IIRC it was an optional £10 you could pay?

Quote The Dentist Wilf="The Dentist Wilf"here's an interesting one just a couple of days after Coach Wane stated referring to our new merged plans 'We won't be merging with Anyone" it appears there is a break away forming with some Clubs who appear to be about to introduce their own A team type competition next season which is designed to give some over 19's a game but which will also have to include no doubt some of their under 19's. Do you think Hull and Rovers will be one of the 'other super league clubs' mentioned. On a personal note I don't think they will! www.newsnow.co.uk/A/782931583?-4338:2393:3'" I'm sure Saints & Leeds will be part of it so potentially starts creating a bigger gap with the rest of SL as all their fringe players and returning from injury will get meaningful game time before a 1st team return / call up

Quote The Dentist Wilf="The Dentist Wilf"here's an interesting one just a couple of days after Coach Wane stated referring to our new merged plans 'We won't be merging with Anyone" it appears there is a break away forming with some Clubs who appear to be about to introduce their own A team type competition next season which is designed to give some over 19's a game but which will also have to include no doubt some of their under 19's. Do you think Hull and Rovers will be one of the 'other super league clubs' mentioned. On a personal note I don't think they will! www.newsnow.co.uk/A/782931583?-4338:2393:3'" I'm sure Saints & Leeds will be part of it so potentially starts creating a bigger gap with the rest of SL as all their fringe players and returning from injury will get meaningful game time before a 1st team return / call up

The academy doesn't stop at 16. This is the frustrating thing. We have quality at that age and then there's a point where they stop developing at the same rate as other areas of the country. Why?


The development ultimately is the quality.

In an ideal world, we'd have all the spoils ourselves, but in the real world that won't happen, so whilst we're sharing we're reducing the intensity of the squad.


Why would they be to? It's not a logical argument. They produce stacks of young professionals and a large chunk of the England team.

But has our current system been given enough time to bear fruits before writing it off as a bad job? I don't think it has.

By current system, I don't mean what we had in place under Hetherington & Co from 2000 to the time when Pearson realised the youth setup was e. The current system is the time the past 3/4 years since Pearson has been putting in a decent level of investment.

That system is seeing/will see the likes of Lancaster, Turgut, Hadley, Logan, BTW, Dean, HTW, Fash & Abdull emerge.

So Wellsy are we saying that the raw material (young kids) is as good as other clubs and in the right numbers but it is the development (coaching, sports science, nutritionists, facilities) where we are falling down?

Doom&Gloom I think your right on the timings, Wigan and Leeds both went through lean periods as the youth (Club Hull) system kicked in. How many years have Hull fans been told to wait, next year is our year? We need the owner to be patient and give it a couple more years.

I watched the U16's derby this year and a Hull FC side with mainly U15's convincingly beat a Rovers side of mainly U16's so the drivers for Rovers are easy to see but for FC, why?

Exactly. We must be skint if Pearson has put all of his initial rhetoric to one side to save money like this.

I think we are, or least he is cutting costs as he is fed up with pumping money into the club.

This is the point where our youth and other top clubs path veer off on different paths.

Other clubs youth,are then placed onto developing their power and speed using Sports Science. ie they are developed into athletes.

I've heard two different reports, that we dont have. or simply we have it, but dont use it.

One rumour, is Steve McNamara was approached to take over from Gentle,but he insisted on appointing his own staff,with the implementation of a Sports Science Dept, Pearson rejected his suggestions,and chose Lee Radford.

Or a second rumour... we have a Sports Science Dept at Brandesburton, but Lee Radford doesnt trust it.

Either way, we dont use it, this is the main reason, our youngsters fail to play regular 1st grade, as they dont possess the physical attributes which is required for sustainability.

Had AP not paid off existing contracts of certain players,
and used that money to invest on coaches across the club.
we wouldnt be in this scenario, where we are now.

Question is: Are we a lot better today,without the players whose contracts were terminated?

Yes I reckon we probably are.
Not that either you or me know whether that's the reason for cost cutting - more likely the fall in gates.

Maybe I should have expanded on my question...

Are we a lot better today,without the players whose contracts were terminated..- at the expense ,of the future of our youth??