Home grown as in local?
That's what this debate was about and you know it.

Who has been banging on about our youth set up?

There was a massive overhaul of the youth development last year so even the club have recognised it is struggling...

Got a feeling it would be much easier for Wigan to integrate the likes of Tomkins, Ainscough, Mossop, Thornley etc. into a confident and successful first team squad rather than the one we currently have. That said, surely they couldn't do worse than some of our "experienced first teamers" appear to be doing?

Nice spin.

Try 5 of the 17.

Only two local in the starting 13.

I'm fed up of reading this absolute rubbish.
Wigan brought through loads of youngsters but at the time there was the 20/20 in force which meant a club could only pay 20 players a living wage.
RFL/SL clubs also included the salaries of younger players in the salary cap so if you'd twice as many quality younger players as other clubs you couldn't pay them (SC) and couldn't have them in numbers (20/20)
Super League clubs and RFL have now abolished the 20/20/25 rule and amended the salary cap. Hence other clubs now are better able include their youngsters than they have been in years past, if they had any!
Andy should perhaps look at the fact that there are only half as many British players in SL now compared to when it started in 1996.
Also Saints are looking good with their younger players and Wigan's younger players are nowhere?
So which only other club competed with Saints in the U21 & U18s finals last season?
Clue, they are west of the Pennines and it wasn't Salford or Wire.

check your figures again.

Atleast they would relish the chance of a first team place and make the most of it

Roby and Cunningham.

Graham is from Liverpool.
Q.E.D.

And if it all goes belly up for you this year and you finish say 4th (dont think it will happen but IF) Do you think the club will still be taking this view?

You forgot wellens, hate to say that but he will only pull you up on it

Roby wasnt in the starting 13.

So its still two wellens and cunningham

I will be happy if we finish 4th, and have blooded a few youngsters along the way.

...and Graham.


and Clough and Roby on the bench.

5 out of 17 coming through the academy into a succesful team - something Wigan can only dream of.

Who is from Liverpool.

Which junior club did he play for?

Ugly Fookers RLFC.

signed for Saints academy as a 15 year old.

From?

Your right mate how can i argue, in nearly ten years of winning everything, your great academy has produced about 4 regular internationals. And im being kind in counting cunningham there If only the rest of us could keep up!

No club has produced (and wasted in my opinon) more youngsters than wigan so dont come the big one pretending your the only ones who can bring kids through

Blackbrook ??

does it matter?

at what age are you drawing the line of when a player is "local" or not? do they have to have been conceived, born and brought up within a drop goals length from the stadium?

he has played for Saints at all levels since he was 15 years old - he is a product of the Saints academy and is rightly classed as "local".

how many internationals has the Wigan academy produced in that same timeframe? Hock.....O'Loughlin......Long.......????

Thatto Heath Crusaders formerly known St Helens Crusaders..Dirty bar stewards.

....Wild, Gilmour, Johnson.