Looks like we have released the young Bobby Goulding to Wakefield. Is this a mistake ? and is this losing another budding talent ? Ive seen him play a few times and to me he looks like the real deal.
Does anyone know any better ? are we mssing an opportunity here ?

Well I am glad someone is finally waking up to the fact that we are losing a lot of really good young footballers. I don't know if the club will retain any, but our 19 year olds will be ineligible for the U19 team next year and will be released. Callun Becket has gone, Ryan Duffy (Leigh) and Bradley Brennan (Barrow), Ben Hellewell also. I note from Liam Hulme (twitter) that he has left. Its all part of the RFL's exciting plans to improve youth development. Or was it save money ? I can't remember which.

Bobby Goulding is definitely a promising player. I think he played for England U18's but not sure. Would he have made SL standard ?, not sure. As you know, all these lads develop at their own pace. Some look outstanding but then fall away, some are late developers. But there we are, onwards and upwards as they say.

I've heard a few references to changes at U20 level and none of them have been positive.

Exactly what has happened?

Youth development is the one bit of RL that was working well and also one that I think has been helped by licensing - teams willing to give youngsters a chance rather than buy a quick fix.

I believe Brook Broughton has gone as well ,but the only player with an uncertain future at the minute though is Rhys Williams ,maybe TS will see how he performs for Wales . I am sure these players will benefit from playing in the mean streets of the lower divisions rather than an under 20's format though.

Rhys confirmed on his twitter last week he's staying at Wire next year.

with all due respect he's gone to Wakefield and not Leeds Wigan or Saints and we have two very young halfbacks in Myler and O'Brien. So I'd say No its not a mistake.

We cant keep them all its that simple..........

Not even the next Mellor.

Every year there are posts on here about young players that are released and often comments from disgruntled parents etc saying the club doesn't look after its talent, another one will go off to haunt us.

Whilst the guys that we are retaining are in recent years handling themselves quite well in SL I am not sure which of the ones we have released in recent years have been making it in SL elsewhere. Have any of our recent released players gone on to forge careers in SL with rival clubs and have any looked better than the ones we have kept? I reckon on the whole we must be making the right decisions about who to keep and who to release.

There is very little time now to allow players to develop. However in Warringtons defence they did vote against these changes. All about saving money for some clubs.

This year is different. We are not releasing a handful of juniors because we dont believe they can make the grade. The age groups are contracting by half to just U16 and U19. Lets forget the U16 atm as only two of them are statistically likely to get into SL. But the change to the upper two age groups will force the club to release players that they would not ordinarily have chosen to. And I would estimate Wire spend in the region of £200k per year on their youth development program. This is a massive change, and a big blow to all the hard work and cash that Wire have put into their youth system.

I am not entirely sure if this is correct, (try finding the information !) but at senior level, I believe Wire will only retain an U19 squad and the top tier 25 players for next year. The (25-17) = 8 non match tied players will get a game with our partner club (Swinton). So anybody over 19 next year together with our U20's are surplus to requirements.

Your club is being 'asset stripped' of the young talent that it has nurtured over the last few years.

This hand-wringing, woe-is-me, poopycock would be right at home on the Wigan moanageboard.

Players/kids are released because it is thought, rightly or wrongly (but at least the people doing the thinking are better placed to judge), they do not have a future with Warrington.

As for only retaining 25 players beyond the u19 age group then without listing out the full squad I would think that with Burke, Williams, R. Evans, Mendeika, Ormsby, Dwyer, Shaw, Riley, Bridge, B. Evans, Laithwaite and Morrison all being signed-up then you are very much mistaken. I would also imagine that the likes of Currie, Saltonsall and Bennion will be part of the "full-time group" rather than the u19's squad.

No doubt the club is looking at how these players will be utilised next season. I would not be in the least suprised if a couple of them go on season long loans with other Super League clubs like Matty Blythe has. Certainly Ben Evans would benefit massively from such a move and whilst he might not get a lot of first team exposure with us next season at somewhere like Bradford or Wakefield who haven't got the same depth of squad I could see him making teh 17 most weeks.

Going back to the thread topic then good luck to Bobby Goulding. He seems a really good lad. I'll admit I haven't really rated him as a potential future first team player during his time at Warrington (defence has been too weak) but must hold my hands up and say that over the last half of the u20s season (since O'Brien got injured) he has really stood-up to be counted and played a major part in the team being crowned u20 champions. Perhaps Bobby Goulding is a prime example of the short-sightedness of the changes to the Academy system in that he is a "late" developer of his natural talent as he matures into a man's body. So again good luck for the future Bobby.

Firstly, can I say thanks for such a polite reply.

We are closing two full age groups next year. Are you telling me all these individuals would have been released ( as they are not seen to have the ability) if the new RFL changes had not been introduced ?

I said specifically in my post that I was not clear whether we would be allowed to retain players outside the 25 + two age groups.

The information you provided on contracted players is very helpful. It's just a pity that you seem incapable of passing it on without being abusive.