Worryingly I keep agreeing with Gotcha!. Great news of his deal. He is the sort of player who learns on the job and will gain every time he plays with the experience around him. The tour would offer him different learning experiences but hardly better ones at this stage. OT - what about the end to the Rabbitoh's game? Well done Julie B's big lads!

Agreed. I'm sure if asked at the start of the season would you rather be playing SL games and in a Challenge Cup final or go on tour with the u18's, he'd have snapped your hands off at the thought of a CC Final. Yes he might have a nice time in Australia and be able to say he played for England 18's but he will gain more experience playing in SL.

The correct decision by the club and young Stevie, every players dream I'm sure to play in the challenge cup final at wembley, touring aus comes second. He had a cracker of a game when allowed on and was introduced at exactly the right time for him and the team. Excellent defensively and movement goes to show we are still producing the goods

All of this.

I'm all for rep rugby, but junior levels are for junior players, which is about more than age. It would be a development opportunity for Stevie Ward if he was still regarding himself as an academy player. I think he has now passed that stage in his development and he needs to stick with the first team and focus on being a senior player.

I would be amazed if he never goes on an antipodean trip with the senior England side with the ability he has. On the other foot, I'd be surprised if Leeds didn't reach more finals in the time he will play for, but you never know. The final will be a massive occasion, far bigger than anything on a junior rep tour and it will be the biggest test of his career so far and a great opportunity for him to be part of it.

I think Ward is a fine prospect and has been well handled by the coaches and not over played. He has proven now that he has made the jump to first team squad standard and as such will learn more in the business end of our season than on some junior tour. I am sure he will have plenty more international opportunities to come.

Two words - Richard Gunn.

Similar things were said at a similar age.

There's a long way to go in Ward's career and no guarantees of putting on a senior international jersey.

marcus v another richard gunn ?

Agree 100% with Gotcha.

I'm sure a few years down the line he won't particularly regret not going on a tour with a bunch of young lads, many of whom will have dropped completely off the radar by then, just like they always do.

An academy tour will not be the making of this lad, the academy international side is in no way a pathway to senior rep honours. If he's good enough he'll make it for himself, and performing on a big stage like the Challenge Cup final is the perfect way to test himself. He'll gain more out of that than the lads going to Australia.