Only the Sky RL team could find a negative in the emergence of yet another extremely talented youngster and his loan to a rival club because they are short on staff due to injuries.

Could it not also be seen as: A) great work by Wigan in the youth department; B) sensible work by Wigan because the kid will now get real RL experience rather than having to sit on the bench; C) nice work by Wigan, because Hull need help and they're are loaning them an immense talent; D) good attitude from Hull, because they are taking on a British kid to fill a slot where they are short rather than buying from overseas?

I guess not.

It's more important for the muppets to try and create a storm in a teacup where there actually isn't one.

we played him against you guys but on the wing, reece lynn, unfortunatly not SL standard, looks like richard horne will move to fullback once back from injury, russell will only stay until horne is fit-1 month

as for clarkes comments, think he should be embarresed himself making that comment

He was not being specific, he just said suggested that all the amateur clubs in the area should be able to supply a fullback... Just following his verbals the previous night about Gelling playing for Wigan

Is Clarkey really suggesting that Hull should have fielded a full-back based purely on the criterium that he's a local lad rather than whether he's any good or not? I'm sure that any one of the amateur clubs on Humberside could have loaned them a no. 1 for the night, but whether those lads would be up to professional standard is another question altogether.

There are times when Clarke makes some really stupid observations. He's still harping on about his NFL-style draft, in which players all sign central contracts and are then allocated to the clubs who need them most. Can you imagine that - if Wigan, Leeds, Saints, Wire etc were all told they can keep developing players, but that the best ones would be off to Wakey and Cas. There'd be no new blood coming into the game at all within a year; but that wouldn't matter because at least Wakey and Cas would win a game now and then.

A young English back is getting a chance at a good superleague club in his natural position. He's at a club that have lost their first choice fullback and their back up options. He's come from a club that can't accommodate him in that fullback position at the moment as they have superleagues best player playing their but don't want to stifle his development.

Crazy stuff alround....naaat!

Phil Clark used to be worth listening to. Ages ago.

Clarke's not wrong here. He was suggesting that after 10 + years of SL Hull should be producing more first teamers from the local area than they actually do and just used Russell as an example of this. Hard to argue with that as Shaun McRae has admitted that this is a big failing.

Clarke had great criticism of Hull and their lack of development yet very little of the fact that Pearson said when he took over that Youth Development had been ignored and now would be their priority.
The previous management at Hull was awful, that's where Clarke's comments should have been directed.

I reckon Phil Clarkes grump on this weekend is based on Wigan selecting Gelling to replace Richards on the left wing and not select a player like Russell who has come from the Wigan youth setup.

His pop at Hull for not producing their own full back was almost a petulant child reaction to not getting his own way.

Russell had his chance though on the wing against Salford and was awful, which is understandable as he is not a winger and is inexperienced as well. Wane said as much (that Russell and King had not taken their chances) when wiggy asked him about it on the extra time show. Clarke should have known this, or if he did he chose to completely ignore it.

We haven't produced a local full back since Richard Gay, so he had a point, albeit not particularly well articulated.

Clarke has a go at hull over Russell but fails to mention how Leeds should be embarrassed for borrowing Lunt from Huddersfield

So true, especially when they have Paul Mcshane a proven hooker at super league level.

but he's terrible.

and i'm sure had Wigan signed Lunt there would be many on here rejoicing, despite having young Logan waiting in the wings

Surely that's the point.

Chairmen and coaches have a duty to put as good a team on the field as they can, and that takes priority over their duty to ensure that youngsters get regular first-team action.

Everybody does it, but only certain clubs seem to get criticised for it.