How do you know? What if in fact McNamara is far better in that respect than anyone else, or at least as good as anyone available? To say it "wouldn't be too hard to find" is making a statement as if it is a known fact, but it most certainly isn't.

FWIW the only direct evidence that I know of is the numerous comments I've heard and read over these past couple of years in relation to signing promising juniors and these all seemed to have referred to McNamara in the most glowing terms.

So I can't sy for sure, but I reckon maybe it would be a damn sight harder than you think.

We have had academy squads just as long as Leeds and Saints so I don't understand your point.

I think he means Leeds and Saints have been taking them seriously.

We have contary to what the club is trying to spin.

Aye. They've had more success with there's in recent years compared with us.

Whether we can match their performance in the years to come remains to be seen but if you believe all the stuff coming from the club we certainly should have something to show for it soon.

Exactly investing more effort and money over a longer time.

I read an interview with Heth****ton about when he took over the club in (i think) 96 and how they started seriously on the junior development track then. See how long that took to bear fruit.

That's rubbish. The problem here was the club wasted money on lads who were never going to be good enough.

Edited.

We always have matched their performance in junior development.

So you're saying they put the money in but didn't get quality resources in either scouting (poor quality recruitment) and/or coaching (insufficient resources) for that investment?

There are a number of clubs who have produced a long line of local talent - they tend to be towns where RL is king - Cas, Fev, Wigan, Hull. I'm not sure that is naturally the case at Leeds & Saints, they have had to work at it. Certainly when they were struggling in the 80s & 90s there was nowhere near the home grown talent there is now. I'm not sure Bradford made the most of their success since SL, it will definitley be more difficult attracting talent when there are currently more successful clubs within 15 miles.

It was a scouting problem.

Prior to SL we didn't. We did 96-2003 but after that we haven't.

It did take long but once the players became first teamers the rise was rapid. They weren't really week in week out regulars until 2003 and by 2004 they were champions.

With the crop you are trying to bring through, you'll know pretty quick if they're good enough.

Was it only a scouting problem. I had the feeling that under Nobby he went and bought his team whilst the juniors were trained up and then let go. I'm sure that people will point to the one or two that made it through the ranks at Bradford but it would be interesting to see how many Leeds and Saints had promoted over a similar period. It always seemed that any succesful juniors we had were despite the system not because of it.