Ian and Arthur conformed last night that only Widnes will be allowed to run an under 18s and any scholorships (sp) next season.

a lot of hard work and cash down the drain, what is the point now of having a youth policy when the powers that be demand it off you then tell you you can't do it??? totally baffling, looks like Halifax will not be running a reserve side again next year maybe they have already had the 'knockback'.

Or they know like the rest of us our face doesn't fit and we don't have a cat in hells chance!

Basically tells us that Widnes are going up.

As subtle a hint as hitting people on the head with a sledge hammer

I don't understand how the RFL could benefit from not allowing us to run an under 18's and scholarship. What do they get out of it

The chance to say that clubs outside of SL are not producing young players and in the future a reason to stop ALL funding to them?

The 'cream' of the local talent goes to the other clubs in the area, and it keeps us just were they want us.

Well done to the RFL ,yet another nail in the coffin congratulations

It's hard to believe this. What is the point in trying to get along with the RFL and Super League when rules are changed to be contrary to so called clear criteria?

You will be assessed on your youth policy for franchise applications oh, by the way, did we mention that you can't actually have one.

Incredible. Literally, incredible.

This is the most sickening news I've heard in some time.

I think it really is now time for the non SL clubs to go it alone.

Might sound desperate, but is it not better to go down with a fight and a small chance of success than keep praying that the psycho who's holding you at gunpoint whilst starving you to death might actually let you go?

Anybody actually got any hard reasons as to why this has occurred ?

Still getting punished for fecking round the 18's team you had in 2006 (?) ?

Its not just us though

With e like this I feel like I might as well soley follow Leigh miners instead of the centurions they'll have more meaning & purpose as a club [size=85(although I'll probably always follow us) [/size

Halifax won't be too bothered by this they don't even have a reserve team

I just don't know where they are coming from ,have they /will they give an explanation for this,i really do think they should answer to somebody about the changes that keep being made supposedly for the good of the game .The lot of them should be lined up and

ah what's the point in this game anymore.

There isn't one, time for us all to start making a big noise, I'm sure the press would listen

Or rather down the local park with some cider and instead if having something to train and aim for......., is lost to the game all together! As other scholarships would pretty much already have their player quota sorted... Ish!

Bad bad news for the youth and our club!

Before we have more threads where people are frothing at the mouth at the brutal Leigh Haters in Yorkshire, can we have the meat on the bones explanantion if anyone knows it? And b4 the person that usually says contact Allan Rowley to find out (

) I am not that interested to know but some on here I think need to know because there must be an explanantion better than "no you can't run one next year" and thats it.

It's not only us its ALL Championship teams with the exception of Widnes, see no need to ask Allan as Arthur told us at the LISA meeting, I will attempt to find out more in the forthcoming week or so when I next speak to Garry Eccleston that is unless someone else wishes to do so that is, then feel free.

I'm having another Reggy Perrin moment. Do you know what vision comes into my head when I hear of these meetngs that the RFL have? The spitting image sketches of the tory party cabinet office meetings but without Maggie. Why without Maggie? Because she had a brain.

Surely we have served our penitance from the irregularities of a few years ago and if we wish to put money into a youth structure we should be allowed to do so, as should any other Championship club. A heck of a lot of hard work and dedication by the hardworking scholarship coaches will now be wasted, if Leigh are willing to put money and time into a youth structure for the future of our club then what gives anyone the right to take that away?
Looking at it with a cynical view perhaps its a way of after this round of franchising is out of the way to stop any other club being in a position to fullfill the required criteria for any future applications?
Imagine this happening in any other sport there would be a national outcry, that plus now what happens to those youngsters that arev at least kept off the streets for a couple of nights a week and are involved in an healthy pursuit in the summer months, yes most (if not all) are involved at other levels of the sport but the above still is true.

I still find it difficult to believe that there is not a reasonable explanation for this. Its crazy for governing body not to encourage clubs to contribute to its communities as such. It will be interesting to know the truth in this.
All we know at the moment is the big bad RFL are doing one on Leigh again just for sake of it - according to this thread. The same governing body that thought we could add to the current league we are in, and gave us a reprieve instead of relegating us.

All (pretty much) will play at a certain amateur level. but what of all the hopes and aspirations for the future now? Totally squashed! 1 or 2 may get snapped up by other sl club but what for the other 18 lads? So poss 20 lads at one age group so that's 40 lads just from our club (2 age groups) add to that a further 7 or more clubs! Makes err roughly 320 lads missing out on better coaching, better fitness, more skills, professional habits, diets knowledge etc etc going to waste!

And the rfl actually want to improve our national team???? Hahhaahaa good luck you bunch iof f*** wits!!

Why have 30odd clubs when you can have 14 Suuuuuuuper Mega Clubs.

We'll all stop watching Leigh and watch Wigan instead, don't folk understand?

A couple of thousand extras at each Suuuuuuuuuper Mega Club can only be good for the game. Whats the point in wasting resources on village pit teams when they can ALL be channelled directly into Suuuuuuuper Mega Clubs?

It's a no brainer and I dont know why we didn't do it decades ago.

Wiiiiiiigan Wiiiiiiiiiigan Wiiiiiiiiiigan.

See, it's easy.