Quote: tugglesf78 "The thing is though, you are totally wrong there. Absolutely wrong. Why should every aspect of RL profile enhancement be left to the shower at Red Hall?. Should it not be duty of top flight teams like Wigan, Saints, Leeds etc to try to and invest in RL development throughout the whole UK (and Ireland is desired). Why should that be left to the governing body? what a narrow minded load of old ar£e. We should have our grubby little hands in every pipeline we see fit. Either that or WRLFC could maybe stick a flyer on a lamp post in Swinley advertising a training session and cross there fingers that some bugger turns up?'"
No. They simply can't afford to do it on a permanent and committed basis. We make a small profit these days. Saints are loss making. No RL side is in a financial position to make the big and permanent investment proper development work entails. So I think I am absolutely right when I say it is the governing bodies job. If they want to fund Wigan to run a training camp or two, fair enough but they should fund all the SL sides to do so then the burden does not fall on one club alone.
Quote: tugglesf78 "I fail to see what the fate of Crusaders has to do with this conversation, so nip that in the bud'"
It has got everything to do with it! It is blindingly obvious. If the Crusaders were still in SL the RFL would not be (or should I say rumoured to be) trying to persuade Wigan to take on Thomas and any development work in Wales.
Quote: tugglesf78 "Well it might not be in our "Terms of reference" but i would be made up if the famous Wigan Rugby league club set up training camps, scouting exercises etc in the heart of "rugby" playing land. It could turn out to be a goldmine!. I get exited thinking about our club spending a few quid now that could pay off in maybe 5-10 years. '"
North Wales is not the heart of Rugby playing land. That is South Wales. The WRU also recognise it isn't and are trying to get the standard of RU up and increase their sports profile there as well. So just in case you thought we might be about to benefit from some untapped playing resource even the WRU recognise it isn't some sort of hotbed of talent.
Quote: tugglesf78 "We could be the RL equivalent of Man utd who have set up scouting and development structures all across every continent and reap the rewards like they have. We could be on to a winner. I am sure that would mickey you of anyway'"
And we pay for this how? Sorry but I think your ambitions for the club are ignoring the reality which will be governed by money.
I agree with Dave T when he says this rumour about Wigan getting involved on this scale is a very strange one but from my point of view a big reason for being sceptical is the cost and effort it would take for the club to do it. I really don't think the off chance we might find a gem justifies the cost when we already have such good local junior player development structures in place that have produced the likes of Sam T already.
