If beating Cas by a cricket score is a gimme, why did Wigan lose to them earlier this season?

The whole team isn’t going to make first grade. Most will end up in champ or “lower” SL clubs. Whereas it’s nice to win, the most important thing is that we have a handful of real talents in the system.

I believe there are 5-10 players across scholarship and academy with real chances. In addition we have McCormack, Smith, Simpson, Lumb and others who are already knocking on the door.

In other words, yes our competitors have some great youth talent but Leeds are starting to get the production line working again in my view.

jim a well balanced view but we should be challenging the bigger more established academys more than we have since chev left we have looked miles off doing that over the past 2 years

i watch the 18s and the scholars a lot and theres a lot of kids gone backwards in the academy its crazy to see if you know your rugby its glaring

Interested to get your take on which kids have gone backwards?

Maybe if they've gone backwards they're just not good enough? To make it at first grade at Leeds, in theory at least you should be close to international class or working towards that level. There just aren't many lads of that quality.

Granted there tends to be better talent across the hill, including some signings that are made from under our noses.

needed time to look through the squads as not familiar with them all some names for you that have regressed brennan jones corbett hartley taylor aliou gilmore hutchinson fergus mccormack phillips proud stephenson white all of which have gone backwards in terms of their on field and visual development at a rate of knots yes all might not be good enough but doesnt mean they regress like they have over the past 12-18 months in what is deemed an elite enviroment also who have we lost across the hill

What's happened to jack smith? He had some good performances in preseason but nowhere near the squad since?

Just now back from an injury I believe, played in the reserves last game I think

A few of those lads are going to struggle for size to make grade in SL in my view.

I might agree on Fergus, he was looking on the fringe of first grade not so long ago, and now has been shifted from 6 to fullback and I'm not sure what his path to first grade is now. As sixes, we probably have two or three even younger players who look better prospects, albeit not quite with his running game.

I guess when you say you know your rugby you mean you watching it. Do actually know what it takes for these youngsters to commit and train hard. Not all are on full time contracts and have other commitments like college and apprenticeships. Not to mention dealing with things like becoming a man. All to have pratts like you pulling them down. Im guessing you've never actually picked up a rugby ball either looking back through your past posts. Clown!

my bad 'plugger' i wasn't aware that all the academy players under walker that won a grand final were all full time professionals and didnt have to contend with all the off field issues you raised? i bow to the superior knowledge you gained by playing 3 second team games for east leeds. clown

Has anyone seen much of Toby Warren?

Another game against one of the big 3 Lancashire teams, another disapointing defeat, hope tony smiths performance is part of the review Blease will undoubtedly hold

Agreed. Do you think Cassell will go onto to be a first teamer,, Matt?

Yeah, im confident he will, got everything needed to be a quality Super League player

You would bloody well hope so. The academy has been a mess for a few years now.
I was told that it had got better in the last year or so but defeats like these certainly put a dent in things.

Hopefully its something now Brad is staying he can cast an eye over and make a shrewd appointment.