Two good wins to start the Reserves season 48 - 0 vs Bradford and 46 - 10 vs Cas, played some good rugby and scored some cracking trys. Plenty of the players still eligible for the Academy aswel. Always interested to see how the younger players are developing physically at the start of a season and we certainly look a big athletic team right across the park with 7 or 8 players somewhere between 6 ft 2 and 6 ft 6.

The Academy season starts this week after a cancellation to the opening round fixture.

Good promising start to Tony Smiths tenure.

The ever impressive Mark Butterill has a good set of players to work with this season, the U16's especially are a great intake, which more or less sweeped up all the best players in the Yorkshire league. Theres other good players in the group but the Names to watch out for imo:

Harry Smith - HB
Pressley Cassell - 13
Harley Thomas - FB/C
Callum Webster - BR/C
Joe Butterfield - Prop
Dylan Hutchinson - HB/FB
Marcus QareQare - FB/W
Jermaine Oladipupo - Prop
Jacob Stead - BR

The U15's intake missed a few players who are heading over to Lancashire, 2 going Saints, 1 warrington and Cas kept a couple in Yorkshire, but still a good intake, led by Zak Lloyd from Siddal, who's the best U15 in Yorkshire, and from what iv seen, in the country imo, big, fast, skillfull, intelligent. He can play anywhere, FB, 6, 13, Centre, SR...And he's excellent in all of them, interested to see where the club play him.

Sounds like the production line is still working - thanks for the update.

Wasn’t our QareQare supposed to be the better brother..?

Too early to say with ours being so young, he's certainly a classy player with great feet though, the potentials there.

I didnt see much of Jason at the same age so cant even compare on that front.

butterill will want to go out on a high this year so im looking forward to seeing how these boys play matt ...sounds like a good group from what ur saying!

Butterill is leaving?

thought it was the worse kept secret in the game that this is his last year at the club and he will be on the look out for another club for next season?
I rate him the lads done a great job said it for years now he will be another clubs gain its a shame like.

Buterill will be a massive loss to the club.
Why is he actually leaving the Rhinos Tom?

was told lack of opportunity and not getting the same backing and support as other coaches have had? One to watch i guess ..if i hear owt else Biff ill let you know. agree with you though be a loss for the club

Under 16s v Hull KR tonight with all players mentioned above in the game

70 - 0 win for the Scholarship, solid start

Webster x 4
Cassell x 3
Lloyd x2
Thomas
Hutchinson
Diskin

I’m wondering who the next couple of lads to break into first grade will be.

Would expect to see Sinfield wirh game time this season. Simpson was close before his knee injury. Who else do you guys reckon might be there or thereabouts?

Actually quite hard to get into our 17 at the moment.

Also can anyone see Field coming through into the Leeds back row at some point? Gannon/Field/Smith is a good sized and very skilful back row.

Amazing how we go from a very poor show against cas to an irratic first half yesterday (yes there were some good periods but still irratic) then a great 2nd and now we've a 17 that's hard to get into!

It is a hard team to break into now as a young player because 6/7 lads have cemented spots overt the last year or two, and a couple more are on the verge. Some decent prospects like Muizz, Edwards and Broadbent not made the cut.

U 18's Academy started the season with an 84 - 0 win at Newcastle today

Do you guys have a decent centre you can lend us on dual reg?

You'd probably have Max Simpson if he hadn't have done his ACL

Our Scholarship are live on the clubs YT channel today at 1pm.

Really young team selected, all but 3 of todays squad are U15's

Matt’s several players looked good but hard to judge given the quality of opposition. Our 9 and 10 looked handy.

Good to see some more big, mobile props in the system.

Who stood out for you mate?

Pressley Cassell was excellent while he was on the field, but he always is to be fair. Thought William Wilkinson and Jacob Hardey were good in the forwards. Interesting to See Harvey Butterworth at 9 in the second half, he's usually a 6 or 13 for Stanningley, he looked good. Caleb Rhodes made a big impact off the bench, nearly scoring a full lengther from a kick return ( He scored a near identical one for Birstal Victoria last week) good, Mobile prop.

Opposition well outmatched though, as you say.

Is this the age group you reckon has some real standouts?

Would like to see the team against better opposition to get more of an idea of their quality.

Yeah the u16's has some really talented players, hardly any played yesterday though, was mostly u15's.

Really poor effort from the u18's last night, losing 30 - 34 to Huddersfield.

A just need to turn up to win attitude saw them losing by plenty midway into the second half, they switched on with 20 left and put a handful of unanswered trys on, but too little too late.

I was surprised by the team we put out. I know it's not all about winning at that level but give the debut's against the likes of Newcastle. McCormack at 6 has an impressive running game. Looks very promising. A night to forget for Sir Jack.

McCormack has got a bit going on in his game, could be good.

Morgan Gannon will make his comeback from his HIA injury and also whilst being stood down on health grounds by the club for almost 2 months in the Rhinos reserves this Friday V Hull FC reserves https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugb ... n-26684570 It will be great to see Morgan back out on the field.

Morgan Gannon will make his comeback from his HIA injury and also whilst being stood down on health grounds by the club for almost 2 months in the Rhinos reserves this Friday V Hull FC reserves https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/rugb ... n-26684570 It will be great to see Morgan back out on the field.

Excellent news may also be the kick up the backside that Bentley needs.

Jack Looks like he could do with a loan, far better than reserves level. Warren also looked good imo.

Aldridge looked good again today.

Have to say I’m not sure how many of these lads will make first grade other than Jack but good solid side.

I think most of our lads who played reserves could benefit from short loan spells at either SL or championship level. Walters is far above that level. Sinfield impressive again with his organisation & calmness. Ruan scored a great try hitting a great line behind the ruck. Was great to see Gannon get some game time and minutes back on pitch after having a few weeks out.

Gannon played in the halves when he came on didn't he?

Why are we so poorly represented in the Yorkshire origin squad? I don't really follow the academy game these days.

yes its a bit weird, we won the u18s grand final last season, and it seems quite a few of those players are still eligible for the u18s but arent selected in the squad
are they trying to select mostly u17s or something maybe?

The Yorkshire squad is mind boggling, unless the aim is to get hammered i just dont get it.

We should have 6 or 7 in, and that wouldnt include one of the 2 who actually did get in.

64 - 0 win for our Scholarship against Bradford tonight, Harley Thomas and Joe Diskin with 3 trys apiece

Quality of opposition aside there was some lovely ball movement and skill on show there. Impressive stuff.

predictably the Yorkshire team were easily beaten in the first game - unless theres many changes to the squad for the 2nd game i cant see much change in the result