Bradford have always had a lack of quality backs coming through the youth set up especially outside backs. Apart from the exception of Leon I can't actually think of a homegrown three quarter who made his mark in the first team during the last 10-12 years. Obviously Atkins (big mistake to let him go) and Bridge have since proved how good a players they were/are and Wardle and Helliwell may well become top players in years to come. The reality of it is any top quality young English back the club just can't keep hold of as money talks and the clubs such as Warrington and Huddersfield can offer much better terms with there money men ploughing it in.

You're wrong, so I correct you. On the contrary, given the disastrous injury situation we have experienced, if it hadn't been for a considerable number of decent youngsters to blood, we would sometimes hardly have been able to raise a team. Whether they go on to top level remains to be seen but we have had a fair number coming through, some sooner than we would have ideally liked.

I would agree that there remains a shortage of backs, though.

I'm never very sure which way round it is. Is it because we generally produce good young forwards that our overseas recruitment are generally backs? Or is it we don't need as many young backs coming through as we have overseas backs who would block progress to the first team?

Very few in British RL have a clue what a good outside back is, that's why the majority of British backs produced are the size of a pea in comparison to their Antipodean counterparts and they simply get run over in the big games.

Correct with the perfect example been Michael Lawerence at the Giants been shifted into the pack because of his size.