Wigan Warriors explore loan options as reserves hopes grounded

[josie andrews]

Wigan will consider whether to send fringe players on loan after plans for a competitive reserves league were deferred.

The Warriors are one of only seven clubs running reserve teams next year along with Wakefield, Hull, Halifax, Bradford, Featherstone and Keighley

There were hopes more clubs would take part – allowing the creation of a competitive league – for next season.

But it now appears that will only happen the following year.

And having received a draft reserve fixture list for 2019 – and reflected on the experiences of last season – Wigan are weighing up whether some may benefit from playing more regularly with stints elsewhere.

Executive director Kris Radlinski said: “We need to look at our squad, there are some fringe players who may benefit from spells on loan.

“We had 38 players last year and some didn’t get the repetitions they would like through the year.”

Wigan have been big advocates for reviving a competitive reserve league.


Related: ’Rugby league couldn’t organise a booze- ... rriors ace

And Radlinski said he is “hopeful” that more clubs will join in for 2020.

As it stands, the RFL allow clubs to decide for themselves how they want to develop players – Salford don’t even have an academy side.

Players too old for the Under-19s will still be able to go on dual-registration – which works like a week-to-week loan arrangement – with lower-league outfits, which in Wigan’s case is Swinton.


“The dual reg’ with Swinton works well for us, the owner is a great guy, we know the coach well, we respect for each other,” added Radlinski.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9453018

[josie andrews]

St Helens say reserves is ‘vital’... and explain why they won’t join Wigan Warriors in running a second-string in 2019

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby- ... -1-9454712

[OAMJSONA]

our game is dying a death , lets just keep bringing over the hill average at best over seas players in instead of developing our own grown talent.

I think it was a sad day when the reserve grade was abandoned it was a great medium of bringing injured players back in and also promoting the youngsters

I personally want to see a strong reserve grade in our game , will it ever happen again, i dnt know only time will tell

[medlocke]

our game is dying a death , lets just keep bringing over the hill average at best over seas players in instead of developing our own grown talent.

I think it was a dad day when the reserve grade was abandoned it was a great medium of bringing injured players back in and also promoting the youngsters

I personally want to see a strong reserve grade in our game , will it ever happen again, i dnt know only time will tell

Done so Leeds could win some trophies by stopping the others teams from developing young talent, Hethrington needs ousting from the game

[Wiganer Ted]

Just seen the squad and whatever one thinks of quality and selection all those players need a game each week.
With the reserves now gone surely these players will go out on loan to ensure they can gain and maintain match fitness.

[moto748]

I thought a functioning reserve league was something Elstone and co were going to insist on?

[josie andrews]

Hull and Wakefield criticise Super League clubs’ approach to reserves

The two remaining Super League clubs who intend to run a reserve side in 2019 have hit out at the lack of commitment from fellow top-flight clubs on the issue – with both questioning the logic of teams being allowed to have multiple marquee players yet not fund a reserve team.

Hull and Wakefield are the only Super League teams that will run reserve sides in 2019, after Wigan indicated last week they will step back from the informal competition – which is also set to feature Championship sides such as Halifax and Bradford – due to a lack of commitment from other teams.

League Express understands that around two months ago, 14 clubs were in a meeting where all-but one supported reserve grade. 10 of those teams were understood to have backed the launch of a formal competition in 2019, before the reserves was made mandatory again in 2020.

Yet in the last six weeks, League Express has been told a number of clubs have now performed a u-turn – and Hull chief executive James Clark has now argued that clubs should only be allowed to sign high-earning overseas players if they tick several other boxes.

“Each club has their own business principles, but marquee signings should only be allowed if clubs can field an Academy, reserves and are profitable,” Clark told League Express.

“Some clubs are spending upwards of £150,000 on individual players, while facing financial uncertainty and even unable to form an Academy.

“We are fully committed to reserves and it should have happened this year, but through a lack of leadership and strategic focus we have wasted another twelve months.”

League Express has this week conducted a Super League-wide study on reserve grade, with 10 of the 11 English-based top-flight teams sharing their stance on the issue.

Of those 10, nine indicated they would support a move to make reserves mandatory: with Leeds the exception. At least three proposed that changing the age bracket of under-19s Academy rugby back to under-18s would facilitate greater opportunities for reserve teams to thrive.

However, Wakefield chief executive Michael Carter has insisted that clubs who are promising to commit must actually do so to avoid a repeat of the situation in 12 months’ time.

“I’m disappointed about the lack of buy-in,” he said.

“Everyone has turned around and said they would enter if it was competitive, but that’s a vicious circle we’re in the middle of. Unless someone grabs the bull by the horns and says it’s mandatory, there’s an awful chance that this time next year, we’ll be in the same position.”

Carter also echoed Clark’s comments about clubs’ spending on marquee players while not committing to reserve rugby.

