Correct me if I am wrong but what gallop is saying is clubs should put time, money and effort into producing great young players but whan they turn 20 or 21 and you cant afford to keep them all you should give them to other clubs who cant produce there own so they can compete with you.

When do service areas start? U13/U14s at the earliest, do you think these kids pick up a ball at 12/13 and start playing? BARLA has already done the spadework to enable these kids to enter the Service Area squads.

one of The best posts ever written. well done sir

Wigan Warriors have been in the primary schools in this borough for years now. Kids as young as 9 and 10 have regularly attended special training camps run by Wigan during the school holidays, and have attended open days at the DW. I know, because my grandson is one of them.

Clubs who don't show this sort of initiative only have themselves to blame if neighbouring clubs who do gain a long-term advantage from it.

Just out of interest, are you really suggesting that clubs should not go out into the community and try to develop a junor player base, because BARLA will do it for them?

Is this another part of the 'we must have a level playing field at all costs' mentality, and 'no-one must be allowed to gain any kind of advantage'? Or is it just a wind-up?

I sincerely hope it's the latter.

My eldest lad (just turned 8 ) has just started receiving rugby coaching by Wigan Warriors after school (on school grounds) once a week. I went watching him for the first time yesterday, nothing too fancy or complicated with the emphasis on being fun. He loves it.

Dave