With the new superleague re-structure i feel for the younger players who won't get even a look in cos the coaches wouldn't want to risk playing them (that is bar Wigan). Look at the young kids over the past few years and the current season Max Jowitt who i believe could be a real quality player won't get a look in, Annakin, Trout, Walshaw, Crowther, won't get a look in next year cos we've already signed Ashurst (I'm not dissing Ashurst). The young lads who we've let go Liam Kay, Danny Cowling, Tom Lillycrop, jordan Grayshon (to name a few) could have become good players. Wants going to happen to Wildie he is Wakey through and through but he's probably going to be surplus to requirements. I hope that the youngsters get their chances next year but i cann't see it and that means that yet more young talent will look elsewhere. I do believe that the new three leagues of 8 could be in the short term good for the sport but long term i don't know. Not many teams will be willing to let the youngsters have their chance. Any thoughts?

I also fear for the youngsters coming through and at more than just our club the trouble is under the franchise system only a few clubs grasped the idea with both hands and brought them through.

It wasn't as if young players were blooded everywhere when there was no relegation.
Can't see it being worse now.

Franchising was the way forward, however it was poorly implemented like many idea's by the RFL. We'll revert back to it, once we've wasted time on these ridiculous idea's

Don't go along with that.
My many years of RL involvement tells me that if players are good enough and dedicated enough they will come through.

Financial nessesity will dictate that Wakefield Trinity HAVE to produce players through the youth system.

This club pretty much ignored it's young players when there was no relegation (on the pitch that is) but yes there unlikely to get a chance now, particularly with the lower end SL sides and maybe the top championship clubs. You only have to look at this season, Gilmour at 36 has been favoured over the juniors, firstly because of the threat of relegation and just recently because of the outside chance of making the top 8. He's done ok, but we're not helping ourselves in getting the young lads up to speed. Walshaw was taking part in the warm up on Sunday, is he injured? Granted he may be leaving the club now but would he have stayed had he got more of an opportunity. It looks like we're going to lose him just as he's about to develop into a decent SL standard player.

Annakin is a perfect example, he should be playing for us not Fev, apart from keeping him fit he would be better off with us playing against better players, otherwise he'll never improve.

Liam Kaye or Richard Owen? - I know its crying over spilt milk but Kaye for me every day of the week. I hope we give the young guns a good run over the last 4 games now.

Whilst ever we have the easy option of 2nd rate/has beens/ never will be's imports from down under then we will continue down the well trodden path in my opinion. Why bother developing youth when you can get on the blower to an agent in Oz and whisk over the next Jarrod Hickey or Ryan Tongia?

There was noticeable change to this policy during the franchise era so why would it change now?

Way better than your last rubbish post.

I absolutely agree.

What I'd love to see is Webster be brave enough to start the season with some rookies in position - the Aussies do this all the time especially in the back line. No I realise the retrograde even for the RFL steep of bringing back P&R has all bet scuppered that for any non top 4 team - I also realise we don't have the junior talent pool of an NRL club or even a Wigan - but that said if Owen and Mathers are leaving then I'd love to see Jowitt be given the 1 and Johnson the 2 shirt.

There is a lot of waffle in RL about bringing players on gradually and experience and physicality etc - and in the forwards and halves maybe but the backs are and always have been far more open to breakout players. Trith is if the coaching staff don't thin Jowitt and Johnson are not ready by now then they probably never will be. Sure they won't be the finished article but they will bring enthusiasm and lets face it even at 30 Mathers is still making school boy errors nor are there that many FB's around who I would instantly say will be way better than Jowitt.

It won't happen because there simply isn't the confidence in the game in the UK. So we will continue to rely on past it Brits running on reputations gained years ago and similar Aussies. Whilst this case remains the norm clubs like ours and Cac will always have mediocre teams with the occasional good season.

Sopt on, typical missed opportunity for SL.

Disagree with that Pop Tart.
One of the reasons for franchising and then licensing, without relegation, was to help SL clubs develop young British players, because this wasn't happening enough when promotion and relegation were in vogue.
THE primary concern for all top flight clubs will be survival and the need for SL status will be far more important than having a couple more youngsters in the squad.
OK, the cap will still be in place and there will be some rules about the make up of each clubs squad but, survival is key.
Even as Wakey fans, you would sacrifice a young player if it meant staying up and that's before our best talent gets poached by the bigger clubs.

So does all this make it irelevant being in the 1875 club ?

Yes but you could always join the 1873 club