Doesn't this part slight defeat the argument rather than support it?



All these players achieved Super League or NRL first team debuts without the reserve grade.
I agree they developed later in their career but the duel registration process worked for each of them......I think.

NRL clubs use feeder clubs as their way of supporting "the not quite there" players while keeping them on their books.
We don't do the programme very well over here but it does the job when done correctly.
Kirmond and Hadley have both benefited from it. I'm sure Hadley developed his game more with us than he would playing with a second string team.

Same with our young players. I think it is better for let's say Jordan Crowther to play full time at Dewsbury against tough opposition in a genuine competition than playing against Salford's second team who are either not good enough for first team or coming back from injury or kids not big enough yet for the 1st team.
The principle of the reserves worked better in the past when costs were lower and to be honest the difference between best and worse was closer but I can see why chairmen are reluctant to invest when they can loan to a championship club.

Saying that, I see the value to a team like Wakefield to get their players playing regularly. I'm not against reserve grade if that's what everyone signs up to, but I'd actually rather we create a team and play them in div1 as a feeder club if we can't get a genuine reserve league going.

a better option may be to have an extra academy competition with a limited number of over age players allowed. eg, u18s, u21/23s

this way you can still play your fringe players and returning from injury players.

The reserve grade is a little closer to "first grade" rugby, which makes it a better option and gives the young players the change to play against blokes, instead of youngsters.
With the 2 academy sides and reserve grade, it seems about right.
Unfortunately, there aren't enough reserve sides, which has led to a couple of clubs stopping and of course, some clubs dont have either, which is just plain wrong.
In the mixed up world of RL, it seems plastic seats are more important than bringing young players into the game.

I wonder for the bigger clubs whether having a 'wigan b' team and playing in the lower leagues would be financially viable? That way they would have an opposition every week and be playing against men, but they would still be within their own system playing under their own structures etc, which should then help with a transition in to the first team

Barcelona and real madrid to it in their competitions.

Don't one of the Yorkshire junior cricket sides play in the Yorkshire senior league?