Haven battered Fev in the first half, there no.7 (signed from Quins) kicked us to death and they built up a fantastic lead. Infact they played that well in the first half we never had the ball in their half.

We've always had a youth structure, but it's not as organised as it is under Powell, obviously his experience with Leeds is playing a big part.

I suppose next year will be a big year for the reserve players coming through and cementing a spot before you are awarded a license.

TBH Our reserves don't feature that much! Bar the one's already in the first team squad... whenever we have had to call on fresh meat we've gone straight to the under 18's... what that say's I don't know but have a feeling our youth was built up again by SO'C / TO'C & Co from the bottom up and the current 20's if you like will be casualties of that!

It'll be good to see the Widnes squad in 5 years time, if they are nurtured in the correct manner, in theory they will be breaking into the squad then.

It's a very result for Widnes, well done to them.
The comment about let's see them in 5 years is very apt but perhaps not for the reason the writer thought.

Widnes are very vulnerable to having their best youngsters poached by bigger wealthier clubs leaving the Vikings with lads who are not their best.
Myler is the obvious case. The name is a rugby dynasty in the town yet he was gone in a shot when Salford came in for him. Even they couldn't hold on when Wire came with their big money contract.

The Widnes management are ahead of the game and I do hope they have procedures in place to prevent this. The most obvious is that when they come into SL they recruit quality players in numbers and immediately spend up to the salary cap. Once they have done that on their 25 highest paid then they can offer as good a contract to lads out of that 25 to any of the larger SL clubs.

Long term I do think the RFL/SL have to come up with a solution to the problem of poaching. Smaller clubs will always be so if their best players leave. If their best players can stay and the team become successful then the smaller clubs can develop their buisiness better with an ever increasing financial turnover and hopefully, profit.

We must remember with Myler he left with the club in administration hence we had no chance to re sign him as didn't have a board etc to put on offer to him and all current deals were void so he was in effect a free agent!

Well done Widnes.
Regardless of what some on here think, the Vikings have really turned things around off the pitch and once they ticked the required boxes, they have quietly gone about building for the future.
I hope the RFL don't mess it all up and refuse them entry....Widnes will be a credit to SL and their youth team have shown they are planning for the future.

the stand out under 18's player this season has been danny craven, for me this kid is better at this age than richie myler was.

What has surpised me is the attitude of some of the SL clubs to being beaten by Widnes.

The St Helens report on being beaten was childish and it was clear that couldnt take a defeat by an Academy side associated with a Championship club.

Leeds took the--lets totally ignore it option--and didnt report the two defeats they suffered at home.

Although the vikings deserve praise just off the top of my head the players who have played first team include

craven,kelly,gerrard,smith and I'm sure there maybe another 1 or two in the line up who have appeared in first team. Craven and Kelly in particular playing alot of games towards the back end of the year.

What on earth is your point?

Of course we used players from our U18s. We're trying to give them experience and break them into the first team! They're youngsters, what does it matter whether we played them in our first team?

We can't win.

I particularly like the idiots who like to tell us that our academy players were all older than those of the rest of the competition, when in fact, they weren’t. Or the comment about the reserves being full of first team players, but he didn’t know who they were and couldn’t produce any team sheet to prove it. So neither of these people had a clue, but thought they’d just make it up and post it anyway.





Ah well, sod ‘em!

Craven has been particularly impressive , needs to fill out a bit , but time on his side , he looks a very confident player

I thought you did?


I repeat...well done Widnes......showing the way forward with youth development. Gett'e in now to replace Hull Kingston Australians

Our best youngster last year certainly. A few MOM performances at the back end of last season.

You seem to be displaying some ' obsessive ' tendancys lately

I'd lay off the

, for a bit

It's 6am....even that's a tad early for Gutterfax


Is there anywhere on-line where all the under-age/academy resulsts (+ tables) are published? Would be good to compare results for a club across the board.....I am sure we would still be a bottom half team, but I know our under age teams have pulled off some cracking results this season.

Not really relevant though is it , too many variables in junior teams , it's good to win , but the real success is how many end up playing the sport for money

Fair Point. Quins fielded a load of kids this year and still avoided last spot. Let's hope with that game experience under their belts and a decent coach they can kick on and make the grade.

Just for the record , Widnes do have a decent record of success at that as well

I know...that's why they should be in next time......in place of a club that is still reliant on overseas players

Or one with no fans

There you go....dragging Salford into the debate again



I would have no issues with the RFL if Harlequins Rugby League were the team jetisoned.....it's not like the Business side of the club weren't told what was expected of them.

David Hughes, as much as a saint as he is, should have put at least 50% of his reported financial backing into getting new fans, but he is hell bent (right or wrong) on the long term project of getting the game up to speed in the South East and he is to be applauded to sticking to his goals( even though I totally disagree with him).

Difference is, I and pretty much anyone who takes an interest in RL for that matter know that Quins have terrible crowds and as a result, need a financial backer........whilst fans of other clubs try to justify THEIR CLUBS FAILINGS by constantly pointing out what we all know. It's a river in Egypt

There you go , dragging the Crusaders into the debate again

Amazing. A truly great achievement for our Academy set up and all I read on the majority of the first page is a bunch of narrow minded internet retards trying to do their very best to undermine it. Only on RLTrolls can this happen where the complete gutter trash of our game hang out. Losers.

Oh well in that case we'd better forget the achievements of this season then. I'll forward your comments to the club in the morning and they can start dismantling the youth structures. Thanks for the heads up.