FWIW, it will be Radford if we are much improved and that will be fair enough IMO.

I think we'll have half blaming Sneyd, and half saying Sneyd would be going good if Pryce wasn't on the physio table. Which will all be Radford's fault.

IMO if Pryce doesn't perform Radders will put Abdull straight in. One thing you can't bag Radford for is not walking the walk when it comes to youth opportunities.

Hmm. I can't deny that he has given youth a chance, but mainly it's been due to injury. When has he actually dropped an under performing big name and played a youngster? Miller doesn't count since he was really a youngster himself.

Lancaster got the nod ahead of Lineham last year, Abdull ahead of Rankin. Obviously most experience will come due to senior player injury, but I think Radford will promote like for like rather than shift a few round to accommodate older squad players.

Lancaster got a chance due to Lineham's injury. Then because he had done well Radford gave him another week rather than rushing Lineham back. He wasn't dropped.

I can't really remember the circumstances around Abdull's debut tbh, but I thought thats was due to Rankin being injured too. A couple of weeks later, despite playing pretty well, Abdull was on the bench and Rankin was starting at 6.

I'm not knocking Radfors btw. Like you say he isn't afraid to give youth a chance. But I would dispute your claim that Pryce will get dropped if he doesn't perform, because I don't think he will.

Lancaster got a chance due to injury. But Lineham came back. Think it was wakey he had a bad game so was dropped and Lancaster got another go. Abdul played a few games when we had options. Feka was left out a couple of times during the season to for the likes of Bowden n thompson

Clutching at straws, forward rotation shocker so not really giving youngsters a chance. Lineham was brought back (when still well off the pace) as Lancaster had a groin strain. Given Lancaster's performances it would have being crazy to bring back an unfit Lineham unless you really had to. Lancaster had already bagged a hat trick and was the senior 'fit' winger and in form, bringing him back after Lineham's two games is making the sensible choice with regard to best options, that's not giving youth a chance particularly is it?
Yeaman missed TWO games all season (one through injury) but was average for much of it, Radford brought Colbon in, instead of using youth, in fact he obviously must have hated Arundal so much he dropped him after scoring two tries in the previous match to play Colburn..seriously!
Radford also put Whiting in the centres which was a ridiculous thing to do. Rich was often found very much wanting and out of position there, why didn't Radford go with youth then??
He signed Carvell..instead of giving youth a chance, look at how that worked out for us.
And lastly he's decided to sign Pryce..instead of giving youth a chance in JA..
There is absolutely no evidence to support that Radford gives youth a chance, even with injury he's gone to a dog of a player in Colburn, instead of playing Crooks he's played Whiting out of position, only when he is absolutely forced to has he gone to the youth..

Has Radford done much differently to our previous coaches, Gentle included, not really but I object to this continual mantra about Radford as if he some savant at bringing the youth through when he just hasn't.

Completely disagree. In 4 years under Agar we only had Houghton who emerged as a regular first teamer from the academy and that was during periods of much worse injury crises than what we had last year. Not saying Radford's a saviour at all, but I do think that if Abdull continues to impress, and Pryce doesn't deliver, he'll drop Pryce for Abdull.

We need experience in the halfs. Going with a first choice combination of Abdull and Sneyd would have been asking for trouble not to mention if one of them picked up an injury.

I agree with kb mk 2 on this 1.
I don't think Radders will drop his mate Pryce in favour of Abdull at all. As stated youth only got the chance when senior players were injured and I'm sure he'll go the same way again.
Now I'm not making Yeaman the scapegoat at all but he has coasted for seasons as like last and has very rarely been dropped for form. Now with the squad as is the 3/4's I personally wouldn't view Yeaman as a starting centre this season but I'm sure he'll get the starting berth.
I think this season is make or break more for Radford more then anyone else. He has a lot to prove in terms of results, style of play, league position and how he handles the players.

Wigan are going with Smith and Williams in the halfs,is Williams more experienced than Abdull.

Good point about defensive lesson for Logan,remember Yeaman getting the same against Newlove early in his career and didn't do him no harm.

tut tut.seasons not started yet,and already people are looking for scapegoats.

Is Matty Smith more experience than Marc Sneyd?

Ahhhh...I see what you mean,sorry mate,read it wrong.....I would say Sneyd and Pryce would ne more experienced than Smith and Williams but they would be more than Sneyd and Abdull

I blame it all on bunting

Surely you're not surprised!!

It was Gleeson not Newlove,but it's a fair point.

6 points behind, Yeaman in the clear one man to beat quick pass to the winger we score.

No guesses for whats he do Got to be Yeaman for ne.

The binman went completely to e in the second half, no wonder yeamo didn't want to pass to him.

Might bring him back down to earth after his 'I want 20 tries' statement in the mail

What academy? are you seriously trying to compare our youth system of the last 2 years with how it as when Agar was in charge? You're comparing apples with trees


Young players went on to play in the first team and were given a chance in exactly the same mould as Radford and indeed Gentle have, that we couldn't develop them or they just weren't good enough isn't the arguement here is it?
Our system when Agar was in charge was probably the worst in the league, that wasn't Agar's fault per-se, that was down to the owners massive lack of investment in the youth system and the fact they employed an assistant coach not ready for a SL position and out of his depth, similar to the present encumbant.
But we have a fantastic youth system for a couple of years now, Radford has being able to reach into the locker of the kids (as did Gentle in his second year) and get himself the extra few wins that might well have seen us get relegated last year.

You can disagree all you like, the FACTS that I've stated makes it pretty clear and you haven't atually rebuffed my arguement in the slightest, Radford has done nothing whatsoever different to coaches of the past and when you think how much our youth system has improved Radford hasn't brought the youth through and trusted in them as people like you would have us believe (& indeed his own words), in fact it's pretty clear he has shunned them until he had no other options but to use them..
If we don't start putting trust into our massively improved youth system then what's the point? Look at Wigan, have they being afraid to bring in their kids, not in the slightest and look how strong they are season after season.

As an aside under Agar we had these players making their debuts that I could think off the top of my head
Kent, Aldous, Lyne, Crooks, Josh Hodgson, Mike Burnett, even Briscoe as he was officially part of our youth system though admittedly Briscoe is a complete one off

He was his usually great going forward and scored a good try. Was probably part responsible for 3 of their try's though, so needs to improve in that area.

bit unfair to call talanoa, credit where its due the kicks were clinical and its always more difficult standing and jumping than running and jumping to catch a kick

was more disappointed with the first two tries we conceded! poor attempts to tackle both dixon and kelly