Was told in November(ish) that RFL terms were unacceptable & club would be running it themselves. Having heard some of the details of the proposed takeover of the Academy, not surprised.

There's always been two levels to the junior development that led to the Academy side. Aside of operation the scholarship teams and Academy side, those groups were fed into by, at different times, 10-15 "community coaches" that worked with schools and clubs in a fairly coordinated plan. Those positions were largely funded by Sport England programs (with some additional money raised by the clubs and their volunteers), and with the core funding removed, those positions have mostly ceased. While there are loads of terrific volunteers still at junior level, those full-time positions made all the difference the last 10 years in terms of producing volume of participants. Those programs ran for 10 years, and had really started to produce some players not just for the club, but for the semi-pro clubs too.

The Academy guys did a great job helping raw players on the road to becoming pros and making them a team, but without large numbers of kids in schools and junior clubs being fed into that program, we've got a big future problem on that front.

And the rules as they stand are still that we have to have 10 "local" players in the first team squad (or more accurately, can have 15 that aren't). We've got plenty of problems, but that's a potentially huge one that's flown under the radar due to the general mess we're in.

Agree those 2 were just the tip of a pyramid and there were others working as hard below, both paid and unpaid. Remembering 'development' in the 80s (some of the stories people wouldn't believe if you made them up !) we are still way ahead of then but it is a worrying situation for the production line.

The destruction of the development set up is perhaps the most stupid move of all by Broncos management.

It certainly is and has probably set back many years work which has gone on in the South. One issue that will be difficult to build is trust, yet management who should be held accountable are still employed tending to roses.

Couldn't agree more, we get rid of the people who are committed to the club, worked their socks off to achieve fantastic results and aimed for perfection and we keep the dross otherwise known as office management

Danny Ward, it seems.

At least somebody is being positiveJames Massara ‏@jamesmassara 46m

Good luck to Wardy and the broncos 19s lads back to training tomorrow. Tough not to be there with you. I predict great things for 2014

Little bits of good news leak out from the vacuum. I wonder when they will realise that they have forgotten their fans?

...both of them?

I expect a deluge of information in the next 2 weeks, together with announcements of sponsors, season membership schemes, ticketing, curry deals, parking....and wait for it.......drum roll......a fans forum/open day at Underhill!

Hey....I said within 2 weeks

Good to know something is happening. I wonder if the club have thought of using twitter.

They're half way there.

They have thought of using a twit on a regular basis.

Great comment but so alarmingly true we have a 1st class twit already and his favourite comment is erh