It would appear Ken's gone fishing again. Seems they have plundered another of our rising stars...

[urlhttp://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2011/11/02/huddersfield-giants-in-swap-deal-for-wakefield-rising-star-joe-walker-86081-29701826/[/url

This article is a joke!

[urlhttp://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2011/11/01/huddersfield-giants-build-for-the-future-as-riding-and-hardisty-take-key-roles-in-youth-development-86081-29695038/[/url

All they have to do is leave wakey to do the spade work then flash Kens cheque book!
How old is Ken Davy?

Another 'swap' deal and another veiled reference to the fact that players can 'kick on' when they leave Wakefield to join Shudds.

Regardless of what's actually happened in this deal, whomever writes their press releases has a habit of using them as an opportunity to have a dig at us; that, and using us in place of a proper Academy system, are not on.

Seems a shame, but if hudds are offering him better money and a chance to be in the first team, what can we do?
Until we start to make consistent strides forward to becoming a club that can rival the big clubs, we will always be likely to suffer this.
Years of neglect causes this.

time to give them a jolly good hiding (twice) next season... how i hate them

Couple of things stand out in that press release.

Hudds havent offered him a full time contract.

Wakefield didnt offer him a full time contract.

Why has such a rising star not been offered a full time contract???

Maybe the clue is in the words "If he knuckles down"

Maybe a good move for both players to have a change of scenery??

Hey! Don't spoil a good conspiracy thread!

and we are getting this in return? sounds like much the same but didnt get chance at hudds - dont see how joe will either... they already took george and murphy who will also struggle to get in the hudds backs.

from bbc sport website (2009)

Huddersfield Giants have signed youngster Sam Fletcher.
The 16-year-old centre or back-row forward, who has previously been on the Leeds Rhinos scholarship, has signed a three-year professional deal.
Giants player performance manager Pete Riding said: "We are absolutely delighted to secure the signing of Sam.
"He has got fantastic potential and to go with that he has got a great attitude. I'm very sure Sam can go on and have a bright future in the game."
Fletcher formerly played for Hunslet Parkside and has also been recently selected to represent England under-16s against their French counterparts in a two Test series in April.
Riding added: "I'm sure with the support he will receive at the Giants; he will get every opportunity to fulfil that potential."

With Peter Riding as their player performance manager, they have someone on the inside track when it comes to identifying potential within our junior ranks, and the Wakefield area too. Ken's cheque book and Huddersfield's relative success over the last few seasons takes care of the rest. Hopefully, if the Club 1873 scheme kicks in, and the club continues to progress on and off the field, these kind of player switches will become more of a rarity, whether to Huddersfield or anywhere else.

+1

Just seems like a like for like swap to me.

With Huddersfield wanting to shout about Joe Walker,but hoping people will forget they said similar things when signing Sam Fletcher.

Lets be honest here,you could have re written that article and it would have been more accurate and taken less space but the natives wouldnt be happy.

Something like this:

"Even with the significant investment from Ken into the club,our academy structures have failed miserably,hence the need to now restructure"

I'm guessing that the "knuckles down" bit refers to the work he or any other player would have to put in to progress from Academy to 1st team level. If he's been Academy Player of the Year for the past 2 seasons, he probably has a pretty decent attitude already. Whatever the case, he sounds to me like the kind of player you'd like to keep.

The Huddersfield Vultures strike again. Lets hope the lad that is coming in is a good 'un.

Quote ="RebelRebel"I'm guessing that the "knuckles down" bit refers to the work he or any other player would have to put in to progress from Academy to 1st team level. If he's been Academy Player of the Year for the past 2 seasons, he probably has a pretty decent attitude already. Whatever the case, he sounds to me like the kind of player you'd like to keep.'" im struggling to see that he has actually been academy player of the year for last two seasons. www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... s/2011/09/

Quote ="RebelRebel"I'm guessing that the "knuckles down" bit refers to the work he or any other player would have to put in to progress from Academy to 1st team level. If he's been Academy Player of the Year for the past 2 seasons, he probably has a pretty decent attitude already. Whatever the case, he sounds to me like the kind of player you'd like to keep.'" im struggling to see that he has actually been academy player of the year for last two seasons. www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... s/2011/09/

Whats it seems to me is that Hudds just take a chunk of cash and throw it at half decent youngens in other clubs academies. It looks like they play the numbers game, sign up as many as possible in the hope one or two make it. The biggest tragedy is that most of these lads won’t get their chance in a big Huddersfield squad and end up in the Championship. If some of these players had stayed where they was, surley the opportunities would have been more forth coming. I really don’t believe Huddersfield approach is best for the youth of this game at all.

Very good point.

Your spot on Dee and what really gets me is the fact that Shudds are not even a big club, but we seem to allow them to treat us as a small time outfit.
Yes, Mr Davey has got plenty of cash, but they aren't the top team that they try and portray.
They are miles away form being a Leeds or Wigan any yet they pick up our young lads at will.
Lets just hope we can stick it to them next term

It appears that money does talk and I’m afraid you can’t beat someone at this game who has a bigger check book. It just a shame that the young lads (and there agents) can’t see that getting the opportunity is more important than money when you are early in your career. You’ll never establish yourself as a full time pro unless you have the exposure to prove what you’re capable off.

i think we all know that the shuddersfield thundergianteagles business model is fundementally flawed. they are propped up more than any other club, they give season tickets away, they have hoards of free tickets, they buy who they want to coach and play for them but still nobody goes to watch them.

when davey gets fed up then they're screwed.

at least if mr glover gets fed up then he'll have left behind a more sustainable model.

i thought ag said we would try and keep our young players with the money that was paid into the lottery. up to press i havent seen anything of this yet roll on when the sugerdaddy is no longer around

Nothing announced but one of our youngsters was offered a deal in Australia for the Brisbane broncos feeder club. He has since been offered a new improved two year full time contract by the club, i think he will be staying on with us (saw him in the photos). Just because players go does not necessarily mean the club haven't tried to keep them.

And bear in mind the scheme is still in its infancy. It will take time to build up a significant fighting fund.

I think there's been some misunderstanding about Club 1873 - I don't think it's intended to just build up a war chest so that young players can be offered more money than Uncle Ken will pay them; rather, I think it's about building systems and structures around the youth policy that creates obvious value for them and their advisors in staying at WTW. That will take a bit of time, but the appointment of Mark Winder has been a positive start in that respect.

Meanwhile, I guess we'll have to grit our teeth for a season or so longer when Shudds decide to raid our youth instead of a having a proper system in place of their own; the tap will run dry in due course when 1873 is properly established, and their lack of investment in that area will come back to bite them on the bottom.

ithink the main problem is pete riding he as just been promoted at shudds things do take time to get in place but it still anoying to see all these players just move over there