Attended the U20's yesterday. Thoroughly entertaining game. As a result I have read this thread with interest. The comments of some posters concerning the quality of the U20's competition has lead me on a quiet Sunday afternoon to do a little bit of research. According to the Quins v. Huddersfield first team programme notes and the U20's teamsheet available at the U20's match Huddersfield U20's fielded the following from their 37:

Greg McNally, fullback 28
Elliott Hodgson, wing 25
Kyle Wood, scrum half 23
AdamWalker, prop 24
Jamie Cording, second row 26
Danny Kirkmond, second row 17
Matty Sarsfield, loose forward 35
Ross Peltier, interchange 33

A total of 8.

Quins U20's fielded the following from our 32:

Mark Calderwood
Will Lovell
Omari Camo
Dan Sarginson
Joe Mellor
Rob Thomas
Max Edwards
Dave Williams
Lamont Bryan
Sam Bolger

A total of 10

By way of further comparison according to the programme notes covering the Quins U20's game against the Rhino's the Rhino's team included four players listed on their website as being in the First Team:

Callum Casey
Michael Coady
Liam Hood
Brad Singleton

Now I know Quins have a different dynamic when it comes to squad size compared to the established bigger clubs but I had assumed (and I stand to be corrected) that all clubs allocate squad numbers to those they expect to feature in the first team during the course of the coming season. The talented "fringe" players who are not included in the first team planning for the current season (subject to injury etc) are those that are loaned out.

If the U20's team list for Huddersfield I got yesterday is correct I am even more impressed by what our U20's achieved given the reported strength in depth Huddersfield possess. The 8 Huddersfield players involved should be pushing the first team incumbents for their places and doing their all to impress their coaches.

It is great you are bringing players through but do not rely too heavily on the 20s as a key benchmark.

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?

I would hazard a guess that the U20's does mean more to the Quins, if for no other reason than location. I wonder how many of those players on dual location would be given this oppotunity if the the other club involved had to stump up for housing etc? Personally I think it's great to see so many London kids coming through the system. Being involved with the club from 94 - 2003, we had to scratch just to get either the academy or alliance teams out in years gone by. Hell we have even donned the kit ourselves just to be legal with numbers. Lost count of how many times we arrived at Euston for an away Alliance game, only to have 13 players rock up. The grass roots are the life blood of any sport. One of the reasons London has always found it tough in years gone by was because of the lack of locals. When players where given a day off training, it was staggering and telling when 1/2 the team jumped on a train to go home to the north for the night! Yes it's been a long time coming and it was never going to be a short term solution, but looking at the number of juniors playing the game now and what they are achieving at all levels is fantastic. So what if they don't all make it, just the fact that they play this great game and have a better understanding of it is success in it'self. The problem now begining to emerge, is that when a good one does come through, the other teams offer them more money to lure them away. The trick is to find some way to keep them. Was laughing last week when I read about Saints spending so much on Kyle Eastmond only for Bath to come in and pinch him. Hmm, now Saints may be my home town but how is that any different to what they did with Louie? Bath used their superior spending just like saints did, just a different sport! Personally couldn't care less if the other teams don't take the U20's seriously, that's their choice, so long as the lads keep winning. Winning is infectious at any level and if they get a taste for it at this level, they'll want to take it to the next.

perhaps you should arrange to play your U20s against local primary school teams. That way you can win by a big score each week, keep winning and 'get a taste for winning'.

The opposition does matter when developing players. That is why many SL clubs want players in a meaningful comp rather than meaningless 20s games.

It is great that more kids (and adults) in London are playing RL. This strengthens RL. Hopefully the Quins can help spread the word and more of the people playing the game will get to the Stoop.

Didn't we play against a Primary school team on Saturday???

Yeah yeah, you don't rate the U20's we get it. As for accusing others of not knowing the game mmm..........Based on what? That my opinion is different to yours? Or are you a super coach trolling these boards. Funny I've worked alongside some great coaches and players and they don't exactly share your view, so pray tell what confirms you are right and others not allowed to have a different view. I'm curious.

As I am no longer in the UK I didn't say you were wrong or have a personal attack, I just gave some examples of what I knew where the issues previously. So enlighten me as to who is loaned elsewhere and how you belive they are stretching themselves. I ask as I merely pointed out that the scores at the weekend were so extreme. Yes I realise that this was against amatuer teams but I believe we should revert back to drawing those games out of the hat. As for loaning players out, yes possibly in the National but let's be honest there are a lot of guys starring in that league who have tried and can't make it in super league so what makes this better? I can see the kids will have to wise up quickly with older players trying to teach the young up starts a lesson. Also if we sent all our youngsters to Skolars, how does this help Skolars in the long run.

Probably one of the most succesful teams in past two decades was the Brisbane Broncos. They rarely used to buy players in, they brought them through the system. Now I thought that was what the no relegation point in UK was all about, to bring the kids through a system. So which teams don't take it seriously and have you been told this for a fact or is that your opinion?