Is Clarkey really suggesting that Hull should have fielded a full-back based purely on the criterium that he's a local lad rather than whether he's any good or not? I'm sure that any one of the amateur clubs on Humberside could have loaned them a no. 1 for the night, but whether those lads would be up to professional standard is another question altogether.

There are times when Clarke makes some really stupid observations. He's still harping on about his NFL-style draft, in which players all sign central contracts and are then allocated to the clubs who need them most. Can you imagine that - if Wigan, Leeds, Saints, Wire etc were all told they can keep developing players, but that the best ones would be off to Wakey and Cas. There'd be no new blood coming into the game at all within a year; but that wouldn't matter because at least Wakey and Cas would win a game now and then.

A young English back is getting a chance at a good superleague club in his natural position. He's at a club that have lost their first choice fullback and their back up options. He's come from a club that can't accommodate him in that fullback position at the moment as they have superleagues best player playing their but don't want to stifle his development.

Crazy stuff alround....naaat!

Phil Clark used to be worth listening to. Ages ago.

Clarke's not wrong here. He was suggesting that after 10 + years of SL Hull should be producing more first teamers from the local area than they actually do and just used Russell as an example of this. Hard to argue with that as Shaun McRae has admitted that this is a big failing.

Clarke had great criticism of Hull and their lack of development yet very little of the fact that Pearson said when he took over that Youth Development had been ignored and now would be their priority.
The previous management at Hull was awful, that's where Clarke's comments should have been directed.

I reckon Phil Clarkes grump on this weekend is based on Wigan selecting Gelling to replace Richards on the left wing and not select a player like Russell who has come from the Wigan youth setup.

His pop at Hull for not producing their own full back was almost a petulant child reaction to not getting his own way.

Russell had his chance though on the wing against Salford and was awful, which is understandable as he is not a winger and is inexperienced as well. Wane said as much (that Russell and King had not taken their chances) when wiggy asked him about it on the extra time show. Clarke should have known this, or if he did he chose to completely ignore it.

We haven't produced a local full back since Richard Gay, so he had a point, albeit not particularly well articulated.

Clarke has a go at hull over Russell but fails to mention how Leeds should be embarrassed for borrowing Lunt from Huddersfield

So true, especially when they have Paul Mcshane a proven hooker at super league level.