Quote: Erik the not red "The system must have been failing then as well because Lineham was a buy in. Truth is youth development doesn't provide a steady drip feed of talent in any case - they come in fits and starts and not smoothly distributed over all positions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with recruiting "external" youngsters. Leeds, Wigan, Saints and Wire all do it - its just the closer geographic distances involved with them make it less obvious at times.'"
Of course other big teams sign other teams kids, but if Hull FC is to be able to regularly compete at the top level then we need a regular influx of youth coming through to be more than bit part squad members that get the odd game here or there.
Despite all the investment and shouting about how fantastic our youth system is the reality is we've not had many coming through at all the last few years when the fruition should have being kicking in.
5 years on and we have 3 Hull youth players from that period in the 1st 17 - Shaul, Bowden, Hadleys not what i would call a good return.
I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just worried that after seeing quite a few fall by the waysiude that our youth system is doing what we had hoped it would given the cash and effort thrown at it.