It's strange that, even in the last season of John Kear at BV, when we had a squad that cost just over £100 and we were getting beaten every week, we still managed to score some points.
Despite the massive progress with the ground, which looked like it would never happen, the feeling of despair is bloody awful.

It's unbelievable that IMG think not running academies and clubs losing £2m annually is good for the growth of the game but thems the rules so lets be equally ruthless as the like of Salford.

If by some miracle we survive this season we should cut our academy immediately, it's not like we get any thanks for it anyway considering the flack we took for our treatment of Croft and Shaw. I don't care about been the ethical club that Carter talks about, I want to see the money spent on some competitive players and some kind of watchable product on a weekend. We risk falling for the 'Nice Guys Finish last' Syndrome.

The academy isn't in the criteria because it's a minimum requirement if you want an A grade.

rlhttps://thirteenrugby.com/2023/03/09/clubs-will-need-womens-teams-academies-to-secure-all-important-a-licence-in-img-plans/rl

Quote: Nothus "The academy isn't in the criteria because it's a minimum requirement if you want an A grade. rlhttps://thirteenrugby.com/2023/03/09/clubs-will-need-womens-teams-academies-to-secure-all-important-a-licence-in-img-plans/rl'" Thats not how the Featherstone chairman sees it, https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/never-fe ... ing-70427/

Quote: Nothus "The academy isn't in the criteria because it's a minimum requirement if you want an A grade. rlhttps://thirteenrugby.com/2023/03/09/clubs-will-need-womens-teams-academies-to-secure-all-important-a-licence-in-img-plans/rl'" Thats not how the Featherstone chairman sees it, https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/never-fe ... ing-70427/

Maybe a junior academy, not an elite academy. Salford for instance already run one of these having missed out on the elite funding at the last round of licenses. So yes they would be as eligible as any of the clubs that get the central funding.

The awarding of elite licenses means the RFL have backed themselves into a corner. They have created a two tier academy system and are now moving the goalposts midway through without enough real notice for clubs to react, so IMG can’t grade an academy’s quality, just whether a club runs one or not. It would otherwise create an unfair balance. Theoretically any club could set up an academy to hit the minimum standards no matter what the quality or investment in it actually is. That may come in time but it isn’t part of it right now. It’s a load of steaming proverbial but thats where we are.

Clearly perception is everything, as good and exciting to watch as they are on field, off field is a little less rosey with a potential loan £350k off the council to cover running costs it seems, yet is Trinity who is everyone's target to drop-out of SL as we bring nothing to the game.