It strikes me as odd that the way agents operate introduces a built-in disincentive for a player to be loyal to the club that developed them; as it stands, the way that young players are cynically touted around is bad for them, their clubs and the game.

The RFL could do away with all these shonky characters by implementing central contracts. If they charged a flat fee for contract negotiations and a modest management charge, they could easily generate sufficient funds to a) make the function cost-neutral and b) significantly increase their support for community clubs, where these players come from in the first place - developed mostly by the blood, sweat and tears of volunteers and the largesse of local businesses via sponsorship donations.

like i have just stated on the lillycrop thread - Gledhill And Grayston were offered full time deals, it wasnt their agent who i believe is mick robinson that turned them away, but the SERIOUS lack of money. We need tgo pay out mmore if we want to keep the youths we bring through.

Sorry but I smell a hint vested interest and hidden agenda in your posts.

TBF this may not be the case but this is a well trodden road on here.

I really don't know what you actually want. We have a budget, the Coach and CEO choose how to use it.

The problem with your point is it's utterly subjective. You may well think that Gledhill and Grayston are worth every penny they want. However if AG and RA don't then who's right. It would be hugely presumptive to think you were?

is it time to call time on the 1873 club. as i see it people are putting money and time into players then agents come along promise them the earth so they can make money out of them.i am all for bringing young players through but until we get young kids with red white and blue blood in them we wont keep them

It's certainly not union. Cudjoe Lawrence McGilvrey Crabtree and a few others ive forgotten, all came from local sides, the first three from Newsome Panthers I believe? True though that there are not many league clubs, just teams. Compared to the 1990s where there were thriving clubs. No idea how it all changed.

This is a very interesting debate with a great deal of conjecture. I have it on reaonably good authority that Will Gledhill decided to go to Huddersfield of his own volition as he did not want to be complacent about his chosen career path and wanted to sample an environment outside his comfort zone. In fact MR knew nothing of this decision. Adam was made a full time offer less than a third of his full time cuurent salary so that was a non starter. Ben was never offered a further deal at Wakey as JE failed to turn up for two meetings to discuss this. An agents role is to do the best for his clients. A lucrative deal way in excess of nothing that was on the table is a no brainer. Some kids just want to play rugby as a career and earn money. They are not registered charities. They are all big big wakey fans who would love to have been able to play for them if it was a remotely viable option.

That doesn't sound good.

quite an interesting thread this bellycouldtackle on loyalty to your club that you support.

I think at this moment there are a few takes on why young lads choose to play at other clubs than wakey, my lads been lucky enough to have been noticed and asked to join at the under 15s in which if he had no other club in mind.
I also know of another lad that felt enthusiastically towards the club so maybe the trend is starting to change the lads do want to play for Trinity.

Some of his team mates have selected bigger clubs one because of who they are thinking he'll have a better training and others to a club that is renown for not having a good academy and feel that they will get a better chance to hold a position.
Either way I have faith that if the club can extract any talent that I feel he does have they will have a loyal player there.
As for agents they shouldn't be allowed near the young uns till a certain age as it can screw their heads up.

No.

If true and I suspect it is this is poor. Opinions differ on players but common courtesy costs nothing.

when a club makes an offer to a player its what the club think the player is valued at, if the club thought adam gledhill was worth say 50 grand and he was going to play regular first team then that would be the offer. i personally think adam is the best of the gledhills without doubt but hes 18 and you have got to dangle a carrot and say here you progress and you get more. most of the players that came through the academy and won the comp were left too long and not blooded and havnt kicked on, so at some point the club has to look and think they have got to go not nice but its sport im afraid.
the big clubs do not throw mass amounts of money at young kids anymore yes they will be be competitive with money but wont break the bank. that tells me the players they think they will be better coached at other clubs or they need to play with better players to kick on.
for what its worth my lad was offered alot of money by wakefield at 16 to go there, jimmy came to normy to talk to me but he had has heart set on going to wigan which i advised him to do for the sake of his career. they moved him over and he loves it but wakefield offered himn the best deal and they offered liam suttcliffe the best deal but he wanted to play for leeds.
id love to see my lad play for trin but wakefield have got to get their mentality right and think 2nd best wont do anymore.
belly your better than the comment you come out with the problem is there to be solved and it can be.

the thing is that maybe 1 out of ten kids make it through, higher at some clubs, we have got to say that every player that signs for our club will walk away a better player if theyve made it at wakefield or not, this is done by endless work with the players and not by throwing too much cah too early.

i understand your lad plays for wigan you must be proud ,but over the years not many have made it through with the odd exeption , why should we pay money so hudds and other clubs come along and take them ,we all want the best for our kids but when money is tight is it worth it.and scapping the u20 hasnt helped we could do the same as shudds do and get them from other clubs

Dodgy ground there, we have just signed Shudds 19's hooker, Dan Maskill

Quote: TheLinkMan "i understand your lad plays for wigan you must be proud ,but over the years not many have made it through with the odd exeption , why should we pay money so hudds and other clubs come along and take them ,we all want the best for our kids but when money is tight is it worth it.and scapping the u20 hasnt helped we could do the same as shudds do and get them from other clubs'" At Wigan this season just gone there was never less than 8 ex academy players in any game, and in some games as many as 12. Of the top 16 appearance makers 11 had come through the academy. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1666

Quote: TheLinkMan "i understand your lad plays for wigan you must be proud ,but over the years not many have made it through with the odd exeption , why should we pay money so hudds and other clubs come along and take them ,we all want the best for our kids but when money is tight is it worth it.and scapping the u20 hasnt helped we could do the same as shudds do and get them from other clubs'" At Wigan this season just gone there was never less than 8 ex academy players in any game, and in some games as many as 12. Of the top 16 appearance makers 11 had come through the academy. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1666