Well if you want franchising enjoy looking from the outside- because we wouldn't get a ticket.

Funny how we wanted promotion/relegation when we were in the champ

20 years playing not a lot watching my 20 years involves a grand final win and two Wembley finals. Not interested in watching the game now . I do know how the development system works though and you don't do you.

Just because we don't get first pick, doesn't mean its not worth having a youth system.



We don't get first pick when going for first team players, should we scrap the first team as well?

Just because a player excels at one level and is thought to be the best - if we have good coaches then the coaches' skills will be the missing ingredient to make the player better.

What is the point of running an academy ?



To produce players capable of competing at whatever level you are playing



So we need to develop whatever players we can find after our local ( and not so local ) competitors have taken their pick ( this is at scholarship level , so 11/12 year olds ) , to the point where they can step in and perform to the same level as our existing squad



If by chance we do manage to do that , and they start to impress , we then stand a good chance of losing them to our bigger rivals



How many players realistically come through the British junior system every year and then go on to play SL for their full ( 10 years ) career ?



From our financial point of view right now it isn't worth it , as regards us not having 1 st pick of players , well you are right , we need to emulate Cas , who have a team of relatively ' regular ' players , who the coach has moulded into the best ' team ' in SL this year

I didn't mention franchising. SL will evolve similar to the NRL.No need for SL academies as they'll have feeder clubs.The youth will be fed to the feeder clubs.

Can you put the link that says this so it can be justifiedicon_wink.gif

Don't know how the Aussie system works TBH- how do they decide who is and isn't in the equivalent of SL

And we'd be the feeder club.

Well that's the way I'd see it unless I'm missing something

No you don't need to be a feeder club pro teams in nrl do have feeder clubs but not all of them they play n several comps. Nswrlc and qc just two of many . Leigh could have a feeder club pick from several but the feeder club would have to play in reserve league but then could not have junior sides as BARLA run those .trying to find an example for you but struggling . In Australia they leave the amateur clubs alone to develop kids upto 16 then bring them in to the feeder club . It's much more based on education at the moment in oz . Can be done in Leigh but Derek does not have the backing of all the amateur teams in Leigh , so could destabilise the grass roots game in the area. That will never happen

So how many lads who started as juniors at East/Rangers are currently playing in first teams at Wigan Wire or Saints



How many have played Test match rugby in the last twenty years