Over the past 2 months we have seen announcements stating that Super League Clubs are forming "Partnerships" with Championship Clubs.

Seems the RFL are slowly but surely introducing a Feeder Club System into the European Game. Maybe they see this as the next step to improving the Talent Pool at Elite Level.

What is the General feel of this approach and do we think this will align the ESL with the NRL by producing more Top Quality English Talent?

I think the system in the NRL is probably the biggest single advantage they have over us in terms of player development. The ability to play 1 week in the "first team" then be able to drop back for a couple of weeks to the reserves but still play at a good standard without the pressure of "first team" games is a huge advantage compared to our current system of either going out on loan or having to drop back to a far lower standard in the u20's.

I have sympathy with fans of clubs in lower leagues who don't want to be a feeder club, I dont know if I'd want Leeds to be a feeder club to anyone, but the feeder club should hopefully benefit from a few good players too.
If done right, I think this could be huge for the game in the future.

My club York have just linked up with Hull FC for three years. Personally I'm very happy with it.

I think it's a great idea.....Hunslet (eg) might even see an increase in paying spectators if the Leeds' supporters knew they would be watching the potential 'future' of their club.

The (presumably) mostly young players would also know they had much to play for in aspirational first team Leeds places up for grabs, whilst also having better testing matches in the meantime with their own more meaningful championship competition.

I fully suport thess link ups as long as the "feeder club" is well looked after and not just raped of their best players every year for a few quid.

Yep. Would congratulate Hull on that one.

Think Leeds have missed a trick here by going straight for Hunslet. Not always best to be so close, especially when the club in question is poorly run, like Hunslet.

The move by Saints to go for a team in Cumbria and Rochdale, both outsid of their service areas is a master stroke. The issue of these link ups, isn't just about dual register players, it's about having a presence watching players develop and having first digs on that feeder clubs players.

Hull going to York is excellent. Again out side their area, and a wealth of players playing the game.

I like this new move by clubs to look for these link ups. Just up Leeds have something else up their sleeve other than Hunslet.

But if you look at it from a Player point of view, if you want to play for Leeds Rhinos, you will flock to, say, Hunslet to be put in the Shop Window. This is another Benefit for the lower League Clubs as the Carrot is Dangling.

Don't have a problem with linking up with Hunslet and would hope their fans don't either. Being an out-of-towner I've no idea whether they're badly run or not these days but would bet that the link up improves things. And as Nantwich says, I could see their gates improving a bit. Makes a lot of sense to me.

It is an utter disgrace and the RFL should hang its head in shame that it is promoting a system that will reduce the opportunities for youngsters to make it in tha game and allowing the clubs with a lack of ambition to piggy back up the Championship on the back of SL clubs and not generate their own talent. How many clubs in the Championship will be in a position to achieve SL status if they sign up to be a feeder club? This system is another way of keeping SL as a closed shop and stopping the return of promotion and relegation.

What a load of rubbish it does nothing of teh sort.
How soon will York ,Whitehaven and Hunslet be eligable for SL then???
The clubs get the best of the SL youth systems aswell as other revenues the link ups provide with friendlies and also should the youngsters not make the cut at their respective SL clubs the dual reg clubs get 1st call on those players whilst also it reduces their own squad costs.
There are very few clubs that would be eligable for SL whether through franchise or P+R and none of those have announced any link ups but still have the options of dual reg and players get the chance of a reasonable standard of open age RL rather than the u19's.

Spot on! But you've gone and done a very silly thing that isn't often welcome amongst rugby league fans. You've dismissed a conspiracy theory!

Have you read the proposals in depth? I have!
I suggest you look at what Mike Rush has to say about the proposal. But you know far better than him!
Hull and HKR are having 1 academy between them. Utter disgrace.
Peacock, Sinfield, Burrow and JJB can in theory if recovering from injury can role out for Hunslet. Totally screws the Championship competition.
Stop being one eyed for half a second and you might see the bigger picture for the whole of the sport.

No they can't. There is an upper age limit.

I think everything you have posted there, has been well and truely taken out of context. You haven't read in depth at all.

Mike Rush was against the decision to get rid of the under 21's. He hasn't commented on dual registrations or championship club link ups.

I though Hull and Hull KR had now dropped weeks ago the idea of a joint academy.

As already said, there is an uper age limit on who can be dual registered, so no those players can not turn out for Hunslet. You can also only duel registered a maxium number of players.

I would suggest, read the proposals again.

firstly i would like to piont out, hunslet will not be a feeder club to leeds , as any players sent there are leeds players, not hunslets, to be a feeder club as in what use are thinking ,is leeds taking hunslets players for are first team , wrong leeds players are leeds players, so hunslet is not a feeder club !secondly there is no age limit , and jp or mags can turn out for hunslet , the limit only is to how many players are allowed to play , which will be 6, the whole leeds squad will have to sign duel reg forms , so as and when they may have to turn out for hunslet !