It was my first reserves game and I enjoyed it.

Wigan were really disappointing, but as I'm not a regular I don't know if they were missing players etc.

I was shocked at how much weight Savelio has lost. He looks a lot leaner and played the majority of the game at 13.

I was impressed by Grace and I wonder why he doesn't get a game in the first team over players like McDonnell and Owens.

Interesting that Travis Burns was in the stands watching.

Who have we signed specifically for reserve grade? We brought 2 part timers in, and gave a trial to an England 7s player, but thats hardly signing players to take it seriously - it was just bulking up our numbers! A few teams did that as well so its hardly like were alone, Warrington poached Joe Ryan from us for example.

Having Talbot specifically coaching the reserve grade might by different to other set ups though (I dont know)

I didnt go but my mate did and said it was embarassing how bad wigan were. "a team full of a reality TV haired floppy haircuts with little to no rugby skill" is how he described them

Regards

King James

I was shocked how slim has gone. He's nothing like that big bulldozing young kid that made his debut against Leeds.

Hull are taking the Reserves comp relatively serious too. Brough a player called Josh Wood back in the last couple of weeks, who had left due to there being no progression path from U19's to 1st Team until now.
We have also taken players on trial to play in the side, such as a Welsh Rugby Union centre who has played the last 2 weeks - scored 1 v Halifax and scored 2 against Warrington at the weekend and looks like we will offer him a contract

KC's treatment of our younger players in general has been bizarre in his year and a half here.

In terms of the younger players who had already deputised, Greenwood, Savelio, Thompson and Richards have all been treated poorly.

Greenwood was initially being loaned out only for KC to realise this was a mistake and hit great form early doors last year. He hasn't reached those heights since however but it must be tough due to him being scapegoated and dropped for plenty poor team performances. I don't think, despite him being our top try scorer, KC has let him play 4 games consecutively this season. Against Hull KR he looked back to his 2015 self, making a mockery of the King's decision to consistently drop him and leave Ant & Dec and 'Tills' in the side.

Thompson is another one that never seems to get a run of games despite going well when he does play. Although last year he wasn't as good as he was in 2014, he was still comfortably offering more than Richards' when selected. There are rumours he's had a few troubles with concussion however recently Saints have developed a trend of pretending if they don't mention why players are going missing for weeks (Thompson, Peyroux, Percival) that no one will mention it.

Savelio, after hitting some great form towards the back end of 2015, has been another one that has been messed around this time out. It seems Wilkin, LMS, 'Tills' and Tasi can have as many poor games as they want but when the likes of Savelio and Greenwood (and Burns but not relevant here) don't instantly perform, we don't see them for weeks.

Richards is another one. Due to KC not protecting him and flogging him every single week despite him struggling he is now a laughing stock amongst our fans. In truth he probably needs a 6 week brutal fitness regime, but all these young forwards need now and last year is 4 or 5 weeks in the side and maybe one or two out of it to recover.

In terms of promoting from within, Knowles and Ashworth have probably been the pick. Despite the bizarre decision that failed miserably to put Knowles straight in at hooker, he now looks a very promising back rower and is comfortably offering more than Wilkin and Vea at present.

Wellington and Bailey were given 40 mins, in which they struggled, and were taken off without a chance to rectify it.

Before the season ends, as it's practically over now, I'd love to see more of Wellington, Grace, Richardson and Levy. I can't see it though as it seems KC doesn't trust the young lads enough over the more senior pros in the squad.