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.

So many people blame 'The RFL' for everything wrong in our game, when it's in fact the clubs that vote for the things we like or don't like, and they promote it and change the laws of the game accordingly. They are puppets and mainly the top 8 clubs pull the strings.
The only criticism I have of them is being weak and not appearing to stand up against them and look at the game as a whole....or maybe that's the clubs fault too for not voting for an official body that has the final word.

playing in a league of 4 clubs I can only say No Comment!

The Super League clubs only have themselves to blame but unfortunately it hurts Rugby League as a whole. Super League club chairmen seem to be the most short sighted people in the world, if they can save a few quid today they don't care about the state of the sport tomorrow (see scrapping reserve grade, see abuse of dual code, see franchising). They need to scrap dual code (maybe increase the number of players you can send out on loan though), bring back reserves & a proper academy system for the whole sport!

Agree with everything you say PTB, but in fairness I'm pretty sure Wiggin and Wire were two who voted against scrapping the reserves

So did I, think that’s why Smith sent half his first team to play for Swinton think he hoped it would force the issue.

I'm with you glow on this , you're right on both accounts