as anyone heard anythin if a member of the salford board as got back to gmr yet and are goin to be present on thrusday night for the rugby phone in.. im sure we all have a few questions we'd like to ask regarding the staduim and other issus affectin salford at the minute..

Mr Wilkinson will be on Manchester Radio in the next few minutes....

TUNE IN NOW......

Trueful and forthright in his comments on the stadium.
Very annoyed about the rumours and stated again we will be in a new stadium but it may be later than was anticipated
I think we can put this one to bed now till we hear anything else official.

The Richie Myler one was very interesting, Mr Offiah as we suspected is the one stirring it.Also as he said the whole thing about bringing through youngsters only for other clubs to poach them needs sorting.

A team once went round to Ferdinands house and "persuaded" him his best move was to stay at united.
We should do this with Offiah

No one likes to see their best young talent leave the club however this subject isnt black and white. Three of our young players Myler, Nash and Sidlow were signed from their hometown club. We can bleat on as much as we want but until we have a youth system where locally produced players are developed and brought through the club we have no argument about 'poaching' of youngsters. Anything more than the odd Salfordian playing in the Salford first team is a lot further away than us playing in a 20k stadium at Barton.

Having been an Academy player from the first inception, and a non-Salfordian by birth, there is a lot of players that Salford seem to pick-up from other areas. Warrington being a hub for signing young talent. I'm not suggesting Warrington is overflowing with talent, it's just that Warrington based players have often signed for us. I have often come across players that Support the Wire but state that they would never sign for them due to their terrible youth set-up and general bad-managment. Although I am quoting from a few years ago. Things may have changed...

When I played, a good third of our players were Warrington based. There was three Salford born-and-bred players. None of which made the first team except Phil Coussins, and he was not a success.

The quest for local talent is a tough one. Langworthy and Eccles produce consistently good players but it doesn't reflect in the Salford first team.

Don't feel too bad. When you look at Cumbria, it produces a glut of talent that moves on and plays elsewhere. Such is life. Every area will concede that x-amount of players will leave for pastures new. If Salford really targetted local areas it would produce more talent that would remain loyal to their local Club.

It's a tough one. Players that form a team come from far and wide and it's down to the loyal youth development and/or club scouts to see the potential stars of the future.

Are you suggesting we should form a 'Salford Education Committe?':wink:

Good post. I personally think the whole rugby league development in salford needs looking at (whether that be by the club or the council). In my opinion every primary school in Salford should be targeted with visits from Salford. As full time professionals they must have a certain amount of time for this. My little boy goes to a school about a mile away from the proposed new stadium (an area that I feel needs to be a top priority). Not one of the kids in his class go to games but are always interested when he talks about it (and he has appointed himself head coach of his class - nursery). He would be over the moon even if one of the young academy lads turned up to give them a bit of coaching or even just to give a talk and it might increase interst in the area. I am aware that junior clubs in the area struggle to get players at times and maybe this needs addressing by the club. The more kids that get involved the more likely we are to find that elusive born and bred salford first teamer. My lads dream is already to be salford's number 7. we need more like him.

Salford dont do anything for eccles really. Wigan came down and did something with the club. Invited all the youngters and coaches to training sessions and to a match with the full treatment etc. Salford havn't done any of that and there a local team!

At present the main area the club appear to be concentrating on is East and South Manchester. There are development officers in those areas and new teams with juniors have been formed.The remit from the RFL was that Salford should spread the game to Manchester and this is what they are trying to do.
This unfortunately has a detrimental effect on the Core area in Salford.
Our local teams are suffering and the interest in the game is dwindling especially in the schools.
I know of only three in the area who have RL on the school sport curriculum.
We need to get kids interested and playing the game.
This should be at an early age where tag rugby is a good introduction.
Salford should be helping with schools coaching and also holding sessions at local clubs.
If you do not get the kids interested then the sport will become more of a minority pastime and we will never see that next Salford Born England playing scrum half.

I am sure the Rugby League would be interested in this because Wigan are poaching out of their development area by doing this, Salford have been warned about going into Oldham by the rugby league.
Salford do have a development team lead by John Blackburn.