If we are producing one or two regulars for this squad per season, we are doing very very very well.

I’d also look at the other side and ask out of those who left due to lack of opportunities have gone on to be a real success.

The fact is a youngster with the potential to be an SL player probably doesn’t get an opportunity in this side, that sounds like a bad thing but in reality its down to the fact that they are likely having to displace a very good SL player, an international standard player and in a few cases a couple of legends.

Weather could be interesting tonight

Typical - just as we're set to unleash the fastest spine in world RL (Wellens, Wilkin, Howarth - feel the lightning), we might get a wet pitch.

Massive disadvantage for the Saints.

Looking on the bright side, at least Meli's as safe as houses under the bomb. Any other player might struggle in the wet.

I predict Meli will not make any errors tonight.

We certainly would be. But we are not.

We have produced one in the McDermott era, four in the McClennnan era, and from tvocs figures, although I think someone must be missing, we have one from the Smith era. Of course there were others that Smith brought in who are elsewhere a success now, as with McClennan.

That's six in 10 years, and the current coach despite having an ageing squad that the previous two didn't, is the one with the least success in that academy player introduction stat.

He'll be safe as houses sat in the stand...

Have a feeling we'll get beat, more to do with I can't see saints losing 6 in a row for some reason. The fact Peacock and Ablett are out too adds to it.

Ah. Still banned for his high tackle against HKR I take it.

I think that's a moot point given that the injury sustained in executing his WWE-esque finisher means he would actually be catching the bombs with one hand, rather than just looking like he was trying to catch them with one hand.

I think that slighlty over-simplifies it though. In relatively few cases will said SL regular become a regular under the coach who first puts him in the team. There's a lag.

There are 5 in tvoc's list who are now part of the first team set up, and 2 more who are on the fringes and might well be there this time next year.

I question whether it's wise to replace your squad more rapidly than that unless some catastrophe befalls it and you absolutely have to.

Given that a huge chunk of our current squad graduated from the academy, is it the best news long-term to start bumping academy products out as soon as the next big thing comes along? If the message is "only a couple of you will make it, but the ones who do could be here winning tropphies for 10 years and more" then that's a situation I can happily live with.

The thing is, we dont have an ageing squad, we dont have an old squad, we have some old players admittedly but not an old squad.

Where are these youngsters going to play? Who are we going to drop for them? Is Peacock done? Kylie? JJB? Sinfield? Do we cast these players off? or are we realistically only arguing about a couple of extra games for a couple of young players just for the sake of giving them a few games?

Take Sutcliffe for example, if he is to have a career at Leeds he doesnt just need to be a an SL level half back, we don’t want or need a Jordan Tansey level player, Leeds need higher level players. The player that replaces Kevin Sinfield needs to be a player of Kevin Sinfields quality, If Sutcliffe is of Leeds quality then when he gets given a go he will show it, and he will grab hold of that shirt and make sure he is in the mind of the coach every week, like Sinfield did. If not then it is no bad thing that we will lose him as we did Luke Gale.

If Baldwinson is the player to replace JJB then he will demand a shot and when he gets it he will keep it. If he doesn’t he will go elsewhere like Jay Pitts, If Singleton is the player to replace Peacock then he will play his way in to the side and he will get a shot and he will make himself undroppable, if not then he can go play at Bradford with Scruton. If Hood is going to be the answer at 9, he will take that shirt and own it, or he could go the way of Ben Kaye.

The point I am trying to make is that only the most exceptional of youngsters can make it at Leeds because they are replacing extraordinary players. We need to accept that we will lose some good young players, maybe some very good young players, because the player ahead of them is exceptional and that isnt a bad thing. It is a very very good thing.

How much is it to get in to headingley nowa days.

Going to jaunt along after work, to join the rest of the St. Helens faithful take a hellu va beating.

Smokey-That's abit OTT imo you don't "replace Sinfield ,Peacock and more recently Senior" and to expect the kids coming through to be of that calibre is asking way too much too soon.
They need to be given time to realise their potential and make their own names at the club just as Sinfield ,Mcguire et al were when they first broke through.
Just because they come through teh acadamy they shouldn't have that amount of expectation on them staright away because none of the others ever did they were given time to develop and make their own way whilst realising their obvious early potential.

It's all head in the sands nonsense rhinoms from some.

Whether you have a successful side or not, this does nothing to stop you giving 4 or 5 games a year to identified potential stars, and build it up. That way they work towards replacing the players in possession. If not as good as them, then you move on.

That is not what is happening in the slightest.

It just seems to be black or white to some posters, and no inbetween. They don't understand the concept of resting player A and playing player B would give a benefit to the team both short and long term. It is either, it is your shirt or it isn't, and if it is your shirt and the team is successful then you can not take it off him.