And Bridge was from Oldham

You'd have a pretty decent team in the naughties if you put every Oldham lad together.

Just to provide some balance, it seems the Scholarship team that beat London 72-4 on Saturday included SEVEN players from Woolston Rovers Under 15’s. Looking forward to seeing how they develop compared with Rylands Under 14’s lads.

Spoke to one of the parents on social media who confirmed this is true. She said Warrington wasent interested. Very unusual. Thanks for you replies


This is no means me claiming saints are beating warrington to youth prospects its just a question as to why Warrrington arnt signing them.

Is there any kind of quota system going on? I.e can you only sign so many at a time? Or is it like football where you could sign 200 kids per age group like some of the Premier League academies do?

It’s interesting how as a town we are suddenly hot property for rugby talent. According to previous thread contributions (especially from other clubs’ fans) we aren’t a rugby town and don’t produce decent local talent.

If Saints and Wigan are trying to sign up whole teams from the area, what happened to their own local junior talent that was traditionally much higher quality? Maybe we’ve already signed it up and our local talent was their back up plan?

PS yes this post was intended to have a Sally C counterpoint feel to it

Wigan have by far the best track record in SL of bringing through talent from their Academy but they didn't wan't the U14 team from Rylands. Perhaps you should ask them why ?

What makes you think that? Saints just got in there first. Wigan signed one lad from there. I'd say Saints are leading the way at the minute anyway when it comes to bringing through talent.

They have the best winger in the league, best centre, one of the best props and the second best hooker all through their academy.

There is another angle that parents who are Wir6e fans, managed their kids to sign at other clubs because of Warrington's poor record of talent nuture, especially that of P&B blood.

This is true & also the way Warrington have recently treated 3 local lads.

The logic move to me is get your kid to sign for Widnes.

Agree. Local lads get treated differently and Warrington have a very poor record for this. If I had a son playing for U14's I would certainly not be looking at Warrington as the club to develop him, it would be another 10 years before he would even break through for a debut.

Ah, now we are getting to the heart of it. So you are saying that the parents and perhaps Rylands ( I guess you are a member / club official there) encouraged the U14's to sign with another club because of the way Wire have treated some of their local lads ?

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... lves-side/

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... lves-side/

Perhaps we had already cherry picked.

We fielded 20 players not 17 as reported by the Guardian (14 15yr olds and 6 16yr olds by my reckoning) but even so for Woolston to have seven is excellent and Mr Whalley will certainly be delighted.

Ray French is glad he doesn’t have to do TV commentaries any more I would think.

was very proud Charlie!!!! Great for Woolston and Warrington....shows that there is scouting being done for locals contrary to what some would let you believe!!!

Well if you 2 are happy....then I'm satisfied.

They lost the final 19-18. Let's get those lock lane lads signed up!!

Lock Lane are a cracking side and are dominant in Yorkshire this season, very big, physical pack, not suprised the final was so tight. Think most of them are going to Cas.

You'v got two of the very best talents from Yorkshire in your scholorship, Nic Staveley and Denive Balmforth, both u15's, both from Stanningley, both absolute class at there age.