A club like ours needs to use the juniors as much as possible but unfortunately due to our inability to be consistent, these juniors don't get the chance to be integrated into the first team.
They can go to Wigan and be surrounded by a winning culture, then it's up to them what they make of their career.

that certainley wad s mistake poptart pity wakeytrin didnt think so or was probably taking mick havee mentioned this
before but i think its relivant and common weve never had s team thatd won an academy league sincel

Wiganer in peace.
I don't think any player should be allowed to sign for a pro club until they are 18. Let's make the community game stronger at those junior age groups, and go back to having town teams. Once they are 18 then yes sign for a pro teams academy.
Also get back to having reserve grade, there are far too many young players leaving the game because they haven't "made it" at 19 or 20 years of age.
If we had reserve grade some of the "open age" players could still get a chance to trial with pro clubs. That would also apply to some R.U. players.

I kind of agree RG. I think the reason for the club academy was to get better coaching and development.
There was a break between BARLA and the professional game so I think rather than solve it the professionals made their own.

I don't know the right way but I'm not completely convinced of thereserve grade either. Letting those players play at championship level is a far stiffer test than playing Wakefield's second team.
But again, we didn't quite execute that right.

I don't have the answers but one thing is clear, not all players show they are capable before 19. So there needs to be a way of keeping those players in the game.

The young players need to be told what their future entails, ie, how and when they are going to be drip fed into the first team set up or out on loan to gain experience, not told one thing and then told something completely different time after time. If coaches can’t coach these young kids and opt for the lazy and quick fix in buying in ready made players then I’m afraid we will continue to lose them to other clubs, not just the so called big clubs either.

Our good young players are our future.

It’s not us that have been through thick and thin with Wakey over the many years that need to listen I’m afraid.

Not the current lots philosophy sadly. And that goes for those in the suits and the tracksuits.

Separately the academy are where they are in the table for a reason. When you have people who would rather stick the extra few grand in a near-over the hill first-teamer rather than investing in the the set up of the future of our club then what does it tell you of the liklihood of that future....

There is no future without maintaining Super League status.

Looks like he’s become a Leeds player now according to the press release from England academy and also from his twitter page. What’s he like?

Not as good as Wigan expected?

Sound familiar?

Give it a rest

Well it’s not about the money is it, yeah right.

Best of luck to the lad but I’m only interested in those who want to stay like TJ and Crowther and they seem to do ok at a small club.

Tbh not really aimed at you.

Its a shame. We will probably get a go for him a little later in his career. Who knows he may play a full season in a number of positions, never miss a game, be the clubs leading try scorer, assist more trys and find himself out of a contract

If we are going to bemoan every player who doesn't want to play for us and bring the same comments up every time he moves we are going to have some long threads.
It's his choice. Nothing to do with us. If Wigan can't make something of him maybe Leeds will. I hope they do. Good luck to him.

These lads make their own choices - but there's a lot to be said for starting your career at a club where you'll get game time and learn your craft in an environment that you are familiar with, amongst people who know you. Plenty of examples of kids who've gone to clubs like Leeds or Wigan, only to end up on the outers, loaned out, and never really establishing themselves. Ryan Hampshire could be a case study.

Who's his agent?

Or maybe that players overinflated ego prevents him from accepting the contract he's

offered

Think it's same as rockys was. Craig Harrison. Showmetheemoney

It was Corey Halls choice to leave Wigan!

Wigan wanted him to stay and did what they could to keep him but in the end they bowed to the players wishes!

Correct. All we are losing is potential, he may be good at age group RL but that's no guarantee whatsoever and it's for that reason that I don't blame them for chasing the money. Making it to the pro ranks is a lottery no matter where you are.

You get the odd once in a generation player like Sam Burges or Paul Sculthorpe who was always going to make it barring injury but they are rare. The rest are all a gamble, look at Ellis, nobody really spotted his potential.

If we as a club start losing players we have nurtured in the 19-21 age group on the brink of first-team then I'll worry.

You sound suspiciously in the know, are you an agent, you talk like one?

You don't like it when people try and guess your identity or link you with another user. Don't do it to other people.

Well, there's a surprise.

Fair enough but it was more a joke comment, I should have put a wink at the end, my mistake.