I just hope MC, Hetherington, and Steve Gill unite and say no when they will be undoubtedly approached with those scheme.

And Salford now have the joint season ticket offer with Leigh, where each can watch the other at half price. Interesting times over there. Not quite sure how I'd feel if the Wakey terraces were filled with Cas fans who'd got in for half the price I paid, although if they kept on coming back.

It might bite Koukash on the rear, when the Salford fan starts to enjoy the Leigh experience more than the Salford one.

As TRB said don't know about this year but in previous years you had to have a minimum of 5 academy products in your own first team squad. Must have changed the rules for you hey.

The more I've read around this, the less perverse joint academies actually looks; there is a dearth of decent quality young players coming through from junior clubs and in some areas, not enough junior teams operating to actually provide an academy crop; in those circumstances, it doesn't seem that ridiculous to merge academies, in areas where geography makes it viable. Rather that reducing the opportunities for young players, it seems to be a realistic response to the lack of young players.

The more pressing issue surely has to be to sort out the community game - participation is at an all time low, some clubs are shedding age group teams due to lack of players, and coaching and admin is a ragbag of well meaning volunteers ranging from the very good to the downright bloody awful; and many clubs are still pot-hunting due to the structure of junior leagues and the self-interest of certain coaches, at the expense of player development. It's a looming crisis for the game, but I don't see where the solution is - it doesn't seem to be with the RFL, who provide little or no support or oversight of the community game.

I'd take it out of the club's hands too. It would stop clubs simply hoarding talent on the chance that the lad "might" make it. As well as stopping the stupid loan system where young lads go on 12 month loans (ridiculous in my opinion), get developed by another club only for the parent club to reap any benefit.

The lack of young players coming through does explain some of the behaviour of SL clubs; the underhand way they scout and obtain signatures of young players, including from from outside their catchment, and as you say, hoarding the ones who look to have potential - it's simple economics isn't it; scarcity produces value.

The real problem is in supply - and the only way to fix that is to completely overhaul the junior game, in schools and at community clubs; and the only way to fix that is for a RL programme for young players to be designed, implemented and managed by a significantly more professional and qualified people than is currently the case. If nothing changes, it will only get worse, and we'll end up with even more sub-par antipods padding out teams, and even fewer academy programmes at SL clubs. The game is dependent on a supply of well prepared, talented and skilled young players coming through the system and at present, we just don't have the right conditions for that to happen in any reliable way.

This is a problem in other sports as well.
The play station generation are less and less inclined to get involved in any kind of sporting activity.
Although what you say is very tru about clubs who probably think that they are protecting their own futures by taking in as much talent as possible, there really does need to be some thought given as to the best way to encourage kids to get involved and it's numbers right at the outset (aged 5 or 6) where the emphasis need to be.
Although it mat not be the right vehicle, simple touch and pass games are the best way to interest the most people and then go from there.

Again, lack of media coverage does reduce the "draw" of the game but, the biggest problem is getting kids of the sofa and away from the TV.

I dont know how it's done but, getting links between schools and local clubs is something that would certainly help.

It's part of the problem for sure - and combined with all the other difficult problems, it's unfair to expect volunteer Mums and Dads to resolve it; finding kids to play in junior teams is really hard work that inevitably requires some investment of time and effort that isn't always available. When I was involved, by far the most effective recruitment method was our link with the local school - but that only paid dividends when our club coach started volunteering at the school to look after their RL teams; again, a spit and bus tickets approach at the bottom tier of the pyramid. It's mental.

Do clubs "advertise" within the schools system or is it all down to word of mouth ?

I think the RFL “Embed the pathway” scheme is designed to increase the number of kids playing and all SL clubs should be putting this in place in their areas.

It’s aimed at U12s-U14s in each service area. It involves schools and community clubs and helps develop players and coaches and makes sure there’s links from schools to community clubs to professional clubs.

It’s an area where we were just not active enough in the past in Bradford. Schools and amateur clubs were often left to their own devices. The Bulls tended to recruit a lot of young players from outside Bradford. This season we’ve signed 10 from Bradford clubs. I don’t think we’ve had those sort of numbers for decades.

Community clubs were kind of left to wither before, I wonder how much talent was missed or simply not given an opportunity.

Far too sensible!

Seems a lot is being done already. www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... -re-launch www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... he-pathway

Seems a lot is being done already. www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... -re-launch www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk/news ... he-pathway

Certainly agree with that.

There are half a dozen or so scouts who voluntarily give time to watch youth games around the area plus the great work that Richard , Stevo and their staff do to hopefully get the kids down to Wakefield and continue to drip feed them , hopefully, into the first team in years to come. The improvements can be seen already in the youth set up, and long may it continue.