Oh my goodness!
I was at most games last season! Why am I not on the plane!

What else can we find to moan about! (Is that enough exclaiming?!)

Some players are not as much in the plans as others. Let it go.

If you look at the size of our 'first team' squad its massive compared to others. It has grown last year if this training had been done all would have gone this year there is room for 23 players taking out a couple who have injuries and other commitments I think this is about right.

A line has to be drawn and in life that always means disappointment for some, be it warming the bench weekly or not at all, not selected for important games such as finals etc.

This is what management is all about some decisions are easy some are not.

Also consider he has been a bit part first team player, he has a huge amount to prove, he didnt stand out in a poor side last year and we have signed others who play in his position and you may find the reason why.
IMO he is one of a few players who the club should send out on loan/dual registration as he/they will all benefit from regular first team games, something they will not get at Trinity this season.
Individually they will all benefit as will the club.

Maybe Davey will get lucky and someone will lose their passport.
How long are they in France for?

IMO if they don't take Davey and Wildie then they don't value them and they have no future at Wakey, seems to me the youngsters won't ever get a foot hold when we import Smith and the likes.

The club will be using the "dual reg it'll benefit players" line and we'll still be buying in for ever and a day.

Agreed but sadly its our own that come of second best and thats the whole point, no point making a big fuss about 1873 and the youth at Wakey, then overlooking it.

That's exactly what I'm saying. It's more cost effective for Catalans
To pay for 30 people to come to them than to travel for games pre season
Who the 30 are is up to the individual club

For a week, playing Catalans on Saturday

Matt Wildie and Danny Cowling are going.

The problem Wildie and Davey have IMO is the positions they can play are limited (Wildie Half back or Hooker and Davey Hooker only), and are the pivotal positions in the team, so rightly or wrongly Agar has determined the need for more experienced players in those positions (bar John who they obviously believe has that bit extra to his game).

Davey hasn't really been helped by Kears apparent unwillingness to pick him last season when we were running with a much weaker squad and he didn't get a chance to prove himself. FWIW, I have always liked Davey and think the distribution from dummy half has always been quicker when he has played in the past and felt he deserved to play more last year.

However, I think Wildie has more of a shout for 1st team this season, as if one of Ellis or Aiton are injured, he would appear to be the front runner to step in.

As far as the way the youth are treated, if 23 players are going and that doesn't include a few senior players (eg Southern and Wilkes), then to my mind that must mean there are some of the young lads on the trip. I agree that this may be a bad sign for Davey, but doesn't mean the club are ignoring youth altogether.

We would all like to see the youth come through, but there are undoubtedly going to be players who don't make it for one reason or another.

The 1873 hasn't been going long enough yet IMO to determine what benefit it will be - hopefully we will see the fruits of this scheme in the next 12 months with the retention of players (that would previously have gone elsewhere), and attracting some of the best up and coming youth to the club.

well that has been taken in the wrong context...i think glover has completely changed the whole image of the club internally and externallly for the better. He clearly has a passion for the club unlike his predecessor who just saw it as his family's gravy train.

Does it matter if they would have gone elsewhere if they don't get a fair shout, it makes no difference that they are retained if they don't get into a full time environment.

I understand its not been going long enough for these lads (1873) but i would like to know what improvements have been made to training/development, its not just about keeping chosen players at Wakey is it, if they don't get the correct advice and training they won't make it.

Just because we stop players moving to other clubs won't help them or us.

We should be making a big splash about how things have changed and the new way forward for juniors at Wakey and not just retaining and holding back talent. Do you agree since the wholly grail meeting we've seen/heard nothing about youth policies.

Do we have new conditioners in place, do we have forward thinking coaches, are we bulking/dieting these players correctly.

Its probably a bit off thread topic but forgive me.

Its got to be demoralising for those players who havent been selected to go. This inturn cant be good for squad morale.

and that mate is exactly the way that they see it.( not valued)quite a few of the young lads are of the same opinion.
after watching them play the other night, i am sure they would have no problem going elsewhere
at least 2 i know of could go

agar has done nothing for the club yet. that remains to be seen on the field. till then we will see

Like it or not most coaches will have a core squad of around 23 or 24 players whom they'll pick their team from, if you're outside of that, albeit within the wider squad of 30, then you know your challenge is to force your way in.

In the final few weeks before the season the coach will want to ramp up the quality, intensity and intimacy of the training sessions and you can't achieve that with 30 players. A higher degree of focus will be applied to those players who are most likely to pull on the shirt in the first few games of the season, that's the nature of elite sport prep.

Those outside of the 23 can take it one of two ways, get demotivated, bitter and give up or or use it as motivation and target someone in the 23 as the man they will replace and fire up for the challenge.

I've no doubt that the coaching team will have spoken to every player and explained the whys and wherefores of the pecking order. Each player will have a programme for improvement whether it's technical, physical or mental or a combination of all three. Some players will have had a brutal assessment of their ability explained to them in explicit detail they won't like it but some will handle it and some won't.

This is elite sport we're talking about not some amateur club where half the lads only play for social reasons, it is cut throat so players need to man up, stop moaning and buckle down, which I think they're all doing.

exactly

I think it has all been taken out of context, what do you all want them to do go on a all week bender

Players not going that I know of:

Morton
Moore
Kaye
Slater
Annekin
Davey
Spiers

So that means:
Walshaw
Trout
Wildie
Cowling

...are going! Well done to them on their elevation to the elite in our club and let us hope that the others can aspire to their level!

Exactly TRB. I believe this is the first year of full time training for slater and annekin too so they would have had to have done exceptionally well to get in. feel for Moore and davey after their performances on Friday night but we have to trust the coach.

Maybe annekin was full time last season thinking about it. If so then bows the time he should really be stepping up and proving a point

Congrats to these lads and good luck.

I certainly agree with what you say. Isn't this something where the ST can act as a conduit between the club and the fans. Certainly, if the structures aren't being changed, then they will lose alot of contributors to 1873.

Hear what you and Big Al are saying and we will take this up with the Club.

I agree the members of 1873 would like to know what changes/benefits 1873 is making to the Club but we have to remember 1873 is still in its infancy and we have to let the Management run the Club as they see fit but we will raise the issue.

Cheers SC. I agree with what you say, but the communication from the club has greatly improved overall and this is one area where we haven't heard much. The odd progress update would be welcome and should be something that the club are able to provide.