So anyone wit ha differing opinion to yours can't form their own opinion or has no idea of the game.

If that is the best argument you can formulate it really is, as you say, pointless for you to continue arguing because, frankly, you're not very good at it.

Lets introduce some facts into the discussion. Not opinions. Not arguments. Facts. yesterday's Rhinos team contained 12 players from it's Academy. Of those 12, 8 have been selected for full international rugby league for England and or GB.

They get an awful lot right. If you really want to move the discussion along, give us a tangible example of one they got wrong. No one they theoretically get wrong using your magical powers of projection.

Again, absolutely nothing to do with the point that has been made. No where has anybody complained about what Leeds used to do with their academy players. Infact, the very first post I did that brought this up was to defend the coaching at Leeds in the junior levels, to a poster who was criticizing it. The way they did it was a model for everyone else. Why we changed the model is more of the questioning.

Your response is typical of exactly what I was saying above. It is all about what has happened, rather than what could have happened. Because posters have no knowledge what so ever of the game below first team they only rely on what they are told or what happens in front of them. Therefore there only argument is to argue something that isn't even been talked about.

Get the message straight. Just because a junior player hasn't left Leeds and become a major star, doesn't mean they have not missed out on potential gems. It works the same way for every club, not just Leeds. However, other clubs appear to do more to ensure the top ones are given the shot first.

We have just come through an era where players who were core to our success were in at or around the same time as one another, Sinfield, McGuire, Burrow, JJB, Diskin, Mathers, Walker, Ward, Bailey, Calderwood (restricted it to players at the start). The club went for the approach of go with home grown youngsters, and these players were all in and regular for 18. They all knew at the start they were going to be in also, as the plan was from the club.

There is nothing wrong with Leeds academy set up, and no body is arguing that. The posting is on how do we retain the ones who could be the best.

"We" don't do a damn thing. The club do that. As demonstrated above, the club know a damn sight more about what they're doing in this regard than "we" do.
You say that like it's a negative.

I'm inhabiting the realms of reality, rather than the realms of your imagination.

No, you are inhabiting a knowledge of knowing nothing but the first team, and what the club tells you. Which was my point above. If you had knowledge of the juniors and the clubs they have come from, and you gave your opinion that differs, then absolutely fine.

The club knew a damn sight more about what they were doing in regarding to retaining. The points on here, are questioning whether that is still the case. Which of course is completely different to whether they have a good set up and good coaching. So yes, I am saying it is a negative that is worth discussing.

Does George Burgess count? Not sure how many years him and Tom were in the Leeds scholarship scheme before they went to the Bulls.

Good point lad. Well done.

Very similar situation to Morgan Smith also.

Not that it matters fully though, as I still don't think just because someone made it elsewhere proves a point that all was right.

Thanks dad...

TBF I think George is the kind of player that would of made it anywhere, same as Sam.
Gregg McNally is another player who would be similar to Smith imo, but with more first team exposure. A few seemed to want him here when he was around that age. I remember when he was at Whitehaven a lot of noise was made about him. He could still come good, but he was sent back down to Championship level pretty quickly.

All we can do is second guess what Leeds have planned long term, but maybe they think we already have the current crop in the first team. Sutcliffe/L.Briscoe/S.Ward/R.Ward and even Moon could be planned to play in the halves.

No worries son....

I wouldn't put McNally in same argument because he was already a first teamer elsewhere.

The argument on this thread is about losing potential stars at a young age. Your point on the Burgess brothers showed a point exactly in line with the argument on Morgan Smith, as we lost those to Bradford. Although in Smith's case he is regarded as one of the best in the country for his age, the two Burgess's actually were not at that time.

The Burgess twins were never actually Leeds academy players.

They were here under a scholarship as they had to be due to service areas. As soon as they were old enough and therefore free to join an Academy set up they were off to join brother Sam at Bradford.

They were exactly the same as Morgan Smith, which is what this discussion is about, but derailed by others into something else.

Leeds could, and should , have had them, but lost out.

But weren't the Burgess brothers pre-McDermott era? Which seems to be the focus of this debate, that he doesn't give enough pathway to the younger players so they want to move elsewhere?

I don't think anyone on here has mentioned McDermott.

You gave mention a few pages back of the current set-up and how it's their way to not introduce young players due to physical reasons and how this is frustrating some academy lads who think their good enough now to go......fair to assume you were referring to McDermott since he took over.

I see. So this is about a player not contracted to Leeds. A minor. Someone who is absolutely free to sign for any team's Academy that has chosen to sign his first processional contract at a another club. Not a player Leeds have lost out on. A very different se to circumstances, for example, to the Jordan Baldwinson scenario.

I see even less to criticise the club for in that case.

Can you perhaps, as the font of all wisdom on these matters, explain, specifically how Leeds could and should have forced you Smith's free will to sign with us rather than Warrington?

Taken James Lowes off as part time assistant coach, as he becomes Bradford head coach tomorrow.