Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:01 pm  

Big clubs in Super League can't even afford to run one academy setup. How are they going to support two?

IMO Super League NEEDS to face up to reality. There aren't enough quality players to support a 3 tier professional league setup. There aren't enough clubs generating young players either. What NEEDS to happen rather than reserves/senior academy as is being pushed is setup official feeder club partnerships. Players 'graduate' from the Super League Under 18s competition into the feeder club setup, as they do in Australia. Once they are ready they can step up to play for the Super League club without needing to be registered to them.

Saints - > Whitehaven - > Rochdale
Salford - > Oldham - > Swinton

etc. Obviously geography would need to play it's part in setting up the system.

Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Thu Jul 16, 2015 2:01 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Big clubs in Super League can't even afford to run one academy setup. How are they going to support two?

IMO Super League NEEDS to face up to reality. There aren't enough quality players to support a 3 tier professional league setup. There aren't enough clubs generating young players either. What NEEDS to happen rather than reserves/senior academy as is being pushed is setup official feeder club partnerships. Players 'graduate' from the Super League Under 18s competition into the feeder club setup, as they do in Australia. Once they are ready they can step up to play for the Super League club without needing to be registered to them.

Saints - > Whitehaven - > Rochdale
Salford - > Oldham - > Swinton

etc. Obviously geography would need to play it's part in setting up the system.

The feeder club system will never work in this country. How would you feel if St Helens became a feeder club for.......... Wigan. Would you continue to watch your team? Support your club knowing it's only purpose is to produce players for another team?

Most of the clubs that would be candidates to become feeder clubs have a rich history going back a hundred years or so. Their supporters would stop going and in no time the feeder club would either go bankrupt or have to be financially supported by the parent who may as well of had an U23 side instead.

It's easy to suggest the feeder club rubbish if you support a big(ish) club but IMO simply not viable in this country.

Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Thu Jul 16, 2015 4:48 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Big clubs in Super League can't even afford to run one academy setup. How are they going to support two?

IMO Super League NEEDS to face up to reality. There aren't enough quality players to support a 3 tier professional league setup. There aren't enough clubs generating young players either. What NEEDS to happen rather than reserves/senior academy as is being pushed is setup official feeder club partnerships. Players 'graduate' from the Super League Under 18s competition into the feeder club setup, as they do in Australia. Once they are ready they can step up to play for the Super League club without needing to be registered to them.

Saints - > Whitehaven - > Rochdale
Salford - > Oldham - > Swinton

etc. Obviously geography would need to play it's part in setting up the system.

SL managed to afford it before on less money. A few championship clubs even have a reserve team. Dewsbury, Sheffield, Leigh, would like to know how much money those clubs got compared to SL teams.

Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Thu Jul 16, 2015 11:22 pm  

South Coast RL wrote:

The feeder club system will never work in this country. How would you feel if St Helens became a feeder club for.......... Wigan. Would you continue to watch your team? Support your club knowing it's only purpose is to produce players for another team?

Most of the clubs that would be candidates to become feeder clubs have a rich history going back a hundred years or so. Their supporters would stop going and in no time the feeder club would either go bankrupt or have to be financially supported by the parent who may as well of had an U23 side instead.

It's easy to suggest the feeder club rubbish if you support a big(ish) club but IMO simply not viable in this country.

If Saints were in a position where being a feeder club was an option, I'd have moved on years prior My system is so good, the clubs could opt out. See how they fare on their own against the other clubs who get a fresh intake of potentially world class players every year. Most of the clubs outside SL are a kind owner away from disappearing, lets face it. Sure there is the odd well run club knocking about, but the majority are on a road to nowhere. I reckon you'd be surprised by the number of clubs that would be interested in this concept.

Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Fri Jul 17, 2015 5:12 am  

Saddened! wrote:

If Saints were in a position where being a feeder club was an option, I'd have moved on years prior My system is so good, the clubs could opt out. See how they fare on their own against the other clubs who get a fresh intake of potentially world class players every year. Most of the clubs outside SL are a kind owner away from disappearing, lets face it. Sure there is the odd well run club knocking about, but the majority are on a road to nowhere. I reckon you'd be surprised by the number of clubs that would be interested in this concept.

None, and there are SL clubs surviving on benefactors and, the banking system. I doubt if any SL club is truly solvent.

Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Fri Jul 17, 2015 7:47 am  

roofaldo2 wrote:

An U23 competition with an allowance for some overage players would be a far better idea. It then gives players a chance to mature and develop, rather than the current situation which is "you're 20, you're not good enough to break into the first team yet, but you can't play in the u19 so we're having to let you go".

This is exactly right.

Hull FC and Hull KR could even have a joint team if they thought that was the right thing for them to do.

Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Fri Jul 17, 2015 10:08 am  

Leaguefan wrote:

None, and there are SL clubs surviving on benefactors and, the banking system. I doubt if any SL club is truly solvent.

Leeds are. Warrington are.

Re: U21's/Alliance Teams : Fri Jul 17, 2015 1:38 pm  

Leaguefan wrote:

None, and there are SL clubs surviving on benefactors and, the banking system. I doubt if any SL club is truly solvent.

Leeds have no debt, assets of £15m+, have £2m sat in the bank account, are owed another £2m, have a turnover of over £10m and made a profit of approx £400k. They're well and truly solvent. It's why Leeds fans occasionally defend Hetherington too strongly, because along with Caddick, he's safeguarded our clubs' future for at least the next few decades.

I'd imagine that Saints, Warrington, Huddersfield, Wigan, Castleford & Catalans are all "truly solvent", probably others too.