You can't coach aggression and Laidlaw brings that, unlike Burrell. We still need to get the Stavely situation resolved because he should be getting a shot at first grade if he is staying.

Whats the situation on Staverly HF?

NRL clubs are interested in him from what I've heard, could be another Rushton from Wigan situation.

Couldn't blame the lad, hopefully he will stay, think he likes it at Hull and his dad has been very vocal on Twitter about how good Hull have been.

Think next season will be his break out season, we are pretty strong in the positions he plays to be fair.

Hopefully because you see players who spend too long at a level they are too good for developing bad habits that they can't get away with when step up a level.

I'd like to see him on loan somewhere playing against grown men because right now he needs to be tested physically.

Definitely, probably Whitehaven, would do him some good, think he has the size to hold his own.

8 players in the 21 man academy Yorkshire squad.

Good to see

Do we trust our young players enough, for example we have Litten and Hookem, both played representative football, stood out in academy and reserves and praised by coaches and players. Hookem is 19 (20 in October) compare this to players about his age?

Both Corey Hall and Lewis Murphy are both playing regularly for Wakefield
Same with Connor Wrench and Jake Thewlis at Warrington.
Plenty at Leeds the same age, playing games and not looking out of place.

Ok so none of these are halfbacks, so lets compare him to Mikey Lewis and Lewis Dodd, both are about 1 year older than Hookem.

At the same age as Hookem is now, Dodd played 21 games including the grand final for Saints, Lewis 13 games for Rovers.

Maybe Hodgson doesn't rate him, but his performance and comments after the Wakey game last year doesn't make be think so,

This isn't just about Hookem, the same applies to Litten and Balmforth, if they were at Leeds, Wigan or Saints, I'd bet that all 3 would be in double figures on appearances by now.

Brown was under used the previous two seasons too IMO, often preferring Bowden, even though most people could see Brown was a better player.

We look to have an outstanding academy at the moment, but that is no good is we don't offer them a pathway to the first team and give them a chance when players playing in their positions are under performing or you have lots of injuries and you choose to play a slow average hooker in your position.

No, I don't think we do.
At the moment we have nothing to lose by playing Hookem over Reynolds.
Reynolds offers nothing going forward and is terrible in defence so even if Hookem struggles I don't see how we are worse off.

Exactly this and we make a contingency plan for if he was to struggle by making use of the bench. Even something like Joey at 9, Houghton on the bench then if Hookem struggles or tires we move Joey to 6 with Houghton in at 9. The only possible downside is it may knock his confidence but that's a risk with any player.

We will never know how good they are unless we give them a chance.
Yeamo had a nightmare debut but then ended up playing for GB.
Think it will reinvigorate supporters as well seeing someone given a chance.
Thought BH would be bolder but seems to go for the safe option at times. No doubt the injuries will be an excuse now not to drop senior players.

The playing of Johnstone over Balmforth is the decision I just can't understand, it was made clear he was surplus to requirements and he is playing over somebody who is way too good not to be playing first grade.

If Griffin is suspended hopefully Severs gets his chance from the bench.

Hull has an issue in which they over protect our young players. Firm believer in 'if they are good enough, they are old enough'. Yes they may not be physically developed to the optimum levels, but how will they get the experience if they are not given a chance?

How many times do Wigan, Saints and even credit to Leeds churn out these young players who end up holding their own in super league? We have one of the biggest and best pools of local talent in the game and id even go as far to say that it is wasted.

Balmorth for Johnstone is a prime example. A young, exciting player cant get in the side over a player who we was trying to shift during the winter. I praised Hodgson for giving the likes of Scott/Wynne/McNamara/Brown a chance, but I think its fair the likes of Balmorth, Severs, Litten and Hookem all get their chance.

It could be as simple as a salary cap thing. If we play Litten, Barron, Hookem - then their full salary (small as it may be) will count against the cap?