Ok Ceejames if you are going to patronise me best it's left here. But....

As regards a benchmark despite it being a full on contest, these guys are professional athletes after all, no Thomas, Williams, Bryan, Lovell and Edwards are never going to make the metres or clean breaks they made yesterday in Super League first grade. Quins will however need them (and others) to cover injuries and unexpected and unanticipated losses in form among our first 19 (or demand selection based on form). Clearly in your opinion the Huddersfield 8 on display yesterday are not expected to have to do the same. It's important for us that Mellor*, Sarginson and Edwards play together as a unit as often as possible and train regularly with the first team so that they know the defensive systems and offensive plays in this inevitable eventuality. Quin's need for a competitive settled U20's on your view of the competition therefore appears to be different to other clubs.

Interestingly the success or otherwise, rightly or wrongly, of a club's U20's seems to matter to a lot of supporters on these forums.

Anyway good luck to Huddersfield this year. As I've said to the Huddersfield supporters I've spoken to after matches at the Stoop and last year at the Galpharm after the drubbing we received there I'm very impressed with the on field and off field development of the club over the last 2-3 years and it will be great to see the Huddersfield win Super League silverware this year.

*Slightly confused by this. He's with us to gain first grade experience but not made the 19 as a minimum yet?

DM doesn't know what happens at clubs.

It will stay as it is with only say 2 or 3 kids on average per year getting first grade contracts and even then not likely to play first grade. Don't listen to the News hype. Not much has changed since it was called Jersey Flegg in NSW, but as it's the NRL comp now, it's overhyped and all over the News Ltd media.

....you're being too kind

...we will agree to disagree on this. I have no doubt you will be proven correct over the coming years, but I still say my business model of growing your own is the better one.