Well we have gone a certain route. We got relegated and lost most of our promising kids, which left us with no talent in the particular age range at the time. This then followed on that we didn't bring lads through because we lost them and in NFP couldn't recruit them. Then we concentrated on strengthening the first team to ensure we stayed in SL. Once we did that we turned to the youth systems and over the off season gone in particular have invested heavily in that area.

We have systematically taken care of areas that needed taking care of until we find ourselves in a position where things look much rosier for us than when we beat Leigh and got promotion. It hasn't been a short journey or an easy one but we have made decent progress, especially over the last 4 years. From a 4k average when we first came back up we now average 8k. We've had some success on the field although underperformed last season. Our reserves and academy both made the plays offs last season with the reserves one game off the GF. We have amongst the fewest overseas players in the league, we have 4-5 homegrown lads getting in the first grade squad every week and 4 played against Les Cats, when only 2 overseas players played and 2 others were left out despite being fit.

Chucking mud at us is a total waste of time. We're getting better and better, all it does is show what Wakey HAVEN'T done that they perhaps should have by now. In fact, isn't that the whole point of why this thread was started, and in reality all the vitriolic retorts accusing people of just hating Wakey are attempts at deflecting away from the issue?

Some would say that was what was going on. It could certainly be interpreted that way.

There is no doubt about the fact that the Giants have improved dramatically in all areas in recent years, but then so have Wakefield.

People have criticised what Wakey have done in the past, all I have done is highlight the fact that Hudds have arguably fared worst over the same period, despite been in a seemingly better position than us to succeed.

I am not throwing mud as such, just trying put some perspective on the merits of comments made by some of your fellow Giant fans

The one area where Wakefield have not improved, and this is pretty much what the topic was started for as far as I see it, is their number of overseas players. The number of homegrown lads playing first team is no better than ours, probably worse and the number of English lads not enough.

It's not as bad as say Wigan, for whom the number of overseas players they have is criminal when you consider the talent they produce, but it is not improving and hasn't improved since Wakefield have been in SL.

That was, as I saw it, the point of this thread. As I see it a number of Wakefield fans have just gotten defensive and started chucking crap without actually responding to the issue raised. It's actually been quite funny watching this thread develop and the old, half witted, mouthy usual suspects spout the same old tired, hypocritical lines! Hull have signed Sam Moa, not good but Hull have a much better record of getting academy lads to first team and got stung by losing Crocker. We've signed Korky and that wasn't met with universal praise by any stretch, but he's 5th choice, behind 4 British players and will have to really perform to get a shirt. Winterstein will walk into the team with no first grade experience, which makes it a different situation.

As I say, sign who you want. It makes no odds to me. I just don't like people chucking sh*t at us instead of defending themselves. Trying, unsuccessfully, to do down others as a way of making yourself look less culpable to the charge is no decent defence. Especially when the mud being slung is completely factually inaccurate.

It's a vicous cycle this. Wakey fans think we have it in for them. ATEOTD though it only seems to be Wakey fans that hang on (for grim death) to the merger, finishing bottom etc. Claims we have no fans when our crowds are well above Wakey's. It's laughable. No doubt we'll soon get some jibe about away support cropping up. Bring it on, and bring the evidence with you, whilst you're at it ladies! You want to have a go at someone for no relegation & mergers then have a go at the RFL. Those things damaged us but we got through them and have come back stronger. Yet ridiculously people try and insinuate we actually wanted to not be relegated or that we instigated the merger. Totally bonkers and the idiots that post such bile are just retarded. You want to sit in judgement, make sure your own house is in order first. Our house is in order, and all the mudslinging in the world can't alter that fact. So better to face up to the things you need to get sorted and sort them like we have.

Darnil almost feel sorry for you.

No one is saying clubs should not have overseas players. I never have so your q is redundant.

We have many fewer overseas players than you. you have opted to sign a reserve grade player from oz.

Since promotion in 2003 we have brought down the no' of overseas players while managing a 5th finish and a CCFinal (and a semi). If we signed an Oz reserve grader I would be disgusted.

Danril

Yes Wakey do need to improve and I genuinely feel that is exactly what the club are tryng to do.

The problem most wakey fans have is that certain Giants fans single us out over a particular overseas signing, then the issue of the number of o/s players, rather than include us in a list of offending clubs (some of whom are much bigger and therefore have less excuse). I don't see what is wrong in defending the club using the Giants as an example, when it was a Giants fan who was criticising Wakey. A number of points raised about the Giants were factually correct (the main one been that for whatever reasons - over the superleague era you have not performed as well as Wakey despite arguably been in a better position to do so).

The initial point of the thread was us signing an overseas reserve grader. I and a number of fellow posters have sought to address the reasons for this in previous posts (ie the type of player is not availble in the UK and certainly not for the same money).

Although we still have a full quota of overseas players, you are factually incorrect to say we have not improved in this area, as when we played Cas in the Regulation game a couple of years ago, I believe they were 14 of the 17 from overseas. Therefore whilst our current number of o/s players is nothing particularly to crow about, we have reduced the number by 4 and I believe will continue to try and do so going forward.

You seriously had 14 of 17? Holy crap!

Yep - Team was :

Wakefield Trinity Halpenny; Demetriou, Evans, K Henderson, Tadulala; Rooney, Jeffries; Watene, Obst, Korkidas, Solomona, MacGillivray, Betham. Interchange March, Elima, Catic, Latu.

No I am fine thanks, but thanks for caring about me


In the past all we did was look to sign overseas players and we did not give 2 hoots about British players. Now we do and we are developing some good young players. Some from our academy and some player’s who would not have got the chance if we did not sign them.

Yeah and that was a complete joke, but now in our first we have the following who are English/ British

Mattyb (from academy)
Scully
Snitch (from academy)
Wilkes
Grix
Bibey
Hendo
Gleeson
Blanch
Fergi(from academy)
Moore
George
Murphy (from academy)
Pitts (from academy)
Bibb
Southernwood (from academy)
Atkins
Brough (from academy)
Rooney

Its also worth adding that Wakey signed Moore, Bibey, Wilkes and Grix, plus Goldon and Peter Fox from the national Leagues. This excellent policy of recruiting from the NL has to commended, I'm pretty sure these players would not of made into SL (or made it back).

Yeah and look at them now. All goood quality super league players. Since Kear took over we have stopped signing all these overseas all the time and put some faith in British players and some of who would not be playing in super league now if we did not

Wouldn't it have been better to have attempted to make these points in the first place instead of chucking dirt eh?

If you'd have pointed out that the team had moved from having 14 overseas to having 7 then that could have been shown to be progress. But no, instead you just have a go at other clubs instead. Inaccurately!