You genuinely can not be that thick. I just don't believe it.
In Super League last year he scored 2 trys (not sure about the CC) and made more errors than any other player.

Anyway, he's nothing to do with Hull FC so that's the last I'll say on the guy.

We have to start playing our homegrown players at some point.
Otherwise what’s the point in devoting resources to it?
If we’d signed him to the detriment of Lewis Martin, I’d have been gutted.
Losing Abdul and signing Burgess unbalances their squad, but I don’t care about them.
Looking forward to watching the continued development of Martin, Moy, Armstrong, Charles, Medforth , etc, etc.

Think the 'development' of our young guns unlikely to be in SL just yet. Sadly we are talking about talent & potential - I REALLY REALLY hope some come through to be SL regulars, but lets face it, the last ones are Brad Fash & Cam Scott - the physicality required is a major step up.

Hopefully Balmforth will come through this year - but that is on the back of a full year in the championship, plus he is built like a rock !! Expect the young guns to be largely in reserves or loan ? Was impressed by Laidlaw & Gardner, hopefully they are closer to making the step up ?

Balmforth also has pace and should help his development into a S/L player next season

I'd agree and they have such depth in the backs, particularly the three quarters that I can see some being very unhappy. Behind what is a pretty ordinary pack, they may wish they'd signed a couple of tackle busting props or second rowers, instead. Tanginoa is a good player, but hardly fit and the rest fit the workman like tag , for me anyway. I think it has been a case of I have got it, so I will spend it when you think of Gildart,Opacic, Evalds, Hiku, Corey Hall all battling for just three spots, given that R Hall is a shoe in, so their youth policy is obviously of low priority. I think we will see a few standouts from our emerging talent. I really like the look of Tindall, Staveley and Balmforth of the young guns vying for a place in the starting 17, all of which gives hope to the rest, who may not quite be ready for the physicality of SL, just yet, but see us as a better pathway to that end goal.

Why do we "have to" start playing homegrown players ?

They should only play if they're good enough

Don't wanna fall In to trap of giving average homegrown players Jobs for life just cause they're "hull born and bred"

My view is that you don't fully know if they're good enough until they get a few chances. It takes more than 1 or 2 games.
Nobody is asking for Jebson (as an example) in the 17 every week, its just a case of if Okunbor gets injured, then let's not just shoehorn Fash or Sao into the second row. Let's try Jebson who is an out and out second rower. We've had a philosophy for too long of playing safe and going with more experienced players even in the wrong position, 'Square pegs in round holes' and I understand why in certain situations. But we've heard a lot the last year about how good our youngsters coming through are but we need to start seeing some evidence of this paying off sooner or later. It's time to start throwing some of them in at the deep end when the chance comes up.

We need to get to the point where we have a culture at the club and systems in place similar to St Helens and Wigan so that youngsters know what is expected of them when they're in the first team what their role is. I agree we shouldn't just play players solely because they come through the academy, we've tried "club hull" before, it failed and just seemed to create a clique in the club, Hull born players need to be in the team because they're the best in their position, not just because they were born here

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/20 ... dical.html Unlucky for Volkman but looks like another bullet dodged by us

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/20 ... dical.html Unlucky for Volkman but looks like another bullet dodged by us

I've said it before, the only way to complete is t start producing your own players, mix that with some good overeas players in the areas of weakness. I remember when Saints released Coote and Fages, two very good SL players, but they were able to replace them with Welsby and Dodds, that we what we need to do.

Since SL started there has been only 4 teams able to dominate, all 4 where off the back of very strong academies.

The only exception could be Catlans, but they have the a few advantages in being able to bring players in. But they haven't managed it yet.

It's all very well saying we need to produce our own players, I don't think anyone disagrees. Our success in 2016 and 17 was on the back of a decent homegrown contingent. The problem is we have had a smaller catchment area than the big clubs and just haven't unearthed many SL quality players. We've invested more money and have cast a wider net but only time will tell whether we produce any stars.

As it is our squad has a massive chunk of academy lads in it. We will have no option but to play them once injuries start to mount. Just have to hope that some of them make the jump to this level and that our fans give them a chance before attacking them.

I think this crop of young players is the best we have had for a while, there genuinely seems to be belief within the club that a lot of them can make the step up to the first team, I can't think of a better bunch of young players since we had Houghton, Lee, Washbrook etc... all come through.

The thing is, in the last 3/4 years or academy have just about every year finished in the top, but for some reason we don't seem to make that talent transpire into the first team compared to Leeds, Saints and Wigan.

Hopefully that's changes with the new set up and players we have.

I'm convinced at least 8 or so players who are in our set up from academy to Reserve level would become good SL players at Wigan or Saints. Let's hope we can do that.

I think a lot of the current crop are good enough but a lot has to go right for a good kid to become a good adult. The lads promoted this year and last seem a better standard than those from previous years, especially the forwards.

Genuine question are kids still playing RL in big numbers in Hull? We've had Covid years with little to nothing happening and the sport isnt exactly giving off an image of long term career potential and big earnings at the minute.

We might see a boom in parents taking their kids down the pub to play on the dart board too