Fair enough and now many of that academy winning side from 2 years ago are now in first grade at Leeds?

I think six of that squad are still at Leeds with the usual couple per age group in with a shout if making it.

Point is the majority of that winning team have already left Leeds.

Again, I don’t disagree the coaching doesn’t seem to be yielding the right performances this season.

Not as many as there should be because their development was then stalled under Smith

Point being, a poor coach can take the wind out of a players development and progress

Riley Lumb made his senior debut on the wing for Halifax yesterday, winning MOM in a 0-46 loss

It would be good if he could get a run of games there, if not here with all our injuries

He is a player I think could make the grade, but he's way too light at the moment.

Good win for the Academy today, against a pretty good Hull team.

Plenty of first years playing again and among the try's, hopefully a confidence builder and they kick on from here

Anyone going to Stanningley today?

Good to see George Brown back at the club and playing tonight, another really talented half who was with us through Scholarship but went the RU route when his team mates, the current 1st years, joined the Academy

Good result again there Matts - Brown came across well on his interview as well.

I have to say been increasingly impressed with Zak Lloyd, I really like the look of him in the back row.

Zak Lloyd is very good, always been regarded as a special talent, that can obviously change Plenty from u13's etc, but so far, he's progressing as expected, the position the club chose for him was always going to be interesting, he was the best player in Yorkshire playing centre, fullback and 6 coming through at Siddal.

As good as some of the talents are in the first year Academy group, and they are very good and very deep, Lloyd and Jacob Hardy, from our second year scholarship group, could very well be 2 of the best 3 talents in the whole system, along with Cassell, Harvey Butterworth is the third in the same intake as Hardy and Lloyd who's a top talent

Brown played his community rugby with Harley Thomas at Dewsbury Celtic, always had as good a show and go as you'l see, great talent to get back into the club and RL, and like you say, came across very well in his interview, mature beyond his years

Lloyd seems to have everything, is he still 16 do you know?

Cassell is another obvious potential first grader as you say; we have a clutch of talented but slightly small outside backs too.

We aren’t going to struggle at back row or centre for a good while. I quite like Brown and Wade White too. Stelfox has some potential as well from the one time I’ve seen him play.

I’d like to see better defensive technique from some; I think at junior grades everyone gets excited about good runners but it’s only half the game. It’s one reason you can sense Cassell will make it because he has aggression and technique in D already. Interesting times.

Harry Smith is an interesting one at Half Back, watching him for West Bowling, he was the number 1 target in the whole country i hoped the club would secure in his age group, ahead of Cassell, Marcus QQ, Thomas etc...He hasnt quite hit my expectations as yet in a Leeds shirt, but he's someone Mark Butterill rates as one the best halfs he's ever had in the scholarship.

Just seen the highlights drop of us v Wakey and Brown looks very smart, impressive.

Thomas I'm not convinced about yet, he looks good going forward but I don't see much in his D currently.

Cassell is developing nicely, looks pretty physical now and he's a handful for any opposition. I could actually see him making the first team squad next year and getting a couple of appearances too if he continues. With the likes of him and Lloyd coming through, Gannon fingers crossed to recover from his head knock issues, that's a very decent amount of talent for the back row. Actually think Cam Smith will need to raise his game because these young lads have so much potential.

Anyone see the U18’s today? I see they got spanked at Saints

Nothing new unfortunately

Corey Johnson and Ned McCormack both excellent for Halfax yesterday