Looking at Saints current U-19s and Scholarships together, for players whose community club is listed (nearly all of them), those clubs are below with number of players in brackets.

Blackbrook (14)
Halton Hornets (7)
Thatto Heath (7)
Newton Storm (5)
Wigan St Jude’s (5)
Leigh East (3)
Orrell St James (3)
Chorley Panthers, Leigh Miners Rangers, Liverpool Lions, Walney Central (all 2)
Clock Face Miners, Folly Lane (both very cool names for clubs), Roose Pioneers, Shevington Sharks, Woolston Golds (all 1)

So although just three clubs provided nearly half of all the players listed, there are 16 clubs there, which i’d guess is more than Hull and Rovers draw on. Among the players who are in their first team squad and came through their system, you can add South Wales Scorpions, Bold Miners/Pilkington Recs, Barrow Island, Rochdale Mayfield and Oldham St Anne’s/Littleborough.

Yes but how many clubs are recruiting from those teams? Whereas ourselves and KR have almost exclusivity to our local amateur teams. The sad thing as a Saints fan is that for all their much lauded youth, it's almost impossible to find one of their players that is actually FROM St Helens itself in the first team.

Looks that way, good news that for us, wouldn't want him anywhere near the club.

6 players from the Hull area have been selected for England under 16's. unfortunately 3 of them signed for Cas, what a disaster the COHA has been, lets hope it doesn't set us back too many years.

Agree Dave, good riddance to that particular venture.

Well was it not last year they [ Cas ] signed 11 Hull lads?

The thing I like it now gives the lads 50 to 60 places to play at a good standard of rugby.
Due to no Sports mail or Humberside Amateur media pages, I have no idea how many schools still ply the game.
I know there is no works league don't know of any clubs or pubs run teams, it now looks like any not very good clubs have gone to the wall but these often throw up a good player a natural leader.

I was talking to a couple the other days whos son was about to sign his first proper contract. Theyed toured the clubs, Wigan, Saints led the way in how they were treat - FC was one of the worse, and this family where all FC fans. They all had more positive things to say about Netherton than anyone at FC who got a loads of kids down but apparantly didnt even know who they where or what position they played and the coaches just stood there on their phones - very unprofessional was how they described FC - Cas where miles better too

It’ll be 2 or 3 more years before we really know. But the period immediately before that doesn’t look too brilliant in terms of delivery. Looking at last week’s derby teams there was only Lawler and Fash who were local and in their earlyish 20s. Add in Abdull, and that’s pretty much it for SL, I think.

Some bad luck, and sad outcomes for lads like Joe Wardill and Jansin Turgut, but it does look to have been a lean spell for the two independent academies for whatever reasons.

Got to worry about the 18 yr old upwards , with only a reserve team after the u18s (could be wrong) but not sure a young 18yr prop will be ready for a competitive reserve league. I liked the u23 and been allowed to use some senior players

I think that’s pretty much what we’ll get, but mostly u21. I think people expecting the reserves to be on a similar level to the Championship or to be to SL what Australian reserve grade is to the NRL will be disappointed.

Completely agree. Similar to anyone thinking the biggest clubs won't still cherry pick the best talent from others' reserves.

Do we know who the 3 from the coha have signed for next season?

2 for Hull FC. 1 unsigned as yet.

Cheers, how are the respective squads shaping up?