Reserves to be scrapped : Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:10 pm  

And replced by a new intense u20's competition.How many times is it now that this grade has been changed about

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:13 pm  

If they allow a silly number of over age players in the u20s then it will still effectively be the Reserves.

Perhaps limit it to one, like it was with the u21s a few years ago

Or better still, none at all, but then how do you get players coming back from injury match practice

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:18 pm  

If we can replicate the U20 system down under then we will be on to a winner. But I suspect we won't.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:20 pm  

It really makes no difference, the gap from " reserve grade" " u21s" " after school club" etc etc will still be to big to make the step to SL for most.

With franchise rugby the sooner the SL clubs adopt junior National league clubs for their youngsters the better.
The intensity will never be even remotely close to SL in under age rugby. Stick them in the NL with hairy assed old pros and watch them grow there. Similar to football. The example being Beckham who went to Preston ( I think ) to learn his trade before making it big.

The lower league clubs get a decent youngster for a period and the senior club still has the benefit of a player being broken in to pro football. The SL club pays his wages and he also trains with the team by day, whilst meeting up with the semi pro team at night.

NL gains a cheap quality player, SL gets a hardend pro who has served an apprentiship.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:22 pm  

Silvia Saint wrote:

If we can replicate the U20 system down under then we will be on to a winner. But I suspect we won't.

Yeah, why don't we throw another shrimp on the barbie while we're at it.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:33 pm  

Silvia Saint wrote:

If we can replicate the U20 system down under then we will be on to a winner. But I suspect we won't.

Toyota Cup U20 comp only works as a feeder to the NRL because you also have the NSW Cup / Queensland Cup competitions acting as a reserve grade comp for over 20's players not in first grade. As long as the UK league continues to have EITHER a youth competition OR a reserve grade league on their own, it will continue to not work effectively

SL clubs should have an U20 comp, and a short-term loan system where NL clubs become de-facto feeder teams. Either that or have an U20 SL comp AND a reserve-grade SL comp (but I doubt that's affordable, or that we have a big enough player pool to support it)

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:08 pm  

Hull Kingston Bronco wrote:

SL clubs should have an U20 comp, and a short-term loan system where NL clubs become de-facto feeder teams. Either that or have an U20 SL comp AND a reserve-grade SL comp (but I doubt that's affordable, or that we have a big enough player pool to support it)

this would help with cutting Championship wage bills

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:25 pm  

I would rather they rise the age of the academy league to Under 20 than lower the reserve grade to Under 20s only personally. They had similar (Under 19s & 17s) in the past and it didn't work.

: Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:33 am  

Catalancs wrote:

this would help with cutting Championship wage bills

Not neccessarily , only if the supplying SL club is willing to pay the wages of thier juniors for season long loans

Anything less does not benifit the Championship club in it's own development

: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:46 am  

The under 20`s comp in australia is working very well, television audiences are very good and the quality and speed of the game is pleasing viewers. Recently in an australian paper they had pay tv figures and the under 20`s games were being watched by lets say 800 k people and the super 14 rugby had audiences of of 850k . The nrl must be very happy with this.

Lets hope in england that they televise it and its a winner as it is in australia, the future of the game is the youth so in my mind its a must.