It will usually be information supplied by the club. Mike Riley has been telling people about this for months. The players know about it too. So i guess its more than likely true.

9

And how many of the players that Widnes are bringing through will make it at Super League level? Very few I think so go have your place in super league and get trashed week in week out I will very much enjoy watching that and also enjoy the fact you wont be on here anymore Vikingman

Well aint you a pleasant chap this afternoon.

Fuuny thing is I am actually in a very good mood

The thing is you wont go because you have a soft spot for Halifax.

Our youth system is pants and thats not in doubt but on the flip side i really cant see the point of a team like Halifax developing there own talent when SL teams just take them away for nothing if they are any good and any that are very good at a young age are already snapped up by SL clubs.

As an Halifax fan, yes i want to see exciting players and exciting rugby from my home town club. But i have been concerned about the no of overseas players we have. In my view, and i suspect employment laws dont allow, but i would prefer no more than 1 overseas and preferbaly none at NL level, and current limits in SL cut back. My biggest concern in our game is the international scene which i feel is why we get poor media, decreasing crowds at internationals and to me this is embarrssing.

Despite full time professionalism being here for several years, fitness levels no longer being a factor, we still can't compete with the Aussies on a consistent basis. And I don't see what the overseas players in our game bring to this issue. In the main they take up the key positions, preventing home grown players from testing their abilities. If we take our game back 20 years, i believe we had the skill players to compete, just not the same fitness levels and training regimes. How we could do with a Edwards, Gregory, Hanley now.

I also feel part of the problem is SL clubs snapping up youngsters from outside their catchment areas, and these players getting dissolusioned and leaving the game when after a few years they are still overlooked in favour of overseas players. Some of these players may develop to full potential later than others, but don't feel they are given their chance.

Not always though, for instance any youngster currently with us knows we have a good chance of a franchise and they also know that they will get more of a chance to play first team with us rather than someone like Wigan or Saints. Granted if we dont get one a few may leave but that is a risk we must take. Paddy Flynn and Ben Kavanagh both last year signed 3 year deals despite heavy interest from St Helens and Hull KR.