Quote: SmokeyTA "and it is at this point i am saying we have an issue. McShane isnt ready to be a number 1 hooker at an SL club. He would be best served getting maybe 15-20 first grade games this season. But no club wants to take him on and give him that, and we have other players. This is where we, as a game, have a problem. Players who are too good for u20s/reserves but not good enough to force their way into SL squads (YET) dont have anywhere to go. The only option is to hope some other SL club has a dirth of talent in that position and cant get an import in so they will take him on loan.
Whilst in McShanes case it would be best for him to go to another SL club, it isnt always possible and there is nothing to help if that is the case. And clubs should be planning a pathway for there players that isnt u20s then SL, because the u20s wont always prepare them
and no-one would be adverse to that happening, its not that i dont want to loan him out, Simply that it isnt a good thing that we dont have anywhere (bar SL) that McShane could spend this season without it being to the the detriment of his development. A high quality championship with plenty of dual reg players would do this. It would offer us a place for McShane to play to a high level that isnt dependant on another SL club taking him from us
we have done it with BJB, and that will be very good for his development. Fantastic for us over the next few years. And you are right, we should have other options to ensure their continued development, but we need options that arent dependant on other clubs needing a player we can provide'"
So it appears everything we have been arguing over is not the principle of loaning to a super league club or championship. It's that you don't think he is ready for full time super league yet, and I do. And I do think that. But now I can see why you have been arguing.
I have already stated I agree with what you were saying about the championship over reserve rugby. I just think that should happen at an earlier stage of the development that McShane is at now.
I still think the club's failed here in not identifying an opportunity for McShane in the close season, despite knowing that you already have two hookers ahead of him under contract. I can only guess that the idea was that they
always wanted to go with two hookers, and in case one was injured. But considering the pathetic treatment of McShane against Hull KR, I am back to the thinking the club made a mistake.
