Yeah you're right mate, just can't resist biting.





Just been reading about that, sounds another good prospect.

A press release confirming the signing of a youth player who has not as yet played first grade and may never do so is a rather desperate attempt to show success though

I would theorise that Quins take a greater %age of their fans to away matches than any other club. In fact I expect that most clubs bring as many fans to London as London bring to away matches.

If that was the sum total of HKR's youth system then yes it would be, but it's not.

Why use it as the example of the success of Hull KR's youth system then?

Maybe it was [uone[/u example disproving the myth that HKR's youth system has been "binned".

HKR's youth system was ' binned ' , when they were outside SL and it was mostly a waste of much needed funds , Now they are in SL they have started their youth system again , and it will need time like it would for any club to bear fruit

I'm not sure anyone has said it has been "binned". Clearly Hull KR have junior teams, but the impression is that getting as many NRL players in as possible is the priority, not juniors into first grade. As such it hardly disproves that and won't to any degree unless this lad goes on to be reasonably regular in the first team. Let's hope he does.

Disagree, in the time I've been going to Rovers, Crusaders/Broncos/Quins have usually brought (on average) 10-20 fans. I am convinced us, Hull, Wire, Saints, Leeds, and Wigan all bring more then this each year to London (+ other clubs like Cas and Bradford probably).

Quite and it's fair to say SL players aren't going to be produced playing CL rugby. However, they have been there four years now and as such to read some of the stories regarding the squad building there gives me and many others an impression of where their priorities lie. Presumably they feel for the licence application it is worth concentrating on other issues.

He said as a % of their fans, not actual numbers. I'm sure you actually know the difference though.

No, but as Kevin Keegan once said - youth on it's own won't win anything. Rovers are bringing as many young players through as possible, whilst maintaining experience to have a good balance. Quins have a squad based almost solely on youth (which is great in theory), but because they can't afford experienced players to compliment the young stars, they are bottom of the table, and probably will be for many years.

Not in his second sentance.

It could have been better put (and frankly it's a slightly daft point anyway)

It was Alan Hansen actually!

I think you're right and as I said above clearly Rovers consider there are other areas better to concentrate on for their licence application. However, I am rather cynical about whether clubs will properly invest in youth while they are able to plunder a ready made market (and it isn't just RL, but football, RU, speedway and cricket. None of these sports are giving priority to home grown products to any degree). I don't think Quins would have done if they had not been forced by circumstances.

Personally if I was a Rovers fan I would be concerned that my club would suffer badly, if the RFL actually does get strict about imports rather than just talking about it while leaving huge loopholes in the quota system, as not enough emphasis has been put on getting home grown (ie academy) players into regular first team action in sufficient numbers. One might suggest that there are some clubs already suffering from having followed a short term policy previously.

Keegan said it too on a Newcastle United VHS tape from the early 90's, still got it somewhere.





Yeah they're good points, but if you need a blend of youth & experience to be successful, how else can you get the experience half without buying from outside of the area? I.e. it's surely very, very difficult to find locally-born RL players who are young but also experienced and good enough for SL?

Shaun Briscoe
Peter Fox
Kris Welham
Ben Cockayne
Liam Colbon
Scott Murrell
Chaz I’Anson
Scott Wheeldon
Josh Hodgson
Liam Watts
Matt Cook
Scott Taylor
Scott Spaven


Just had a think about what strongest 13 we could put out this Sunday if the RFL banned all overseas players in SL tommorow, this is something similar to what I would use if coach. Whilst the pack is a bit small/inexperienced, I think 1-7 would be a match for any all-British 1-7 in SL.

It's a conundrum, but how are players going to get experience if they're not played. We would all be very rich if we had a pound for every time we heard a fan defending a signing by saying "(academy player A) will learn from (Aussie B)" (no doubt with academy player A being released in his early twenties having not played enough matches to establish himself because Aussie B has a mortgage on the spot whatever happens).

Your bench is looking a bit skinny too

Surely then the only fair solution would be for either:

a) A ban on all players not born in the UK

or

b) A limit on players not born in the UK (say 2 or 3)

Would never happen in a million years but a trial of a few years would be interesting to see what happened, and if it had any knock-on effect (positive or negative) on our performance at international level.

14. Chev Walker
15. Michael Ratu
16. Frankie Mariano
17. Sam Latus

I would like to see that in due course. There should always be a place for quality imports, but a position where clubs are forced to invest in their juniors.

Difficult after the 2008 WC to see how any change might impact negatively on the England team

Id give it a few more years yet before we judge.
I geuninely believe we're heading in the right direction and its only 18 months into the licensing process.
Yes, the exemptions are disappointing but there's more and more of these players retiring and we are seeing more young players at every club.
Don't forget there's also 14 teams, talent is spread thinner.

They don't want to hear it Starbug they really don't.

In the past 2 years we have given SL debuts to Sam Latus, Scott Taylor, Scott Spaven and Frankie Mariano.
We have Kris Welham who is now an established SL player.
I wont mention Liam Watts as apparently he doesnt count even though a few Cas fans have admitted he had attitude problems when he was with them. Strangely he doesn't anymore but hey ho.
So just because someone gives you 1 example you jump on him?
It would seem the old saying of 's**t sticks' is as true today as ever.