Quote ="Ave It!"No, our 19’s at the moment are struggling. We have no where near the quality of academy players that Wigan, Saints, Leeds etc. For us to throw a young 16/17 year halfback straight into a super league match when we don’t even have one training fulltime (I don’t think) would be criminal. Not only for the team, but for their confidence as well, especially if he makes a few mistakes early doors and our fans start getting edgy. First of all they have to earn a place in the first team by playing well at u19’s level and if the coaches don’t feel that the players we currently have in that position are good enough then we have to respect that decision, at the end of the day they watch them every day in training and are trained to develop the young lads properly.
Our academy at the moment is a work in progress, we have a number of good products playing in the first team already: Fages, the Walne Brothers, Walton and Matty Gee and Ryan Lannon were both on the bench against Leeds last week, so we’re getting there. Plus we have also let a number of players leave in the past: Ratchford, Turner, Sneyd so we do produce them, maybe not on the scale of a Wigan or Leeds, but I'll say it again we’re getting there.
FWIW I don’t think Watson will play, I just think he’s being registered as a last resort.'"
I've resisted replying to this thread until now, because the shortsightedness of our fans astounds me. We dont have any 19's capable ??
Yet in pre-season this forum was ablaize with praise for the 19's who played in the friendlies, i would rather give them experience than help wigan out and blood their youngsters, a poor result would be worth the experience they gained. How must the young centre feel who played pre-season, same age as gildart !!
