Quote: MicktheGled "
The plus side is that it puts Bradford, London and Newcastle at a massive advantage in becoming a Category A club because of the Elite Academy status.
This will more than likely see Bradford pick up the full 2.5 points available for Community and Talent Pathway.
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Regarding the first point, it doesn't put Bradford, London or Newcastle at a "massive advantage" in any realistic sense does it, as none of those three teams will be anywhere near a Category A club in the near future.
As for your second point, has this been misreported everywhere else I have seen it? The 2.5 points you are quoting for "Community and Talent Pathway" - all I have seen is that the former "Catchment" category, which was worth 2 points, is now known as "Community" and allocated 2.5 points, with 1 point available for Foundation work, and 1.5 points for the Catchment Area. I have seen nothing in any of the reports that suggests having Elite Academy status scores any points at all, other than being a prerequisite for any club wanting category A status. The Bulls Talent Pathway is part of the Foundation for sure, just like similar schemes at other clubs will be, but linking Elite Academy status to getting 2.5 points seems wide of the mark (especially as 1.5 of those 2.5 points are still down to the catchment area).