As far as the RFL pushing all clubs to produce players yes it is not for our [NL/Championship clubs benifit , but will be for the benifit of the SL clubs and ultimatley the national squads

Is it really a benefit bringing Kids through who clearly have not been taught the basics and then thrown in at SL and even international level? The Clubs are not producing players at all in SL-Look at Bradford, Wigan, Hull KR, Warrington, Wakey and see how many foreigners they have and how many first teamers they have who are from their academy. It was another lie the SL clubs told about being unable to bring through academy players due to fear of relegation. Thats gone and has anything changed? NO!!

If the RFL were serious about changing the state of the game Internationally then they would sort out a Proper meaningful Competition for the U18s and U21s with Promotion and Relegation. They would also make clubs invest in proper training facilities for academy players rather than waste it on Some Aussies. Most academy players are not as good as they think and are rarely tested to prove themselves like in Australia. SL is a joke with Leeds and St.Helens usually streets ahead of the rest come the end of the season

Gold Coast Titans are spending 30 Million Dollars on a State of the Art Training Centre yet I doubt the whole of the SL clubs have spent that in the past 5 years on training facilities. Its OK having an academy but it needs to fill a purpose. That purpose must be to bring youngsters through for your first team. But then they need proper training and facilities to achieve this. This is not happening in the UK at all. The young players at Leigh are not SL level and likely never will be except the odd rare exception. Thats often down to the training facilities, The Coaching staff spending around 6 hours a week not 40 hours with them. Most of the top Youngsters do well at Academy level, but simply are out of their depth at SL. Mainly again due to poor facilities, Having no real competition to test themselves week in week out at their Age level and often thinking they are better than what they are. SL Clubs are only interested in themselves. They have no interest in the National team.

My personal opinion is the whole Youth sector from Amateur Under 6s through to Professional Academy needs a major overhaul. Training facilities need to improve at amateur and professional level. Coaching standards need to improve especially at Regional and National level. All games need to have a meaning. Creative Skills need to be enhanced-look at how many Aussies/Kiwis are at 6,7,9 and 13 in SL! Defence needs to be worked on alot more. Training an academy a couple of evenings a week in poor facilities is doing little. Either do it properly or do not bother.

Exactly what needs to happen DK. Well put. But, will it happen when stevo likes to say "this years super league will be the best ever" ? The RFL philosophy is, if it looks shiny on top no one notices the cracks inderneath. For all this to happen the game needs a change in philosophy and the licence criteria to be applied firmly and consistently.

We all know this won't happen

surely theres more chance of bringing through better players if you get them at a younger age than picking them up when there older to age which we would do to get into the reserves side but the problem we will always have is if kids have the choice:

leeds or fax

bradford or fax

etc

so in my eyes the rfl are better seeing how many players you produce when you're in super league not outside it

It would seem my question on here about what competition your u 18's team will play in has been answered by the RFL

Keith Latham the Chairman of Leigh East has been informed that ALL NL1/Championship clubs will be required to run u 18 teams

They will have to nominate an amatuer club to ' run it '

Apparently Leigh will have to choose between Easts,Miners and Golborne

So my suggestions that you will end up in a partnership with Siddal looks like coming true