In the past that was our trouble, producing players of the highest quality and then shipping them out to other clubs.
That has been largely stopped now but seeing him in recent form I can't see Joe Mellor not going to a top four club.
Still though, the Wigan production line is producing some of the best quality RL players there are.

Mellor has taken time to adjust to losing a chunk of his electrifying pace to a bad knee injury but seems to be getting there at the minute.

At one time the lad looked as exciting as Sam Tomkins in the reserves comp so its great to see him making strides.

Players like long and harris turned into much better half backs once the lost their pace and you can see players like Myler and Mcguire develop the skills through their careers. Its just a pity we can't seem to produce them with everything from the off. Eastmond was perhaps the nearest I've seen, but he buggered off to the union.

Talent wise Eastmond could have been anything but he just wasn't tough enough. Give him Rob Burrow's attitude and he could have been immense.

When the old 'who's better, Tomkins or Eastmond' debate used to go around I always plumped for Sam based solely on his attitude, guts and sheer will to win.

I just hope the weight of expectation doesn't get to Hampshire because his introduction on a regular basis in to the side may come at a time when our best player of the past 20 years has moved on.

He's meant to be a cracking talent but Sam Tomkins is the toughest act anybody could have to follow and our fellow Wigan fans aren't renowned for patience.

Tough test but if he's as good as rumoured he can cope.

Here

And used it as part of your evidence that Wigans youth production was better. In spite of the fact they have had the same success (if we treat all trophies as having the same worth, which is ridiculous) and Wigan have had fewer youth developed players experience that success.

That’s lovely, and im sure Ryan Hampshire appreciates your support. As I said Stevie Ward already has a grand final winners medal and a run in the first team. Ryan Hampshire is the same age as Liam Sutcliffe, who is also playing in the first team for Leeds and Sutcliffe also played when the Leeds U19’s scored 40 points against Ryan Hampshire’s Warriors. Now I hope Hampshire goes on to be a brilliant player, a world class player. But he isn’t yet, and isn’t evidence of Wigans youth development being head and shoulders above everyone else’s. Because other teams also produce good players, some of them better than Wigans.
You have missed the point again. Wigan may have been the most successful side at winning youth trophies, but that’s not translated in to the first team. Wigan may have won 4 out of 5 of the last academy GF’s, Leeds have won 4 out of 5 of the first team GF’s including 3 in a row, appeared in 3 challenge cup finals, a LLS, and a WCC. Wigan have a Challenge Cup, a LLS and a GF in that time.

So again, tell us why the Wigans youth development has been head and shoulders better than the club which has been by far the most successful side of the past 5 years, who has introduced top quality players like Hall, Watkins, Jones-Bishop, Clarkson, Ward, and now Singleton, Sutcliffe, Minns and Baldwinson,

Ryan Hampshire - part of Wigans production line or product of Normanton who went to the club who offered him the most money ??? Hardly a "Wigan lad"

Wigan have announced the signing of Leigh's Sam Hopkins this morning.

Class player.

Again, show me where I said we had the best 19s? I said we had the most talent [As evidenced by the inclusion of no less than 8 Wigan u19s in the England Academy team that beat France recently]. I stopped short of saying we had the best 19s, because we may not win that competition this year.

That's very good for both of these players. If we're saying Ward is a better player than Hampshire becasue of his GF winners ring, than I guess Ricky Bibey was twice the player Andy Coley was, since he has 2 CC winners medals. Trophies don't make you a good player, trophies mean you play in a championship side. Now if in 10 years time Ward has 10 Rings and Hampshire has none, then you can quote this stat. At the moment it's meaningless.

I have never denied other teams produce brilliant players, and only 2 or 3 posts ago congratulated Leeds on the amount of talent they've brought through. You seem to think that by me saying Wigan have the best Youth Development system, i'm somehow dismissing everyone else? I'm not. Just by stating Wigan have the best system, doesn't in any way detract against any other clubs systems, it's something they can aspire to. If any club can overtake Wigan as the best producer of young it can only mean good things for the game as a whole.

I think it is you, who is missing my point. Lets go back to the early 21st century, when Leeds were dominating academy level, year after year, nobody could touch them. It is because of this [They had the best youth system in the country at that point] that Leeds have been so successful over the last decade. Since Ian Lenegan has taken over at Wigan, he has put the emphasis on youth development in Wigan, and this has seen us dominate the Academy competition over recent years. Since we have started to dominate the Academy, it has seen a turnaround in fortune for our first team. With 3 trophies in 3 years. More than likely to be 4 in 4, unless we have a serious capitulation in the next 8 years. Surely, that shows that by having a successful Academy side, this will translate into success in the senior side. It worked for Leeds, and they are still reaping the benefits of that. And it will work for Wigan over the next 10 years, as we will be there, or there abouts for a few years to come now.

Here.




What is meaningless is bringing up a player who has down nothing at all in the game whatsoever as an example of Wigans youth development being head and shoulders above anyone elses. We've all seen a million and one players absolutely kill it at youth level and never be able to make the step up or go on to disappoint at first grade. Ryan Hampshire isnt even a first grade player, how on earth is he evidence of Wigans youth development? Stevie Ward is 19 years old, has played numerous times for the first team and even lined up and played in a GF. How on earth isnt he evidence of Leeds youth development?


To say it is head and shoulders above everyone else is dismissing everyone else. Especially considering that it clearly isnt head and shoulders above everyone elses.

No it isnt. Look back a little further than that and Leeds were always winning academy and youth competitions, but they werent fed in to the first team's well. Thats why we saw players like Fozzard, Carvell, Moore, Robinson, leaving. We then changed that, and good young players were blooded correctly and Leeds saw success, and leeds continuation of that success is based on blooding the very best of those it may be convenient for you to put Leeds success down to the 'golden generation' and pretend Leeds arent developing those players any more, but it would be nonsense .

Now, I'm no Englsih student, though English is my first language. But, i'm struggling to find where in that paragraph I said 'Wigan have the best u19s'. I admit I said we have the most talented players [Evidenced by the amount of players chosen for representative selection this year]

I'm struggling, please help me out here Smokey.

I love a good Quote-off.

Here

I really don’t know how it could be clearer. It’s a pretty unequivocal statement.

I love the smell of quotes in the morning.