Quote: BoothferryBoy "Any academy is only as good as the talent they have to work with.
The real issue is the actual number of young people playing the game.
We are constantly being told that Hull is a hot bed for RL yet my experience from watching my son progress from the age of 6 to open age does not tally with that image.
At the age of 6 to 8 there where about 10 teams in total in Hull, Beverley and Holderness. By the age of 14 that was down to 4 teams with the odd friendly against one club who couldn't regularly raise a team.
That's a maximum of 90 to 100 boys playing the game at that particular age group. I would suggest if we want to create an Australian style conveyor belt of talent then we desperately need to increase the playing pool. 100 boys is hardly enough to feed one SL club let alone two.
The RFL and SL clubs themselves have to share some blame for this. The community game for as long as I can remember has been financially on its knees with little or no help from either SL or the RFL, either financial or the promotion of this great game.
The game at this level survives because of parents and volunteers.
It also has to be said that the behaviour of my club and HKR to wards these young people is scandalous. From a pool of around 100 boys they are going to have pick a significant number just to create a team, many of which I would respectfully suggest have little or no hope of ever becoming a full time professional RL player. They are persuaded for the clubs own selfish reasons to go down the academy road and chase an unrealistic dream. At 18 the inevitable happens and they are released missing out on an Apprenticeship or University. Disillusioned they are usually lost to the game.
Perhaps efforts should be channelled into creating greater participation numbers and an academy system that allows the vast majority of the young men to also carve out a career outside RL.'"
Wow that comment is exactly right on the money, Hull is not a hot bed for rugby, both K.R and F.C.
In the last 10 years the teams have produced 10 players that have made it in the game
