Re: Academy : Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:46 pm  

vastman wrote:

I’ve watched it for 30 years and your point is.

Back story. I actually trialed for Featherstone colts around 1980. I got nowhere but that team was brilliant and I think they won it that year or certainly challenged. I got a trial because I knew a couple of the other lads, otherwise, I don’t think I’d have got a look in as Fev was and still is super clannish.

Anyway, I digress. Brilliant though that TEAM was not one ever played in the first team for Fev or anyone else as far as I know.

I wondered for years why and then it dawned. All had come through teams like Jubilee etc and had been playing together for years, they were a team long before they played for Fev and this made all the difference at age limit RL.

The problem was none were individually good enough to play against seasoned pros. It’s that simple. For the rest of the ’80s, the Fev youth team didn’t do that much but produced Newlove, Pearson, Bastion, and a fair few others. It’s how it goes.

I know how age limit RL works, I know how it rightly missed and IMO wrongly missed my son but I don’t blame anyone, it’s incredibly difficult to spot real talent and more importantly desire at those ages with the occasional exception, ie Paul Scunthorpe or Shaun Edwards and for me Tom Johnstone. Ditto, it’s easy to miss, ie Gareth Ellis.

Hope that helps.

And im sorry ( believe it or not)you never kicked on from fev colts.i think the age limet is somthing that needs changing in this country like they do it in Australia.saying that i watched a ncl game last weekend 2 good side and one of the sides had 3 16 year old lads in the team and to add to this they wasnt simply put out wide put of the way they played at 7 9 and 13 and they more than held there own helping there side win

Re: Academy : Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:59 pm  

Luppylad wrote:

My point was you seem to speak as if you know so much about the current Academy team but you only seem to mention the odd few and these are the players who have first team spot.there are other players that to many stand out josh leeson is a nin stop work alcoholic who if he was a bit bigger would be in first team ny now.carter beevers who a year younger than most of who played last night but is real quality and will go far thers leon ruhan (who in my opinionin ) better then both essah and odonavan (not a dig at lads or coached just an opinion)thers also a couple to watch out for robbie maun and most definitely oliver pratt

Because there is a difference between effort and desire and actual talent and the maturity needed to step up, that is almost certainly why the coaching staff promoted them.

For example, Eseh may or may not make it, he may or may not be the best forward in the U19's. The problem is you can't just judge these players on what you see on matchday, you have to look at potential.

So Eseh is physically already there, he's raw but clearly brave, he's got a reasonable skill level, and apparently, he trains the house down (see CC 's comments a few months back). Hence he's less of a risk, most notably because as I say physically and it seems emotionally he's nearly a man. Risk reduction, nothing more. Ditto Murphy, he's fast and he's a natural finisher, appears to have no nerves, again he's already partly there, risk reduction.

Your selections are pure opinion though I do actually agree with most although you're overdoing it with Ruan who isn't better than Eseh but I agree he's certainly one to watch. I also like Butterworth and Shaw. However, all these players either don't have a stand-out talent or are not quite physically there yet. There's not a lot in it in some cases but with only so many first-team slots available it has to go to potential and percentages, it's how it goes so brace yourself.

I personally just wish them all the best.

Re: Academy : Thu Aug 26, 2021 4:07 pm  

Luppylad wrote:

And im sorry ( believe it or not)you never kicked on from fev colts.i think the age limet is somthing that needs changing in this country like they do it in Australia.saying that i watched a ncl game last weekend 2 good side and one of the sides had 3 16 year old lads in the team and to add to this they wasnt simply put out wide put of the way they played at 7 9 and 13 and they more than held there own helping there side win

Don't be, I never had the bottle, put simply I had some skills as a schoolboy but I couldn't take the batterings as I got older nor did I have the drive. I'd have never made it at any level, I was a lover, not a fighter as they say.

My lad got a rougher deal, he was a far better player than me but was slight of build though that never seemed to stop him. All the same, I get why coaches were wary, As it turns out by the time he was in his early twenties he was a strapping lad but what team can wait that long. and at the same time, neither he nor I can guarantee that he'd have moved on as a player even if he had been big enough as a 16year old. It's a tough game and almost impossible to predict.

I can confidently guarantee that there are dozens of blokes kicking around the merry city who given the chance could have gone on to being internationals, but life is rarely fair.

Re: Academy : Thu Aug 26, 2021 4:17 pm  

vastman wrote:

Don't be, I never had the bottle, put simply I had some skills as a schoolboy but I couldn't take the batterings as I got older nor did I have the drive. I'd have never made it at any level, I was a lover, not a fighter as they say.

My lad got a rougher deal, he was a far better player than me but was slight of build though that never seemed to stop him. All the same, I get why coaches were wary, As it turns out by the time he was in his early twenties he was a strapping lad but what team can wait that long. and at the same time, neither he nor I can guarantee that he'd have moved on as a player even if he had been big enough as a 16year old. It's a tough game and almost impossible to predict.

I can confidently guarantee that there are dozens of blokes kicking around the merry city who given the chance could have gone on to being internationals, but life is rarely fair.

100% my lad was labelled the next lee crooks by many but lee crooks players are no longer required.think rugby now is more about fitness than actual talent and i have seen this a plenty

Re: Academy : Thu Sep 02, 2021 10:05 pm  

Well, another loss for the U19s. 12-18 to Wigan. Loss of Chester not rubbing off with these guys?

Re: Academy : Sat Sep 11, 2021 12:28 pm  

Interesting to see Kobe Poching in today's squad for the U19 game down at London. Is he any good?

Re: Academy : Sat Sep 11, 2021 4:01 pm  

vastman wrote:

I can confidently guarantee that there are dozens of blokes kicking around the merry city who given the chance could have gone on to being internationals, but life is rarely fair.

Most end up more interested in the B&B.....booze n birds!

Re: Academy : Sat Sep 11, 2021 5:47 pm  

charlie wrote:

Most end up more interested in the B&B.....booze n birds!

Absolutely. Talent alone is never enough. Also because RL is a very working class sport many make the easy choice and go with the crowd. I don’t blame them, if you come from a family with unsupportive parents and no positive roll models it takes a lot to dedicate yourself, when you can be a local legend.

On a positive note the last few years have seen a nee bread of youngsters many from less traditional groups of people. I think this widening of the RL gene pool is having a very positive effect. I also think clubs are starting to look at players in a broader way. Skill and physicality is still vital but I think they also look at the player as a whole. We certainly seem to get less of those ‘should of made it’ players.

The future may be brighter than we think.

Re: Academy : Sat Sep 18, 2021 3:12 pm  

Cracking win for them today away àt Saints. Poching's son scored too. I guess a few of the Saints u19s played yesterday?

Re: Academy : Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:38 pm  

22-20 win vs Warrington.

Again Ruen with 2 and Murphy with 2.

These two have been absolute standouts this season and always seem to get on the score sheet.

When I’ve watched a few games this season I would say Murphy and Ruen have been the best two players. I will be shocked if we don’t sign a Ruen up ASAP. He reminds me of a young lauititi in his play stye.

Big mobile and the lad has got a great pair of spades. He has to be number one on the list to get signed up imho a priority.

Murphy must have 20+ try’s easily this academy season and I can’t wait to see him break into the first team.

This set of academy lads have something special about them. Well done to them I say.