Fully agree here.

I've never understood the arrogance of people who seem to believe that because a player played a certain way for one team means that's the way they'll play for the rest of their career. Clearly, players generally don't emerge world-class and at the top of the game, sustain it for fifteen years before retiring as a legend. People are far too quick to judge. The stupid part is that they must clearly see the fallacy of their argument yet put it forward anyway.

Fromer Cas player Brad England has signed from Leeds, he's a centre.

He's not quite 20! Another Private Pike for Dad's Army!

The Leeds backline is ridiculously young, it's from 6 to 13 they are getting old. The backs could go for years. I think Hall is the oldest at 26!

Out Door
Matty Ashurst - Wakefield Wildcats
Jordan Davies – Released – RU
Will Hope - Released
Shannan McPherson – Parramatta Eels
Jake Mullaney - Bradford Bulls
Tim Smith - Wakefield Wildcats ?
Marc Sneyd - Hull FC
Danny Williams - Bradford Bulls
Gareth Hock ??
Steve Rapira ?

In Door
Mason Caton-Brown - London Broncos - 21
Michael Dobson - Newcastle Knights - 28
George Griffin - London Broncos - 22
Josh Griffin – Batley Bulldogs -24
Matt Groat - ST George-Illawarra Dragons -22
Weller Hauraki - Castleford Tigers - 29
Liam Hood - Hunslet Hawks -22
Ben Jones-Bishop - Leeds Rhinos - 26
Kevin Locke - New Zealand Warriors - 25
Luke Menzies - Swinton Lions - 26
Brad England – Leeds Rhinos U19’s 20

And we're not even in the ' off season ' potentially 10- out 11 in +

any relation ? to this 80's 90's forward & GB International , if so He'll be a back rower , not a centre.

It's his son

Cas had quite a pack in those days - England, Joyner, Crooks

They did indeed. If he has half the go his Dad had he'll do fine.

I fully agree, but our coach seems to have taken time to watch his new recruits before signing them, but has not watched the likes of Ford, Owen, Davidson or Tyson while he has been here, while bringing in players of the same age from other clubs on the basis that their coaches had the balls to do something he hadn't - expose them to the bigger game. Why is Caton Brown better than Ford? Or Menzies better than Davidson, Groat better than Tyson, or Lee better than Owen?

Will Hope captained the Academy teams at 18s and 20s and played a number of SL matches for SRD. He then was sent to the wilderness, got hacked off by having to train full time at SRD AND both training nights with the Eagles, playing at the weekends, incurring all of the travelling costs while earning far less than his mates who worked fewer hours in normal jobs. He has left and now has a normal job which gives him more money and is less intensive. An extremely promising talent wasted by mismanagement.

At they very least, you would imagine that, with all of the "so called" rugby geniuses at the club, they could have figured out that the lads out on loan shouldn't have to train full time with their home club AND their loan club. But this lot, not only don't seem to have noticed, they don't seem to care. Other clubs and their coaches take a more sensible view of it, to ensure that the players are not over- trained.

That said, over- training seems to be the SRD way. Even Sky's ex GB internationals commented on it tonight!

I personally think the coaching, conditioning and player development staff need to take a good, long look at themselves. They may not just be contributing to the demise of a club, but certainly to the careers of some extremely promising players.

Can play in the back row as well, really good signing imo.

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You don't seem to be giving up on your criticism of Messrs.Harris and Koukash.
I admire your support of the young players but you cannot have it both ways.
You accuse them of ignoring the young players - then you accuse them of over-training them!
Tyson recently failed to be available for Oldham because he was injured training with SRD.
You will find accusations from Welsh supporters that their national side coached by Harris went into the World Cup under-cooked.
You will find supporters of a Cumbrian side,in the Championship,who protest that their 'travellers' - players on loan,dual reg.live outside the county - do not attend their twice a week training so should not be selected.

If you could persuade Will Hope to return to the game I would be very grateful.I saw him in his MoM performance in a losing Sheffield Eagles side to Batley,coached by the new Welsh coach,John Kear.Will Hope has been in the first team squad this year so he was being watched.

Having watched the academy lads over a few seasons, I think people go a bit over the top as to how good they are.
I think the key players who have the X factor will make it and will be part of SRD's team over the coming years. People such as the Theo, Evalds, the walne brothers are deserving of the squad numbers. Out of the remainign people I think Tyson and Files have the potential to make it and from what I understand Tyson was was sent out on loan due to his failure to adapt to 1st team training and this was seen as a way of helping him to adapt.
People go on about the players as if they are guaranteed 1st team players, which they are not:
Ford: I will be massively surprised if this guy can make it to SL standard, his body shape doesn't help and for me he will forge a career in the championship
Hope: Same again, will only be a championship quality player, is a workhorse but has no outstanding playing characteristics
Davidsoon: See above
Owen: Seemed to regress in the first team during his last stint. His distribution is a worry as well as his size
Files: Has far more potential than Owen and could well make a SL player
Tyson: For me is the outstanding player from the academy, has aggression and pace. Am hoping he gets loaned to a top championship club next year and makes appearances for us during the CC

I think the Academy a few years ago was superb but took a backwards step during administration fiasco. I think the Doc and Iestyn are investing time and money in this now so I expect Mr Hunte to work his magic once more! Welcome Brad England

I maintain quite categorically that they are being both over trained and ignored. The two statements are not exclusive. Does it make sense to you that a loan player should train longer each week and be required to travel more than those selected for a Super League 17?

Other clubs make allowances for the training needs of the loan clubs. So, for example, if a player is expected to train with his loan club on a Thursday evening, he would not be required to do the full amount of training at his own club during the day.

This arrangement doesn't exist at SRD. The lads are expected to train all day with SRD, then go to the loan club and train some more. The fact that these younger, home-grown lads are expected to train to this extent might be assumed to be an interest in their development. That would be an incorrect assumption as they are there to provide an opposition to the players who the club has chosen to import.

Does it make sense that a team that looked tired last Sunday were flogged on Monday and have then been expected in at the club every day since, with no day off prior to tomorrow's match.

The club's methods fly in the face of both sports science and common-sense, stemming from an owner's view, with his vast knowledge of running a sports team, and failing to be corrected by a coach who knows better but seems to be unwilling to speak out for fear of his own future. That attitude pervades down the management chain.

I agree, however there is an amount of hearsay in this statement. We have no idea as to what level of training is involved, if it involves doing fitness training all week then yes. But, if it involves video watching and tactical trainig then no, the tactical element of the game cannot be drilled into players enough