It's also about player development in an educational sense and the impact the academies have on their local community game, if you're taking 50 youngsters out of the community game in the hope 2 of them become Super league players then that is detrimental to the community game. I would imagine those with elite status produce top class education and care to a fewer amount of players who are all fairly decent prospects.

Well TBF Cas used to produce many home grown players of immense talent at times.....

Watts, Holmes Clare and Eden seem to be the only Cas products in the Cas squad.

I do recall someone lamenting at Cas (a previous CEO) that the days of the conveyor belt of star Cas players was slowing right down.

Cas are a great club don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go, but Cas were hardly a "top side" until Darryl Powell came along and AFAIK he's a Wakey lad?

No I was talking about the England train on squad. I thought that was obvious.

From Huddersfield’s academy - Jermaine McGillvary.
From Wakefield’s academy - Josh Griffin and Tom Johnstone (injured)

In response to a comment claiming the clubs excluded haven’t produced England players for a decade.

...and before you ask Tom Burgess, John Bateman and Elliot Whitehead in the current train on squad.

Yes I am bitter because my club have been stiffed by a short sighted decision that will ultimately reduce the player talent pool for the sport further doing more long term damage than the savings to a few super league Chairmen. I’m extremely bitter

Oh come on with all due respect that is rubbish.

Those players you mention come from an era when Bradford were splashing cash they did not have. All those players would have found there way in the game through another Academy. I know Trinity were desperate to sign Bateman as a youth so he wasn’t short of offers.

I see no reason why they didn’t give Bradford the nod but you are guilding the lily big time.

Wakefield by the way just thrashed your under 17’s so with respect you’re not that good anymore, sorry.

I thought the sport required all SL clubs to have an academy.

How things suddenly change.

They haven’t, Salford opted out a few years ago, it’s not been required for a while but this time it’s been enforced rightly or wrongly.

Possibly a reason behind it.

Maybe the financial assurances from some clubs wasn't there??

I don't know the reasons, but I'm sure we will find out in due course.

Ah ok, so you're judging academies strength by how many players in the England squad have come through it? that wouldn't be because in your straw clutching world it's the one that helps you win the argument over Hudds and Wakey then? well that stat alone should have got them an elite licence, cos you produced 1 more England squad player than Wakefield and 2 more than huddersfield

With all due respect we’ve not been able to splash the cash for years and yet despite us being out of the picture you lot have produced a whole zero more England players than us.

Despite the fact we’ve been on our for years in the championship and even league one we’ve continued to produce players that have made up the bulk of our squad whilst losing loads to super league. The likes of James Bentley, Jake Trueman, Ethan Ryan, Roman Milnes, Oliver Wilson, all super league players all came through since relegation. Plus the likes of O’Brien and Mellor who came through when we were on our and needed to blood players early just to field a team in super league.

Leigh have been refused.

Ben Westwood and Danny Brough? Ha ha ha bang up to date there. Why stop there what about the Fox brothers!

Want anymore straws to grasp at my pompous friend?

That's a fair post post, I would suggest that the "stat" for youngsters "making it" is far worse than 2 out of every 50 academy lads.

Again not having a go but the as we see with Cas they will turn over what? 30 local prospects a year and if they get a good one like Olly Holmes they will get 10 years and 200 games from him (and still counting)... but Holmes is more of a one in a hundred player.

Just got a flashback or two from my youth....I can recall the "Classy Cas" teams when the majority of players were actually from Cas, and wasn't Featherstone Rovers cup winning side over Hull in 1983 all local lads except Steve Quinn?