Our chairman said we were currently weighing up the benefits of having a reserve grade. But I don't think we will with a championship budget. Wasn't it quoted as £100k to run a reserve grade?

"The likes of Warrington, Wigan and St Helens" mobile.hullfc.com/News/Article/4 ... u23s-coach

"The likes of Warrington, Wigan and St Helens" mobile.hullfc.com/News/Article/4 ... u23s-coach

Is this league just going to be SL teams or a mixture of both SL and Champ.

Fev, Sheffield and Leigh and s few more tried to run reserve teams last season but there just wasn't enough games and the system was a bit of a joke.

I agree that it should be compulsory for all SL and championship teams to enable players to develope at their own clubs.

Where are these players going to come from? 15 additional players to cover this reserves league for 24 sides is 360 players?

We have just lost 2 clubs from SL because the game couldnt produce the players to support it, we have just seen Jimmy Lowes' hissy fit and 2 months of Leigh crying in to their lobby because they cannot build a side to compete with SL clubs making the structure unworkable, and introducing a league between them so that SL clubs can hold on to any player with a hint of potential for longer is going to help this? Why are Cas going to be releasing a Ryan Brierley if they need a reserves half? Why are leeds going to allow a Baldwinson to play at Fev when they are needing another 4 props to put out a reserves side?


Prepare to see large numbers of 19 year olds offered terrible 4 year contracts, stagnating in a league of awful quality, and championship clubs still moaning about how it just isnt fair on them

Which i for one would be in favour of

What about the number of 20-21 year olds released every year deamed not good enough for SL at that moment in time and end up lost to the game. Championship teams don't want them because they have never heard of them or seen them play. Players who maybe in 2 years time could be world beaters.

Under 23s league would keep players in the game longer and put them in the shop window for champ teams.

Do you actually believe that teams would have to start searching for extra players to try and make up a reserve team lol. Most clubs will already have those players at the club, they'll just be able to hang onto them for a while longer and develope them longer. It means they won't have to make s decision on a 19 year old who they have had at the club a number of years.

Even Fev had a surplus of 20-25 players this season.

A good post

The way I've read it is that they'll be players in the first team squad who aren't selected, the elder players from the 19's and I'm presuming 4/5 players who are to old for the u19's.

This from hulls website

The schedule has also been set centrally to avoid as many clashes as possible with the U19s season, which will ensure Hull FC's representatives in the City of Hull Academy will also have the opportunity to wear the black and white shirt throughout next season too.
The initial draft calendar outlines that it is likely that both teams’ fixtures will only clash on three or four occasions, which is pleasing for Radford.

1 Jamie Shaul
2 Mahe Fonua
3 Jack Logan
4 Carlos Tuimavave
5 Fetuli Talanoa
6 Leon Pryce
7 Marc Sneyd
8 Scott Taylor
9 Danny Houghton
10 Liam Watts
11 Frank Pritchard
12 Mark Minichiello
13 Joe Westerman

14 Gareth Ellis
15 Sika Manu
16 Jordan Thompson
17 Danny Washbrook

Curtis Naughton
Callum Lancaster
Kirk Yeaman
Richard Whiting
Steve Michaels
Jordan Abdull
Harry Tyson-Wilson
Josh Bowden
Chris Green
Jack Downs
Brad Fash
Dean Hadley
Iafeta Paleaaesina
Jansin Turgut

That's Hull's first team squad, obviously injuries will play a part but it will give the u19's experience playing against men.

Perhaps i didn't wake up. Perhaps i was bored at work and wanted to do something interesting, like contribute something positive to Rugby League

how many of these are actually any good?

And now i dont think SL clubs will be searching for new players to make up the reserves, i think they will be hanging on to the 19/20/21/22 year olds currently playing championship and league1 rugby. I think the championship and league 1 will then need to find players to take up those spots.

Championship and league 1 clubs are largely sides made up from players let go from SL, those youngsters let go do fall down the league, to championship and league 1 clubs.

And you are right, clubs wont have to make a decision on a player at 19, so they wont, and plenty of talented players who would/could have gone down and come back up will stagnate in a poor quality league and never fulfil their potential.

They would get experience playing against better men in the championship.

Would U19s be allowed to play in the U23s seeing as they are not allowed to play with 'men' now in the U19s sides. I don't know, just asking.

You can play super league from 16, NRL from 18 I believe. Imagine reserve league would also be 16.

I went to a fans forum given by Ian Lenegan at the start of the season. If I recall correctly the RFL set a limit of 65 registered players for the combined first team and u19s Academy. Wigan try to fill all these places and were at 64 registered players. Leeds were pushing for the numbers to be reduced (can't remember whether this was to 55 or 60 registered players).

Given the nature of the game every team is going to suffer injuries or suspensions to some extent so I don't think that 65 players is excessive if you are running 3 teams. What is worrying is that the Wigan U19s had games postponed last year due to the opposition not being able to raise a team. I hope this doesn't occur with the proposed u23s competition as well.