“I don’t think it’s right that a club can employ one, or even two, marquee players but not have £30,000 spare – because that’s how much it’s cost us.

“It shouldn’t need the governing body to stand over us, but if that’s what it takes, so be it. It’s woeful on behalf of club management that we may have to need the governing body to do that.”

http://www.totalrl.com/hull-and-wakefie ... -reserves/

[josie andrews]

The Rugby Football League provide their reserves view and admit frustration


There is hope that the reserves will become compulsory for the 2020 season


https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... es-2259913

[josie andrews]

SUPER LEAGUE RESERVES SCANDAL DESTROYING GAME’S EMERGING TALENT

Here we go again! As I write this, the RFL and certain clubs are, yet again, foolishly letting the game and young emerging talent down, all in the name of giving a few overseas dinosaurs one last payday before they draw their pension.

A few months ago Ralph Rimmer, the new CEO of the Rugby Football League, stated that 11 current Super League clubs had expressed a desire to run a full Reserves League in 2019, with Gary Hetherington at Leeds Rhinos the only dissenting voice, saying that teams should continue with the utterly shambolic Dual Registration format, which has embarrassed the game for many years!

New Super League CEO Robert Elstone also went so far as to say that maybe teams should have to run a reserve team, to be allowed in Super League, making it compulsory for teams to run one, it was glorious, it was the kick up the backside that Super League needed, even more than anything else, however it didn’t last long!

Recently it has come to our attention, that only eight clubs had said they will run a reserve team in 2019, with only Hull FC and Wigan Warriors from Super League willing to enter a team in it, then came the bombshell from Kris Radlinski, that Wigan were now reviewing their position about it.

In the meantime, Hull FC have confirmed that they are still committed to the Reserves League, while Wigan are again threatening to only let their reserves play against other Super League opposition, something they did in 2016 and 2017 as well, but without Warrington Wolves and St. Helens providing opposition, surely such an idea should be unthinkable now, shouldn’t it?

The current thinking now seems to be, a Reserves League will be arranged for 2020, what a bloody insult to our intelligence!

Looking at the running farce, it doesn’t exactly take Einstein to work out what will happen! When it comes to 2020, it will no doubt be the same excuses, like ‘We can’t afford it’ or ‘Dual Registration is the best way to go’, it happened before, it will happen again!

Certain teams ran reserves, Wigan would only play against Hull FC, Warrington Wolves and St. Helens reserves, they refused to play the likes of South Wales Ironmen, Halifax and Keighley Cougars reserves, because they weren’t a good enough standard, to play against the next breed of Wigan supermen!

As a media intern for Hull FC in 2016 and 2017, reporting regularly on Hull FC reserves games, I can tell you that certainly Halifax reserves regularly gave Hull FC reserves a better, more competitive game, than the Warriors reserves did at times, I saw Hull FC reserves beat them both, at home and on the road, there were standout matches, like a four point win for the young Black & Whites against Halifax at Hull Ionians ground, another being a thumping 30+ point victory for Hull against the Warriors reserves at the Wigan training ground.

Wigan need to understand, you cannot afford to pick and choose who your reserves will or will not play against, at the moment there just aren’t enough reserves teams, and the whole of Super League need to understand, that a reserves league is an absolute necessity, if the game is ever going to grow, produce new talent and stop having to rely on expensive second rate Australians and Kiwis, with the occasional bit of quality, in the form of a player who has done something stupid down under, and therefore is sent to whichever Super League club who can afford a huge wage, to serve his punishment, before returning to the NRL.

There has been a bit of a shift in recent times, with the likes of Warrington signing Blake Austin, Leeds signing Trent Merrin and Konrad Hurrell etc, genuinely big name signings, who will improve the Super League competition, however consider this, what sort of influence could players like these, have on our young talent?

The damage to the British game is there for all to see at the moment, one of my colleagues has told me that ‘A generation of players, are being let down’ by this current system.

The other consideration also has to be, while a team are spending big in ailing overseas former stars, how many young British players could they have on their books, for the collective sum they are paying one overseas player, who could then replace said ageing star, when he is inevitably struck down by injury due to his age?

The RFL and the clubs have to understand, a competitive Reserves League will breed better player development, it will give injured stars a better platform to develop match fitness when returning from injury, it will give young players the chance to test themselves against established Super League, maybe even international standard players, on a regular basis, proving themselves good enough, to then play against those same players a few weeks later in Super League or Challenge Cup!

In my previous articles about having a reserves competition, I named players who played in reserves teams in 2016 and 2017, who then went on those same years to play in showpiece games at Wembley and Old Trafford, including the likes of Declan Patton, Tom Lineham, Steve Michaels, Josh Griffin, Gareth Ellis, Brad Dwyer the list goes on, I can also name current England international Jake Connor as a player who played in the reserves as recently as 2017!

