Re: 2011 : Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:57 am  

vikings 4 ever wrote:

You're right it is a start and Fax are at least heading in the right direction. The only issue I should point out is that for a player to count as home grown they need to have spent 3 continuous years at the club before they reach 21. You can't just sign a player in his mid twenties (for example) and if he's originally from your home town then that counts as home grown. From the list you have made Jones, Sam Barlow and Josh Barlow don't count as home grown - still two is better than none. It not really about where a player comes from, it more about your clubs contribution to (young) player development.

Additionally having a strong presence of amateur rugby league in the town does not count either.

Re: 2011 : Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:54 am  

Spot on there from the last two posters, especially about the club's involvement in the actual development. The club itself will benefit in the long run (so long as it's "finds" aren't snaffled up by the SL clubs for free). It's a policy in the right direction and it is one that Widnes have taken seriously. The key for all the clubs now is to assess how many of them are converted into regular first team spots. It's no good Hull KR crowing about how many youngsters they played on Sunday (and they played well) if actually none of them make it to the regular first team squad because there's too many prefered overseas players blocking their progress. At Halifax a few year ago we had a back to back championship winning youth squad - only one of them converted in the three years at the top. At £80k a year, that's expensive. Conversion is the key and all clubs are as yet at an early stage to judge whether we're successful or not - especially when measuring ourselves against the Ockers.

Re: 2011 : Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:21 pm  

vikings 4 ever wrote:

You're right it is a start and Fax are at least heading in the right direction. The only issue I should point out is that for a player to count as home grown they need to have spent 3 continuous years at the club before they reach 21. You can't just sign a player in his mid twenties (for example) and if he's originally from your home town then that counts as home grown. From the list you have made Jones, Sam Barlow and Josh Barlow don't count as home grown - still two is better than none. It not really about where a player comes from, it more about your clubs contribution to (young) player development.

Sam Barlow and Danny Jones came through our junior set up before moving clubs.

Re: 2011 : Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:25 pm  

a.n Other wrote:

Sam Barlow and Danny Jones came through our junior set up before moving clubs.

Fax had a junior setup

Re: 2011 : Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:38 pm  

-VIKINGMAN- wrote:

Fax had a junior setup

Yup - didnt we always beat you in the u21 grand final?

Re: 2011 : Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:39 pm  

-VIKINGMAN- wrote:

Fax had a junior setup

We did. The first captain of that squad has just received a telegram from the Queen

[Nat (Rugby_Aholic)]

Re: 2011 : Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:06 am  

-VIKINGMAN- wrote:

Fax had a junior setup

They got tired of beating Widnes in finals so decided to call it quits.

Re: 2011 : Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:42 pm  

Fax fans are clutching at straws and are boring now.Why dont the RFL say only one applicant available, and that is Widnes.

Re: 2011 : Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:49 pm  

They can't come out and say that can they. Although they did find a better more subtle way of doing it. Just make the criteria fit one club.....well at least until 'Fax stuck two fingers up to them by fudging their final league game attendance

Re: 2011 : Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:03 pm  

Widnes tick every box no one else does

1 championship team goes up.

Simple were in