Academy Production Line

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

I think that we can all agree that we produce far more players than any other SL Club and given our success at U19 level, it is fair to say that the quality of our players is generally better than the others.

If our blueprint is to develop a team of own grown players then surely we need to put measures in place to retain those players and allow them to develop together. However, that does not seem to be the Club's philosophy given the number of players trying their luck down under! This begs the question, should we ditch our approach and simply sign second rate aussies like other clubs who are equally/more successful?

[lucky 13]

I would say that over the last ten years on average the teams winning most things have had a backbone of home produced talent mixed with decent signings. Warrinton fly in the face of that but when did they win a GF
Its a hard job balencing a strong youth system into a consistent cup winning side. Especially in the era of a cap that plays second fiddle to its two main competition rivals. With a level cap (almost) it also leaves young players being poached by rivals within the same league.... Williams to Wire and Gildart to saints as examples. These are the ones we know of and it probabley leads to inflated contracts.
If you sign potential to long contracts that is also risky, I can't see how you can do much different?
I do though think we could/should have won more with our squad even going back, in Maguires last season. With the team he had a GF was there for the taking. Same over Wanes tenure.
The last few weeks is feeling like a new start and while home produced players are great I still long for headlines of us signing top talent even if it's in the twilight years.
A long winded reply maybe getting the mix right with a bit of both would be our choice how easy is that though in the modern era?

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

I would say that over the last ten years on average the teams winning most things have had a backbone of home produced talent mixed with decent signings. Warrinton fly in the face of that but when did they win a GF
Its a hard job balencing a strong youth system into a consistent cup winning side. Especially in the era of a cap that plays second fiddle to its two main competition rivals. With a level cap (almost) it also leaves young players being poached by rivals within the same league.... Williams to Wire and Gildart to saints as examples. These are the ones we know of and it probabley leads to inflated contracts.
If you sign potential to long contracts that is also risky, I can't see how you can do much different?
I do though think we could/should have won more with our squad even going back, in Maguires last season. With the team he had a GF was there for the taking. Same over Wanes tenure.
The last few weeks is feeling like a new start and while home produced players are great I still long for headlines of us signing top talent even if it's in the twilight years.
A long winded reply maybe getting the mix right with a bit of both would be our choice how easy is that though in the modern era?

Is that what Saints are doing now?

[lucky 13]

I'm still not 100% sure Barbas effect and Holbrooks impact are as yet not fully understood. Saints have looked shakey since Barba was rumoured he wanted away. Holbrook well hes got the one propper A lister in SL when Saints lise him it will be interesting to see which had the bigger influence. They stumbled on his signing much in the same way that we will all going right have the best full back next season.
I still think we can take them especially in the forwards.
I don't see much difference in them to us apart from Barbas impact and the confidence its given the players around him.
Roby/Lockers, Lomax/Tomkins Percival/Gildart
Thompson/Sutton and so on even their overseas signings this season are not super stars apart from the Barba effect I see little difference.

[lucky 13]

Maybe the playing list is not at fault and the broom thats sweeping will see a new fresh team with a different outlook.
I know I'm looking forwards to watching what happens and still hold hope for a decent signing/s.
We need SL to help in this RL needs to develop in some way and quick, that tv money is vital for any sport and the better we can be the better deal and in turn better money for better players.
I would go for 14 teams raising by a further one in each of the next two seasons. I would have a top five playoff. That's 15 home games with no loop fixture regular season.
I would also look at changing the chalenge cup to earlier in the season and make magic a nines comp involve championship and maybe a couple of guest teams. Sell tv rights to that, championship cup and internationals seperate. The magic could with the right promotion be fantastic especially if you know you will see your team a few times over weekend. Imagine the impact a well promoted event could have as a side city's biding to host it we need some forward thinking.

[No straw damn us]

The academy pull through at Wigan has been superb over the last 10 years, ironically since Lenagan took over, I think it's 8 Grand Final wins in 10 years for that age group.

Have we really done that poorly at first team level in that period?
Three Grand Final wins, two close losses, a World Cup Challenge and three Challenge Cup finals, winning two.

Shaun Edwards said that his mandate is to get to the big games, well Wigan have done that in that last 10 year period using the academy well.

Personally I'd like to see that overseas quota reduced to two per club and bring in quality rather than quantity, make reserve grade compulsory thus helping all clubs to develop their own.

[OAMJSONA]

i wonder what ever happend to Framing The Future , where not only the grounds where supposed to be brought up to certain standards but the number of over seas players was to be reduced.The way i see it the number of over seas players if anything as increased. Our academy is second to none and recognised the world over as a hot bed for talent , so lets stop getting at best average overseas players in and continue to bring our own players through

[catman]

I don't think the problem with Wigan is the academy it's the scouting. I think we concentrate too much on our local teams and don't look at young players elsewhere. The academy system is a solid system that develops boys into men it's graduates usually fit quite well into the first team and there is a plentiful supply of young men coming through the system.

The main problem with this system is where are The Star players coming from? The academy system produces lots of decent players but very few outstanding ones and the problem for RL is that it is the outstanding players that put bums on seats and attract TV sponsorships not the decent ones.

[No straw damn us]

I don't think the problem with Wigan is the academy it's the scouting. I think we concentrate too much on our local teams and don't look at young players elsewhere. The academy system is a solid system that develops boys into men it's graduates usually fit quite well into the first team and there is a plentiful supply of young men coming through the system.

The main problem with this system is where are The Star players coming from? The academy system produces lots of decent players but very few outstanding ones and the problem for RL is that it is the outstanding players that put bums on seats and attract TV sponsorships not the decent ones.

You're completely wrong.
Harry Smith (Widnes), Caine Barnes (Barrow), Callum Field (Pontefract), Reece Hamlett (Rochdale), Joe Brown (Leeds), Amir Bourouh (Huddersfield), Liam Byrne (Salford), Reece Hamlett (Rochdale), Ben Kilner (Castleford), Nathaniel Marshall (Bolton), Joe Purcell (Widnes), Morgan Smithies (Halifax) etc etc.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

The academy pull through at Wigan has been superb over the last 10 years, ironically since Lenagan took over, I think it's 8 Grand Final wins in 10 years for that age group.

Have we really done that poorly at first team level in that period?
Three Grand Final wins, two close losses, a World Cup Challenge and three Challenge Cup finals, winning two.

Shaun Edwards said that his mandate is to get to the big games, well Wigan have done that in that last 10 year period using the academy well.

Personally I'd like to see that overseas quota reduced to two per club and bring in quality rather than quantity, make reserve grade compulsory thus helping all clubs to develop their own.

No we haven't but how do we increase our chances of further success? One can only assume that had we retained the services of the lads who have/are going to Aus then we would have won more trophies as the team developed. We need to find a better formulae, maybe we continue with our junior programme but find a better way of filling the gaps with quality players from outside the club.