Quote ="PlayTheBall"According to todays RL Express Tony Smith and Shaun Wane are now bemoaning the absence of a Reserve Grade competition both in terms of the development of their younger players and the opportunity of players too old for the their Under 19s competition who are coming back from injury or who are squad players not currently getting first team action.
The coaches seem to be inferring that it is the RFL's fault. Wasn't it the SL Clubs who voted for this stupidity in the interests of saving some money. These are the same clubs whose intention and practice was to take the Mickey out of the well intentioned Dual Registration system and to USE the Championship and Championship One clubs to fill the gaps with competitive games for whoever they thought needed the game time. Lee Briers playing for Swinton springs to mind.
No thought or conscience was applied to the potential detrimental effects on the lower level clubs squad players or to the league competitions they are playing in and potentially artificially distorting.
Now the Championship and Championship One clubs have woken up to reality of the fact that they have been used by SL Clubs to the detriment of the team spirit within their own squads, the SL Clubs are moaning about the abolition of a proper Reserve Grade.
Tony Smith's tone almost suggests that the SL Club players should be automatically chosen to get in the team they are out on DR to.
Without being disrespectful to clubs like Doncaster, Workington and Swinton, it is in the best interests of the game that they have not prospered by allowing themselves to be used by the SL Clubs in this way.
It beggars belief that the SL Clubs could not see all this coming and are then moaning about it like they weren't part of the decision making process that brought it all about.
In my view it is well overdue that we recognise a completely failed experiment that should have been foreseen before it's introduction. I suggest the scrapping of DR and reintroduction a proper reserve grade competition for both SL and the Championship is important to the future of the game. This should be coupled with heavy fines for any club not fulfilling any fixture at this level to ensure all clubs recognise the importance of a Reserve Grade competition.'"
Agree with everything you say PTB, but in fairness I'm pretty sure Wiggin and Wire were two who voted against scrapping the reserves
