Of course its easier for Saints and others having settled squads and that were its different for us, for a season or so at least, but yes you are right.

For me its about getting the balance right by the end of this 3 year period. If that means we have to put up with a few extra imports this coming year then so be it as long as our young 'uns get a go when the time is right. Theres no doubt some of our guys are under developed physically in comparison to other teams youngers of the same age so if its felt by the professional coaching staff that this is the correct way forward then you've got to trust them. Provided we do the right things by people then i'm happy to go with it. The crunch will be the next two close seasons and how the recruitment goes then.

Exactly how i see it.

wow a well put statement there for you

I was talking to Tony Durey the other week who had concerns that the Under 18s needed attention again and thought that the players coming through could of done better, reasons for him keeping an eye out on that level.

He has filled me with confidence that the system that has been set up is now starting to pay dividends, bringing in a new culture of wanting to play for the club and with that feel good factor with it.

Spot on.

Exactly that.

OK, why do you assume that just because we don't have imports we must fill the side with youngsters from our own academy that are potentially not ready for SL week in week out? I'm not suggesting we stick 7 or 8 lads into the side and let them (most probably) get pagga'd every week, this would clearly be good news for nobody.

We all agree we need some fillers in the squad, some players who are seasoned pro's who are physically ready for SL and who are battle hardened, why do these players need to be imports? We have made some really good signings this year, the likes of Fox, Wilkes, Raleigh, Kirkmond and even Cockayne are all grizzled pro's in their prime - but I am suggesting the other players we have brought on board such as the ones mentioned earlier are the ones we need to stay away from.

A quick skeg through the forum shows there was/is a pretty decent choice in home grown/fed trained players thought/rumoured available from other clubs - a few half decent players from the to of my head include:

Scott Moore, Lee Smith, Elliott Kear, Jordan James, Luke Gale, Tomas Bosc, John Clarke, Jamie Ellis, Stefan Ratchford, Matty Blythe,
Ben Flower, Chris Riley, Stefan Marsh

Have we investigated all avenues or just taken the easy option?

(And thats not to mention the likes of Murphy, Gledhill, George etc who have all left us)

Quite a few of those are already signed up and were signed up some time ago, some before we got the nod to stay in SL but whose to say we didn't try to sign a few of those players and were beaten by other clubs, there's no way of knowing.
Got to ask, why do you think it's the easy option signing foreign players over British because it seems to me that there's more messing around getting foreign players over here and helping them get homes and settled etc then British players.

You seem to be labouring under the misconception that 'a skeg through the forum' gives you the definitive view on player availability? The fact is, we entered the market several months after every other club and it's highly likely that because of that, most of the players you've listed will have been well into negotiations with their new employers.

I say again - we need to take a view over the 3 year period.

I'm not labouring under anything, I am making assumptions based on the information available to me - exactly the same thing as you are doing. We have contrasting opinions on this and I am happy to live with that, but don't pretend you have all the information when you are (presumably) as much in the dark as I am. I just don't understand why posters don't think the number of imports is a problem, particularly when we see our "own" talent overlooked and leaving the club to various degrees.

Reference the 3 year plan, I've heard it all before. The old mob had excuses for packing the side, relegation, last pick of the players, no money etc - whats the new excuse?

We've already had targets for 2013 oversees players discussed FFS

I've certainly not got any more information to work from than you have and I don't think I'm pretending that I do; I'm just trying to present a more balanced view of the situation, since I can't for the life of me believe that RA would get rid of young English players and replace them with Aussie imports just for the hell of it; I think he's trying to walk the line between delivering on-field improvements next season, to avoid a repeat of the Hull boo-boys scenario, and setting a platform for bringing young players through to the first team.

As for the 3 year plan - I'm as cynical as they come, but until it becomes apparent that we have no intention of developing young players and reducing our reliance on imports, I won't assume that's the case.

If my benefit of the doubt approach proves to be wrong, I'll be as vocal with my criticism as the next man.

Well I hope your right.

Just to clear something up - I'm not moaning for the sake of it hear. I am perfectly happy for Agar to be in charge (for what its worth of course) - and think the domestic signings he has made are extremely good considering all the constraints he has on him, OK I know some wont like Cockayne and given the choice we shouldn't be signing such charactures, but that ship sales some time ago. We needed a complete overhall from top to bottom and I think we have missed the chance to break the cycle.

1st year in, on the back of the year we just had - I think this is the year when Agar would have the lowest expectations and the most slack from both the board and the fans, and this oppertunity should have been taken by him to change the culture and find a balance between an experienced(ish) first 17 and a sprinkling of our own youngsters and those who should be ready for it most weeks (Davey, Morton, Wildie, Moore etc) and those who are ready for a taste (Walshaw etc) every now and again.

Chance wasted for me - and yes its not the end of the world and I do bang on about it, but hopefully I am wrong and next time the franchises are handed out we do have the backbone of the team UK based and we aren't as over reliant on imports as we are now because unless the stadium is ready to sit in I doubt we will be as lucky again and that would be the end of the world.

Again, summed up my thoughts perfectly.

Why is it chance wasted?? The 5 players you list are all in our squad for next year at this moment in time so how can you know that they won't get those chances??

Let's face facts, unless you are Richard Agar, you have no more idea than me as to how those said players will be utilised next season.

Yes agree, just about to post the same, how is it chance wasted? you'd have to be rather presumptuous to think that these lads are not going to get a chance to prove themselves.

Sorry, just to be clearer - I meant chance wasted to break the cycle of reliance on overseas players, rather than chance wasted for the players named.

my main beef isn't that we don't give youngsters a chance (although that is a big part of the problem in my opinion) it's the fact we have so many overseas players.

That's a really interesting point.

My own view is that the hardcore minority (represented on here) might well be tolerant of a transitional season next year, where we still get mullered on a regular basis but have a squad full of young talent; the former stay-aways and news fans however, who've shown faith in the new regime by buying ST's in record numbers, will be much less tolerant and are very likely to shrug and say, "No, they're still 5h1t" and stop bothering again after 1 season of heavy losses where we don't compete. The inclusion of young, local lads will mean absolutely nothing to them, as they're not likely to be following the squad or the game itself in as much detail as we happy few.

So, whilst I accept that there may have been an opportunity to make a step-change away from imports immediately, I believe the potential cost of that opportunity was simply too high; there are lots of plates in the air at present, so I can understand a decision to take a more gradual approach that tries to achieve the same result over a longer period of time.

Opening 5 fixtures then, dependant on fixture schedule obviously, before the "Agar Out!" bandwagon gets rolling.

If you think I'm waiting five bloody weeks...................!

STABILITY !, that is all we want from next season. If we get a couple of props added to the known players then we should be looking to finish somewhere around 7,8,9 which would certainly be good enough.
It would be great to get some early points on the board and try to gain some momentum.
Get behind the club and at least we can go forward from last season.

You best stop that positivity right now sunshine or we will have to ban you!

Some will start it rolling at the Batley friendly.

Makes sense with that slope. it'll be easier to get the ball rolling.