We have the players to develop, there is absolutely no doubting that, we now need a good solid platform, beyond the academy set-up, to allow them to develop further and really flourish, before they are lost to the game.

http://www.seriousaboutrl.com/super-lea ... ent-18492/

[Fujiman]

SUPER LEAGUE RESERVES SCANDAL DESTROYING GAME’S EMERGING TALENT

Here we go again! As I write this, the RFL and certain clubs are, yet again, foolishly letting the game and young emerging talent down, all in the name of giving a few overseas dinosaurs one last payday before they draw their pension.

A few months ago Ralph Rimmer, the new CEO of the Rugby Football League, stated that 11 current Super League clubs had expressed a desire to run a full Reserves League in 2019, with Gary Hetherington at Leeds Rhinos the only dissenting voice, saying that teams should continue with the utterly shambolic Dual Registration format, which has embarrassed the game for many years!

New Super League CEO Robert Elstone also went so far as to say that maybe teams should have to run a reserve team, to be allowed in Super League, making it compulsory for teams to run one, it was glorious, it was the kick up the backside that Super League needed, even more than anything else, however it didn’t last long!

Recently it has come to our attention, that only eight clubs had said they will run a reserve team in 2019, with only Hull FC and Wigan Warriors from Super League willing to enter a team in it, then came the bombshell from Kris Radlinski, that Wigan were now reviewing their position about it.

In the meantime, Hull FC have confirmed that they are still committed to the Reserves League, while Wigan are again threatening to only let their reserves play against other Super League opposition, something they did in 2016 and 2017 as well, but without Warrington Wolves and St. Helens providing opposition, surely such an idea should be unthinkable now, shouldn’t it?

The current thinking now seems to be, a Reserves League will be arranged for 2020, what a bloody insult to our intelligence!

Looking at the running farce, it doesn’t exactly take Einstein to work out what will happen! When it comes to 2020, it will no doubt be the same excuses, like ‘We can’t afford it’ or ‘Dual Registration is the best way to go’, it happened before, it will happen again!

Certain teams ran reserves, Wigan would only play against Hull FC, Warrington Wolves and St. Helens reserves, they refused to play the likes of South Wales Ironmen, Halifax and Keighley Cougars reserves, because they weren’t a good enough standard, to play against the next breed of Wigan supermen!

As a media intern for Hull FC in 2016 and 2017, reporting regularly on Hull FC reserves games, I can tell you that certainly Halifax reserves regularly gave Hull FC reserves a better, more competitive game, than the Warriors reserves did at times, I saw Hull FC reserves beat them both, at home and on the road, there were standout matches, like a four point win for the young Black & Whites against Halifax at Hull Ionians ground, another being a thumping 30+ point victory for Hull against the Warriors reserves at the Wigan training ground.

Wigan need to understand, you cannot afford to pick and choose who your reserves will or will not play against, at the moment there just aren’t enough reserves teams, and the whole of Super League need to understand, that a reserves league is an absolute necessity, if the game is ever going to grow, produce new talent and stop having to rely on expensive second rate Australians and Kiwis, with the occasional bit of quality, in the form of a player who has done something stupid down under, and therefore is sent to whichever Super League club who can afford a huge wage, to serve his punishment, before returning to the NRL.

There has been a bit of a shift in recent times, with the likes of Warrington signing Blake Austin, Leeds signing Trent Merrin and Konrad Hurrell etc, genuinely big name signings, who will improve the Super League competition, however consider this, what sort of influence could players like these, have on our young talent?

The damage to the British game is there for all to see at the moment, one of my colleagues has told me that ‘A generation of players, are being let down’ by this current system.

The other consideration also has to be, while a team are spending big in ailing overseas former stars, how many young British players could they have on their books, for the collective sum they are paying one overseas player, who could then replace said ageing star, when he is inevitably struck down by injury due to his age?

The RFL and the clubs have to understand, a competitive Reserves League will breed better player development, it will give injured stars a better platform to develop match fitness when returning from injury, it will give young players the chance to test themselves against established Super League, maybe even international standard players, on a regular basis, proving themselves good enough, to then play against those same players a few weeks later in Super League or Challenge Cup!

In my previous articles about having a reserves competition, I named players who played in reserves teams in 2016 and 2017, who then went on those same years to play in showpiece games at Wembley and Old Trafford, including the likes of Declan Patton, Tom Lineham, Steve Michaels, Josh Griffin, Gareth Ellis, Brad Dwyer the list goes on, I can also name current England international Jake Connor as a player who played in the reserves as recently as 2017!

We have the players to develop, there is absolutely no doubting that, we now need a good solid platform, beyond the academy set-up, to allow them to develop further and really flourish, before they are lost to the game.

[/url]http://www.seriousaboutrl.com/super-lea ... 18492/[url][/url]

Whilst i dont agree with not running a reserve team this year i think its a bit rich to slag us off in that article with all the youngsters we've developed