ParraManiac said:
that is probably because they are all in first grade!!! Look I havent checked the statistics, but I have a feeling that if you were to compare the numbers of juniors we have brought into first grade compared to Newcastle we would be miles behind.
most of the quality Knights juniors from the last few seasons have been stuck in Prems or left the club eg Tupou, Ale, Bird. He doesn't show much faith in their abilities as he continually shuffles his 'chosen' ones across positions. Nathan Hinton only got a run after 3 others were used there...Brad Tighe asked for a release earlier in the year....Mullen has only just started to be utilised. They are used only as the club can't afford other players, as Johns and Buderus use up a vast majority of their cap.
Hagan has not had a big influence on producing players from within their own system and developing their skills. a lot of the players that are juniors of the Knights 1st grade team were there before he came along. others, such as Woolnough, have not developed into the players that they should have become.
I know of players in their junior system who have never seen Hagan at training. These guys are 17/18 year olds, playing for the club, who have never laid eyes on the head coach. he is not sighted at junior rep carnivals etc, even though many other coaches are there.
Further to this Brian Smith was signed chiefly to turn around their junior system and start producing players from within their own system to help them in the post Joey era.
