kaye, Michael Haley (all Featherstone), Jason Golden (London), Mark Calderwood (Workington), Luke Burgess (South Sydney), Garreth Carvell (Warrington)

then there's Nick Fozzard, Fran Cummins & Danny Ward who came in around the turn of the Millenium, and are all now retired.

the academy's fine thanks.

There's also Keinhorst and Singleton from this years

In the last 9 years, 19 academy players have won a GF with Leeds. Add on players who probably have picked up one of the additional rings but not played in the GF like Tansey, McShane, Gibson, Moore, Keinhorst, Hood, Cummings (2004) then over 25 Leeds Academy players have picked up GF Rings in the last decade at the club.

Adrian Morley joined Leeds at 17, did he therefore play in the academy? Fozard won a GF (or more than one?) with Stains. Have any other Leeds academy graduates won GFs at other clubs? I'm struggling to think of many (or any).

Remember kids: it doesn't pay to leave Leeds.

Has Ewan Dowes retired?

Dowes has joined Calders at Workington.

I can only think of one, in Paul Anderson during his Bradford years,im sure he came through our system but that was pre super league and the academy was not in place then.

Wigan had 21 academy graduates play in the first team this year.

Nick Fozzard only played in two Grand Finals with St Helens - 2007 and 2008. IIRC, he ended up on the losing side in both.

Where they all Wigan academy graduates though?

Quote ="Fat Boy"Where they all Wigan academy graduates though?'" Yes. It would have been 22 if I had included Rhodri Lloyd, but he was signed from South Wales and I presume he played in their academy at some stage. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1666

Quote ="Fat Boy"Where they all Wigan academy graduates though?'" Yes. It would have been 22 if I had included Rhodri Lloyd, but he was signed from South Wales and I presume he played in their academy at some stage. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1666

How many only played in the North Wales game?

One.

how many wigan academy graduates were playing when they got beat by widnes?

Quote ="MHL"how many wigan academy graduates were playing when they got beat by widnes?'" Only three more than when Wigan inflicted Leeds heaviest ever defeat at Headingley. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1676

Quote ="MHL"how many wigan academy graduates were playing when they got beat by widnes?'" Only three more than when Wigan inflicted Leeds heaviest ever defeat at Headingley. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1676

We had 10 academy graduates in our Grand Final 17. How many did you have?

Also, as in 2004 and 2008, every point Leeds scored in the Grand Final was scored by an academy graduate.

Both halves, the hooker, loose forward and entire 3/4 line in the starting 13 were academy graduates.

Sometimes raw numbers don't allow for the significance of the contribution of the academy.

But d!ck measuring between 2 clubs with good academy track records isn't that helpful anyway. My count, Wigan and Leeds academies have provided about half of the England squad this year. Finger pointing and other aspersions might be better directed elsewhere don't you think?

If its dick measuring, they have a massive one in their second row

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"Only three more than when Wigan inflicted Leeds heaviest =#0000BFever defeat at Headingley. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1676'" Can you define what constitutes Leeds' heaviest ever defeat at Headingley? Is it in terms of points conceded or is it in terms of margin of defeat. Either way despite coming close Wigan's win at Headingley in June satisfied neither. Or are you using some other less obvious measure?

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"Only three more than when Wigan inflicted Leeds heaviest =#0000BFever defeat at Headingley. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1676'" Can you define what constitutes Leeds' heaviest ever defeat at Headingley? Is it in terms of points conceded or is it in terms of margin of defeat. Either way despite coming close Wigan's win at Headingley in June satisfied neither. Or are you using some other less obvious measure?

He meant it more literally. He measured the barometric pressure at pitch level, calculated the weight of a column of air with base 1 foot square on the centre spot and then compared it with identical readings from other Leeds home defeats.

True story.

tvoc, what were Leeds' heaviest home defeats (by both measures)?

I thought it would be the defeat when we our players weighed the most. No Nandos that week

I did mean the Super League era as that was the discussion re academy players. Just to go back, I did raise concerns about the lack of talent coming through Leeds from around 2009, and it was G1 who brought this back up.

The point I raised all those years ago as a genuine RL fan was as a concern about the lack of development at Leeds. Thankfully this season things appear to have improved but only time will tell.

I'm really peed off with this U20's decision, even though it will probably help Wigan as they were very strong at U18's last year and have signed 11 or 12 of the best U16 team I have ever seen to further bolster that squad.