This is going to be fun...

There's a lot to be said about winning a grand final.Its months and months before they have a chance to have a proper go at us.It a great off season feeling.they who laugh last spring to mind.I do hope this is not a prelude for pie invasion

Better Return than yours at Super League Level

Too right (as you may note from the stars up there ^ ) [iwe're all about the five in six years[/i





And as for our youth team. It's producing enough talent for us to have an unprecedented period of dominance in the salary capped era so I don't think you need to be worrying

Four what? It's five titles in six years.

It's 4 players in the GF 17 from this year, not four in 6 years. Four in 17 is a damn good retrun. Also, you've ignored the many other debutants we've rpoduced in those 6 years that weren't in the GF 17. Another lad debuted this year who played in a Challenge Cup Final.

You see, standards are a little bit higher here at Headingley because in addition to those 4 in the 17 there were 6 others that have come through our Academy in that 17. When you are winning six titles in 9 years rather than just the one, with a settled team, 1st team jerseys can be a little harder to come by.

I fear they are coming.I dont mind Rogues,but I hope this thread is not going to entice them over,they've been licking their wounds I know,but I dont want em over here till february

There are Hood, McShane, Keinhorst, Singleton who have played this season. There's also a list as long as your arm of Leeds academy players playing in SL, whose path into the first team hasn't been blocked by a series of imports (like some clubs) but by other academy players who are just simply better

Rogues is an intelligent articulate poster who watches a lot more Academy rugby than I do.

That said, he's been dooming and glooming about the quality of our Academy for some time. It's still drip feeding quality players into our first team so I don't agree with his opinion.

The credibility of his opinion isn't helped by being supported in the past by doom mongers like Bywater and Gotcha.

I think Rogues posts are a bit tongue in cheek.Like I said I dont mind him.

2. Ben Jones-Bishop
3. Kallum Watkins
5. Ryan Hall
6. Danny McGuire
7. Rob Burrow
9. Paul McShane
11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan
12. Carl Ablett
13. Kevin Sinfield
14. Lee Smith
16. Ryan Bailey
18. Chris Clarkson
21. Richard Moore
24. Liam Hood
25. Stevie Ward

I make that 15 players who are Leeds Academy graduates who've played for the first team this year. Then, in the rest of the game, you have:

Richie Mathers, Peter Fox (both Wakefield), Jodie Broughton, Ashley Gibson, Danny Williams (all Salford), Scott Murrell, Jason Netherton (both Hull KR), Kyle Briggs, Matt Diskin, Luke Gale, Nick Scruton, Chev Walker (all Bradford), Jordan Tansey (Castleford), Danny Allan, Gareth Raynor, Jonny Hepworth, Ben Kaye, Michael Haley (all Featherstone), Jason Golden (London), Mark Calderwood (Workington), Luke Burgess (South Sydney), Garreth Carvell (Warrington)

then there's Nick Fozzard, Fran Cummins & Danny Ward who came in around the turn of the Millenium, and are all now retired.

the academy's fine thanks.

There's also Keinhorst and Singleton from this years

Adrian Morley joined Leeds at 17, did he therefore play in the academy? Fozard won a GF (or more than one?) with Stains. Have any other Leeds academy graduates won GFs at other clubs? I'm struggling to think of many (or any).

Remember kids: it doesn't pay to leave Leeds.

Dowes has joined Calders at Workington.