Quote: ant1 "I read it correctly but thought it was more about the longer term, not next week or next month. I see very little in the new youngsters that matches Sinfield, Burrow, McGuire when they entered the first team. These guys are getting older and slower together - experience is great but where is the hunger and creativity that youth brings. Think Gary is going to have to spend some of the annual profits on bringing in some quality for next season. Spend, spend, spend Gary cos the future ain't anywhere near bright enough to maintain our supremacy.'"
He was always going to have to bring players in (and has done with Hardaker, Moon, Briscoe, Aiton). For how good Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow and all the academy players who came through and were successful for us we also clearly needed the likes of Senior, Peacock, Lauitiiti, Webb, Ellis, Furner, Bai etc. to enhance the squad.
For all the talk of Wigan's academy, well a lot of their team were signed.....
Taylor, Pettybourne, Bateman, Sargison, Clubb, Bowen, Gelling, Green, Smith, Flower, Dudson, James
That's 12 players you could find making up a Wigan 17 and their two key academy graduates are O'Loughlin and McIlorum who made their debuts 12 and 7 years ago respectively.
A similar list can be made with Saints
Turner, Hohaia, Walsh, Masoe, LMS, Soliola, Wilkin, Manu, Laffranchi, Flanaghan, Amor and Walmsley makes 12.
Two of Saints still most key academy graduates are Roby and Wellens who've been around 10 and 16 years respectively.
At Leeds we have 10 non academy lads in our squad and one of them (Yates) hasn't even played for us yet.
