Rhinos Academy system

[JasonE]

Great statistic with 10 of the Leeds GF winning team came through the system together, this is what makes it special for me.

 

[nickdraperfto]

Yeah thats the way most of the top clubs do it of late. It's the way forward for the game and makes it more competitve whilst not wasting money of overseas players who in most cases are no better.

Leeds, Wigan and Hull have traditionally always produced exceptional youngsters and are always at the top on a consistant basis year in year out.

We need to abolish promotion/Relegation if the poorer teams are to adopt this approach!

 

[bartman]

Yeah, it was good to hear and read about them all knowing each other through their teens and growing up there together. Producing local talent.

I think York NL2 is linked into the Leeds system for next season, sharing the Academy coach? Young winger Austin Buchanan came through Leeds system and had a great year for York in NL2, and is now getting superleague offers.

 

[GB Lion]

I think York NL2 is linked into the Leeds system for next season, sharing the Academy coach? Young winger Austin Buchanan came through Leeds system and had a great year for York in NL2, and is now getting superleague offers.

Yes, Mick Cook will coach York next year. Austin Buchanan is a great talent. he looked good in the NL1 qualifier. In the first 10 minutes he looked shaky letting the ball bounce and gifting Fax a try, but after that he was fantastic. It was a toss up between him and Danny Brough for the MOM

 

[The Clan]

Also the Wakefield Trinity Academy is very good.

They Lost out to Bradford in the semi's this year and lost to Leeds in the Grand Finsal a couple of years ago.

Their first team squad has about 12 Academy produced players. Normaly Wakefield can't hang on to their better home produced talents and have to sell them to the bigger clubs. Thats the case with Club Captain and GB international Gareth Ellis this year. Wakefield are desperately trying to hang onto him in the face of offers from Leeds, Bradford and Wigan.

If Wakefield turn a corner and keep their players they would be a force to be reckoned with.

 

[Captain Chaos]

P&R can completely decimate a club with respect to the youngsters they produce. When they are relagetd all contracts become null and void and the best kids end up being snapped up by the big boys.

How can that be right?

The rich get richer and the poor are stripped of what they have left. It isn't as if the salary cap isn't stuffing everything up as it is. I mean how is one team supposed to stand a chance of competing week in week out when a different club can spend almost double?

It's ridiculous! The only way to increase intensity of ESL long term is to equalise the cap across the board for all SL clubs and close the doors for a few years so all the clubs involved can plan over 5-6 years rather than just one. It would spread the playing wealth about more which some would argue decreases overall intensity. However after a couple of seasons there would be an increase as they games would be level and intensity would increase. The best players would be more spread across the clubs so more youngsters get to train with and learn from the best players. As it is there will always be the same 3 or 4 winning everything forever, the big clubs have a stranglehold on the power, they look after themselves rather than aim for a GB team that can not only regain the Ashes, but regain them on the back of having a very strong SL. It's the only way it will happen IMO.