It doesn't matter which or where the clubs are Harold , Wigan recruit from all over the North of England , the issue is they will get any player 90% of the time before us , they have in the past flouted RFL rules on scholarship numbers , they want the best and they want all of them , and they get them

How you turn that round is the problem , just having an academy won't do it , there has to be bigger incentives , not just money either , and even then there is no guarantee , Leeds youngsters are currently rubbish compared to what they have produced in the past

The Mrs is coming tomorrow (part timer) & asked "who is Anthony Gelling" !!!

At what cost ?

To be honest MC,you seem to have built your model elsewhere.From reading your posts there seems to be bridges to be built.Hopefully that bridge will be built,instead of déjà vu.

I'm not sure what the current funding from the RFL is for having an academy in SL.Surely stabilty to secure funding for an academy must be based on stability of the professional club!

Serious post time.
We sit between the best junior/academy set up in English rugby of any code at Wigan, and established SL clubs in Wire and Saints - the best kids will aspire to those clubs for the foreseeable future.
To build an alternative will take a number of things. Time, it won't happen overnight. SL status- without it you simply work with your local amateur clubs to produce more better players and pick up the ones who get left out at 19. Investment/will - if you are not committed and prepared to fund it then don't bother. Reputation - to attract you have to have a great one.