Valvoline Academy Phase 2. Great game this afternoon between the 18's with Widnes just edging out Saints for the win. Well done to both sets of players.

great game and a very big scalp for the widnes juniors ,considering widnes is a championship club,they have beaten the majority of all superleague junior teams this year so far.its proving very good for the future of widnes vikings,and in the next five years or less some of these young players could be playing for widnes first team in superleague,if the rl allow us to have a franchise.

Or we could nick them off you.

I'm just wondering why there has been no comment from Chief Scout?

I dont personally rate our u18's and i dont think Saints do aswell to be honest and thats why we pushed the boat out to bring the best u16's and 15's to the club this year.

To be fair to our lads we had a few injurys and had our impact prop forward playing at centre (Josh Greaves) he is a Paleasina lookalike byt credit to Widnes they're a good team at this level.

I find that a very strange quote given that Saints Under 18's have also finished in the top 5 teams of the Valvoline Academy phase 1 and if true that is a damning indictment on the club in terms of their attitude to player development.

I'd be interested to know who at Saints doesn't rate the 18s given the amount of resources being pushed their way.

For the record Widnes Under 16s were unbeaten this year and the club have just signed 13 of those boys despite interest and offers from Super League Clubs

Nothing damning at all . RL is ruthless and prefessional now and if the club feel the vast majority of the 18's squad arnt good enough to move to the next level they'll be dropped/released and replaced. If even 1 of them makes it into the first team then it might possibly still be counted as a successful batch of players. /shrug

You can't make judgements on all players by 18 as some develop sooner/later than others. No wonder we don't develop enough home grown British talent if players are disregarded at 18, then again in Super League there is always the quick fix of the overseas journeymen who are no longer good enoug for NRL.

Have you seen our squad lately?



I think if you re-read Chief Scout's post it is him, not the club who claims not to rate our under 18's, he doesn't state that he knows anyone specifically within the club that shares his opinion, he merely makes a supposition.

I'm glad somebody can read my post properly.

Good to see that the defeat was taken well!!! www.saintsrlfc.com/news/2677 Perhaps someone should read the report before it being allowed on the club's website.

Good to see that the defeat was taken well!!! www.saintsrlfc.com/news/2677 Perhaps someone should read the report before it being allowed on the club's website.

Of that Saints u/18 team i think Josh Jones and Scott Hale are the standouts, also Marcus Baines goes good.

He made it clear he doesn't rate them so that is not an issue. He also said that Saints resouces had been put into the younger age groups and he didn't think the club rated the 18's which would lead us to believe he has some inside knowledge of the working of the youth development team at Saints. So his supposition seems to have basis of truth.

My view is Saints have some talented 18's and to prematurely write them off is worrying. Players who have developed late include Ian Kirke, Mickey Higham and Ian Sibbitt who are all still playing Super League.

the thing is the way things work now with no reserve side etc time is not on the players side when at a SL club, players who develop late can however showcase there skills by playing at a lower division team. The dual registration system will help alot of players but some may drop down on full contracts and bounce back ..