Re: Academy : Fri Sep 24, 2021 11:55 am  

imwakefieldtillidie wrote:

I’ve just had a watch and he does look a very good player, so I agree wouldn’t be just down to his playing ability. However, I am just guessing and we may be looking to sign him long term. Mark Applegarth seems to be doing a good job with the academy so I trust him either way.

The truth is that no matter how good an academy team is, and these lads seem to be the best we’ve had for a while, if we just bring two through to be first team regulars then we’ve done very well. I feel a lot of clubs use the Leeds golden generation as the yardstick but that was an absolute one off. If we keep producing two per year then we’ll always be looking at having half a side which is homegrown. I think we’d all be happy with that.

Alex Ferguson managed it once in 25 years and he was a coaching genius. You’re right it’s an absolute fluke.

Even if we do have such a team we couldn’t do it anyway, we couldn’t afford to pay them and pay or pay off the existing players, Leeds Rhinos and United could, it’s a real catch 22.

Re: Academy : Fri Sep 24, 2021 3:37 pm  

vastman wrote:

If you watch Leon’s highlights video we would be insane to let him go, but isn’t that the point of these videos.

If he is being let go and like you I have no idea you can bet your bottom doller there will be more to it than just his ability..

100% rigtht there i dont know whats happening with leon but i know how mark works with his players and he wont go on ability alone yes it helps alot but its not everything and mark is doing a good job so ot cant be questioned

Re: Academy : Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:52 pm  

[quote="Luppylad"]100% rigtht there i dont know whats happening with leon but i know how mark works with his players and he wont go on ability alone yes it helps alot but its not everything and mark is doing a good job so ot cant be questioned[/quote]

Mash is a bit of an unsung hero at the club, how he's change the academy and scholorship setup and structure since Kelly's left, has been amazing. He really does emphasis enough on developing players and getting the best out of them in their best position and not just select the best players every game to try get the win. I have an enormous amount of respect and timee for mash and I feel he would make an excellent SL assistant coach

Re: Academy : Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:58 am  

financialtimes wrote:

Mash is a bit of an unsung hero at the club, how he's change the academy and scholorship setup and structure since Kelly's left, has been amazing. He really does emphasis enough on developing players and getting the best out of them in their best position and not just select the best players every game to try get the win. I have an enormous amount of respect and timee for mash and I feel he would make an excellent SL assistant coach

I agree and ive said it before he should be in consideration for assistant job but would we lose somthing in the academy.my lad as/is working under him so like yourself ive seen it

[PopTart]

Re: Academy : Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:28 am  

Watching the highlights vid, the kid clearly has something but it should be remembered that he is still playing against other young lads too.
You'd definitely keep him and develop him but if you put him into the first team he's suddenly running at players the size of Tanginoa and that transition needs to be handled carefully.

Re: Academy : Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:26 pm  

PopTart wrote:

Watching the highlights vid, the kid clearly has something but it should be remembered that he is still playing against other young lads too.
You'd definitely keep him and develop him but if you put him into the first team he's suddenly running at players the size of Tanginoa and that transition needs to be handled carefully.

There are freaks of nature about but generally a man dousing reach his full strength until his mid twenties. It not so much about lifting weights or any thing like that’s, it’s more a kind of core strength that gives you more resilience.

When you each that point I think you know I was a bit late, about 28 but all of a sudden things that had required a lot of effort didn’t.

So back to your point you’re totally correct. A lad I know always used to say about good age limit players, ‘it will be different when he’s playing against misters’. And it is and that’s what coaches mean most of the time when they say a player isn’t ready,

Eseh or Ruan or any of them might do well or they might get smashed and if they are not ready for that it can break them. Didn’t used to be so much of an issue for backs but now it even applies to them.

It’s a much cleaner sport than it used to be but I’m one of that rare breed of older fans who consider today’s game to be much tougher on the body.