Interesting to hear Ralph Rimmer tonight on the length of time the process has been underway (3 years) and seems that the primary aim is quality of academies rather than quantity of participants. And that currently academies aren't delivering high enough quality so can't continue to just do what's historically been done. I guess time will tell whether the decisions will deliver.

I think it would possibly be a fair shout to say the number of talented young players coming through on the whole had been in a steady decline for a few years now. So in some ways I can see the logic in trying to actually make a change in terms of focusing more intently on smaller groups to then see a greater number make it as opposed to diluting the groups and seeing less make it

I’m not sure the lack of academies for a period helped or the farcical set up when AP invested heavily in the last reincarnation of the Academy only to see the fixtures become a lottery as to whether there would be an opposing team to play each week.

I still think it’s imperative that all SL clubs should have a proper Acadamy set up and it should be mandatory. Too many clubs for too long have neglected that part of the game due to cost saving or wanting to use that money for the first team.

I think the Elite Licensing may yet prove to be a good thing but hope they have a review period in 2 or 3 years to see the impact good and bad on the game. Ones things for sure and that is it’s a very emotive subject.

Rfl stated they were in regular dialogue with SL clubs and gave 2 extended deadlines.
No one seems to have mentioned kr have in their sl history not really produced many regular sl quality players.
Indeed 8 of their current first team have 3 fc players plus 5 recruited from Bradford.
Whilst I don’t agree with the “ elite “ branding
Clearly something isn’t working within academy structures.

I dunno, Watts and Tag are pretty decent.

Say there are kids of that calibre who don't get into the Academies at Wakefield or Hull. What is their route now into the top flight? Could a kid from East Hull, Cas or Fev still achieve their potential?

But that is not a very good return at all is it, 2 from several years ago?

I could understand the derision if Rovers had been and were producing players that were capable of playing at the highest level but they haven't. So something isn't right and the Elite Academies should be about what's best for the youth players and giving them the best chance in the game and not what's best for the club.

Cator. Lawler.

Okay that's only 4. But 4 is still higher than zero.

Without the KR academy, how is the next Joe Cator going to get into our first team and the England Knights squad?

And it's not just Rovers. Cas and Bradford produce a lot of players. Can we guarantee those kids that would have come through definitely will?

I hope I'm wrong but I have a bad feeling about this.

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/hu ... direction/ I guess there's only so often you can repeat the words without tangible results. #jamtomorrow

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/hu ... direction/ I guess there's only so often you can repeat the words without tangible results. #jamtomorrow

Watts came from the Cas academy not Rovers.

I think it's a mistake,but some Rovers fans asking for Pearson to come out in support, is it likely that Rovers would publically support Hull if it was the other way around?

I think with all the pressure the RFL will have to fold and allow teams that want an elite academy to do so, maybe have it themselves initially.

Yes I'm sure they would, just like how they supported us in 1999.

It's just elitism

How many professional players have been produced that have made a career out of the sport, it doesn't matter how good they are or if they've played international rugby, who are the RFL to take career pathways away?

Reading the comments I'm cringing abit at our fans attitude where it seems it's more important rovers suffer than the actual career pathways of young rugby league players, it's all box ticking. Does anyone have the number of players produced by the city that have played professionally as that's the more important fact rather than just stating watts and Taylor

I dont think that are many Hull fans laughing at Rovers, most I've read have been in support of Rovers and Cas.

I Agree with that I don't know any who are laughing just lamenting once again the inadequacies of the RFL! Its just a catalogue of mistake after mistake, born out of self interest and talking down to the fans (their customers). the arrogance shone through last night in Rimmers interview. I know a lot won't concur with this but for me you can see how the owners of Super League Clubs, a group of business men used to running viable and profit orientated organisations in the commercial world outside the game, want to distance themselves from such chaos can't you?

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.

dont think watts played for cas academy, he was a featherstone lions junior and came to kr at 16, stand to be corrected

And now the RFL are trying to push through a £20-£30 'membership fee' that every player, coaches and even volunteers have to pay directly to them on top of the subs to their community club.