Good win against Leeds and currently 3rd in the table behind Wigan and Warrington. A couple of thoughts on this one. Whilst it's a good effort, it sort of implies there's a lot more talent at this level than we're seeing coming through in the first team.

Our current homegrown representation in the first team is bollox. We've gone from 11 homegrown in the 17 in 2007 to just 5 this week, and that includes Yeaman, Radford and Horne who've got 10 years service+. Houghton aside, we've not got a first team Hull born regular that's come through our academy in the last 5 years. Burnett, Hall, Lee, G Horne, Wheeldon, Hodgson to think of a few we've binned off who are now plying their trade at other SL clubs. All of these were heralded as having great potential, but none have gone on to fulfil it at first team level.

All this is water under the bridge, I guess, but the question now is how do we fully maximise the potential of the likes of Crooks? IMO we really need to step up our game on the homegrown front or we'll fall further behind.

like ive said many times hull hasnt got the depth of teams like wigan, leeds ect in the youth but we will always produce good players. now the likes of kent, green, cunnigham, lyne ect need to go and play championsip rugby and play at a better standard then the 20s

In the 2006 Grand Final we had 8 homegrown in the 17 who were good enough to compete at that level. From building a squad around a homegrown nucleus of players, it seems to me that we've gone to the other extreme.

IMO let them play their natural game and stop trying to manipulate them into different positions by bulking them up or messing them about position wise.
These are young players learning their trade, so let them settle into a position and stop turning them into a Jack of all trades and a master of none.

to add to my post aswell we need to start introducing these players and give them oppitunities for example we had dennis tuffour last season a good young winger who must of had something because agar gave him a full time deal and with the injuries to mark calderwood dennis should of been given an oppitinty but choose to a play reece who clearly isnt ready yet.
the best way of playing young players is when you have limited injuries so it dosent effect your team so much and weve been very lucky this season regarding injuires so why hasnt some of these players been given an chance?, even if it means playing 1 young player against the mid table or lower table sides giving them a taste of 1st grade but
it is isnt good enough, you look at someone like bradford ok they might not be the team they was and clearly in a transistion period but at leaste theres lots of young player that are been given an oppittunity the likes of burgess, bateman, whitehead, donaldson, addy the list goes on and the future will mould around these guys cant say the same about us.

We have a coach who doesn't trust in youth, just look at our playing roster yet again its close to becoming full of average players instead of 17 very good players and using youngsters to cover any potential injuries.

A very good point.

It is a worry I agree. Personally I think there are two key areas that are crucial, one is coaching and the other is gametime. Without top quality coaching they won't progress and at some stage they have to start being blooded otherwise we will never know if they can make it. We also have to show some patience once they are blooded.

I agree, some of these youngsters need to be given a little bit more of a chance to show their skills at a higher level. For me we also need an injection of young blood to increase the level of enthusiasm in the team. After all there's enough experience in the starting 13 and it isn't working.

Whenever we have young lads come in the look like rabbits in the headlights

Compare this to how easy Wigan, Saints, Leeds all slot them in and you wouldnt tell the difference

There lies the problem

I think the solution is loaning out, a prime example of the is Lyne he is too good for the u20s but not ready for SL, why are we not loaning more players out to the championship to develop their games!

its a massive worry and something that the club and agar should be asked about becuase it isnt good enough in the past 2 seasons weve seen nicklas get about 40 mins, cunningahm 10-15 mins and reece play about 10 games thats what weve got to show for the past 2 seasons

The top teams mostly ship their youngsters out to gain experience, in either Championship or lower SL clubs. Wigan being a prime example.

Sharp always used to go on about the number of "babies" on the "park". Admittedly injuries forced a lot of this. But at that stage they were still coming through and kicking on. Seem to stagnate now, though.

its so obvious that reece is to good at 20s and will learn nothing from playing in it but again he isnt ready for super league so the obvious solution is been loaned out to a championship club like the likes of jordan thompson, rhys evans, tom armstrong ect all have done and progreessed. whats happend to jack briscoe looked very good in the 20s last season and before that but seems to have gone backwards again would he of been bettre served playing at a better level?