Gotcha wrote:
They build a strong team from the under 11's groups, then each year they invite the best players from other teams to come and join them, to make them stronger and stronger, and weaken the oppossition. Of course not payments, but since the link ups with Leeds and Wigan, they have something to offer. Coaches there are on the Leeds coaching and the Wigan coaching, so they get preference for scholarships. Some players are not as good as they look in that side though, and the fact the team is so strong hides that. For example, we have Will Scrimshaw in our academy, who's dad happens to have been the Siddal coach of his age group, and on the Rhinos coaching. Scrimshaw IMO will not even make any professional rugby team, but he still got a contract and looked after in the same way as top players.
Thanks, that's interesting.
To be fair it would be extremely difficult to design and implement a real development structure which was fair to young lads and to the non-glamour clubs too. I don't know if the RFL would have the mandate even if it had the vision, and I gather player numbers are an ongoing concern.
Long-term though, it sounds like the whole system could do with some evolution. Personally I'd favour really young players being developed in regional centres of excellence, with the local SL side at the head. Siddal for example would currently fall into Huddersfield's orbit, and Leeds and Wigan would keep their beaks out.
You wouldn't want to necessarily restrict player's freedom of choice to play for who they want to in the end, but for the good of developing excellence and equal opportunity across the board, sounds like it's not quite there at the moment.
I don't know enough about it to be honest, all changed a lot since I was a lad!
