To be fair it is being done, last year Jack Logan got an upgraded 4 year deal after making a real impact on the first team over at least a dozen matches.

I'm sure Dean and HTW would get the same once they've demonstrated they have what it takes, but in the meantime don't see why they should be different to Matongo or Jansin Turgut (GB academy captain) who have readily agreed to stay at the club.

They shouldn't be any different, but it sounds like they were treated differently in the past with decent deals for the level they were at.

For lads at their age taking a pay cut must be difficult to take, and as much as it probably shouldn't be, it'll probably be a factor in their decision.

Dean will have his reasons, we don't know whether it is down to money or whether he see's a better opportunity for himself at Rovers (or whoever he ends up at) to develop & play 1st team rugby. We shouldn't hold that against him, good luck to him. Time will tell if he's a Luke Briscoe or a Josh Hodgson.

Apparently Dean has had offers from Rovers, the new Canada venture and the Australian second grade ......Personally, if I were Dean, I would spend a couple of years playing under the Australian tutelage as the Australian set up is more likely to progress his game and his discipline and professionalism as a professional rugby league player .......Experiencing the NRL coaching techniques and culture whilst he physically and mentally matures will make him a better player when he eventually reaches his prime, much more than signing for Rovers or Toronto will ever do!

That's because out of all the players you have mentioned, Reece Dean seems to be the most talented within their respected positions.

But, as the salary cap issue has finally been brought to the forth (regarding how the top Super League clubs manage to have so many stars on their books whilst still being within the salary cap) through the circumstance of Salford and the good doctor, the clubs that have massive financial backing when compared to the rest are now looking to shave as much £'s as possible off their salary cap in order to make them legitimate within the eyes of the RFL.

For those youngsters who are willing to take a pay cut at the expense of the top stars, their actions are commendable and they are loyal and want to be apart of a club regardless .....They are players that you truly want at your club regardless of whether or not they will make it as a professional rugby league player.

The first part isn't true and either shows your bias or lack of knowledge of our academy players, Dean hasn't represented his country while Litten and Turgut has, Dean certainly has the talent, but the coaching staff think he lacks something to make it to the very top out they would have made sure he stayed.

We have heard it all before about top young players and often they don't quite turn out to be the players expected Luke Briscoe and Tommy Lee Spring to mind.

We will have to see how it turns out and I hope he does well, we have made many mistakes releasing academy players on the past, only Hodgson, but that was due to circumstances of having to great hookers at the time.

I do agree with you, if I was Dean I'd be going over to Aus next year for many reason and not just the rugby.

I could just about disagree with all of that.

There comes a time when academy players and the respective clubs have a decision to be make. The club will offer both what they believe a player to be worth at that time and also what they can afford in terms of cap. The player will have to do what’s best for him. Stay, leave for another club or leave the game altogether and get a ‘proper job’.

In terms of Dean the club obviously think he’s worth x and will play y number of games. He will have different x and y figures in his head, he’ll also look whats in front of him and also if he’s happy where he is. It’s a short career and leaving now might be in his best interests in the long run.

The bit about the ones who stay being the ones you want to keep, sometimes it is loyalty and commendable but naïve, lets face it, the clubs are only loyal to the good ones and the fans will soon forget a players loyalty once the player is deemed below standard. It can also show a lack of ambition, self-belief and settled in a comfort zone.

Generally clubs get it right but there will be players that just need a move to kick on, not sure if Dean has signed for us but if he has I hope he’s Hodgson type mistake by you but only time will tell.

Tyson Wilson is an odd one, I thought he would have broken through more than he has by now, both him and his brother have been talked up for a number of years as very promising academy products, wonder if he maybe needs a gig in the championship full time if he’s going to kick on.

Spot on red

I'd agree about Luke Briscoe but Tommy Lee has had a decent career

He is OK, certainly not a top player, he looked like he could be.

Reece is signing for the Canadian team.

A good move IMO, get regularly game time against experienced players, good money, playing under good coaching staff and the chance to live in Canada for a good part of the year aswell as free travel back to the UK. I'd be tempted to loan them a couple of our young players for a year.

Just a few points for clarification: When a player signs an initial full time contract for the academy it is for 2 years, this is under the umbrella of the AASE program (advanced apprenticeship in sporting excellence). This is a formal apprenticeship administered by Loughborough University and as with any apprenticeship the government pays each player/apprentice £98.00 per week. Generally clubs do not broadcast this government funding and it is not mentioned to the players upon signing, neither is it mentioned in their contract of employment. If at 16 a club values a player they will then pay him extra on top of the apprentice wage. This is by far the exception rather than the norm.
After 2 years, AASE program completed, the government funding is no longer available, so if a club wants to retain a player they have to wholly fund his wages themselves. At this point the player is 18 and will be lucky if he is offered £6,000 PA. Again there are exceptions to this but now a player could be offered less or more again depending on how they are valued. However for an 18 year old young man to commit to such a low annual salary they are taking a significant risk. Also as part of their terms of employment these young men are also expected to go round schools in the afternoons undertaking club foundation work.
In my opinion we as a sport treat our young players appallingly, we rely on their dreams. We need to start paying them all a salary they can at least live off. They even have to buy their own boots for god’s sake, at least the company I work for supplies my workwear. If Mike Ashley employed rugby league under 19’s players he would be dragged before a parliamentary select committee being asked as to explain why he was paying less than national minimum wage.

Define a 'living wage' for an 18year old? I'm not saying I disagree with paying academy players a decent wage and clearly Hull as with any/many other clubs that want to keep hold of players that show talent/played for country etc will pay more for those in that bracket. However, I'd like to see any money over a certain amount put into a trust fund for them, young kids and money are often not a good mix, as I would expect the vast majority of these lads are still living at home and no family of their own to provide for and they don't 'need' a large sum to go out on the sozzle. If they do get let go by a club then at least that trust fund would help if they can't find a club elsewhere and are looking for a job outside of the sport.

Equipment for work should however be provided for by clubs, that to my mind is disgraceful If kids are having to pay for their own workwear.

Sounds as though HTW had a decent debut for York yesterday - set up a few tries, scored one and 100% conversion rate