Isn't that relying on a group of people forcing themselves to do something they're apparently reluctant to do?

If there was a compelling self-interest in doing it, they'd do it.

If it's a sacrifice for the good of the game, give the role (and money) to somebody who is better suited to the role.

Aligning incentives is much more effective that making things mandatory.

Yet Leeds have set up both a Women's and a Physical Disability team this off season.

We could stockpile a bunch of young players (most of who you could clearly tell won't make it at Leeds) up to an older age just for the chance that 1 or 2 MIGHT develop later for our own selfish benefit....,or as what happens they move on to lower SL or Championship clubs. The big scare mongering for those who are pro Reserve league are players are lost to the game but in reality most of our academy players that leave are playing SL or Championship rugby. Look at your neighbours, they have Minns and Mulhern who have been playing both SL and then Championship Rugby instead of constantly appearing in an inferior quality Reserve league.

The women's & physical disability teams will cost nothing, they may even make money as they will open the way up to government funding. The real reason the whino's didn't like the reserves was because they have managed some very comfy dual reg set ups that aren't possible for other teams. Anything that levels the playing field regarding the ability of teams to keep their fringe players match fit and aid their development is not in there interest.

I'm a big advocate of a reserve grade because I believe we need to keep those fringe players in the club to learn the club's way of doing things and playing like the first team. It's also invaluable for those players just returning from injury as it gives them a platform to gain fitness within the club environment. There's no coincidence that the vast majority of the upper part of the league in 2016 ran a reserve grade. Last year games were getting cancelled left right and centre which is why it was pointless. I just think it's a real shame because in the good old days, the Alliance grade was fantastic!!

Agree with the above and add that some players develop later than others and maybe be lost to the game. Sundays game showed that a well organised and run reserve set up would also be entertaining to watch.

I think it might well have been, you know. Or perhaps the more pertinent correlation was between wealth and ability to run and expensive first team squad and a reserves.

If you include 2017, when Leeds got better and Wire and Wigan weren't so good... well, advocates of a reserves comp had to quietly drop that argument.

I don't massively buy-in to the keeping players in the club environment thing either. For the good of the game, I think they'd be better flying the nest and playing at the highest level they're currently capable of. They can always go back when they're ready. Tbf, I've always learned better by doing than by watching or listening, so I'm probably a bit biased. It just smells to me like clubs wanting to hold onto ownership of players - a bit like the ring-fencing thing at the KuHA.

2017 fell to pieces because of the lack of games, which is what I said in my original post. I'm a big believer in your club and team mates being your extended family which then breeds respect and protectiveness for each other on the pitch. It's not about ownership for me, it's about belonging.

And let me guess, the likes of Hull and Warrington ran reserve teams to help smaller teams keep their fringe players fit and aid develop them.....so so noble. Reality is those who are/did run reserve teams are just as guilty of selfish reasons for doing so.

Okay, I just think that it is quite a leap to that having been influential in the downturn in Wire's fortunes, for example. Basically, Leeds were notable under performers in 2016, and were unusual among the wealthier teams in not running a reserves team that year. That very easily could be a coincidence, and I think it probably was. Even in 2016, the competition as it was then structured looked - being more generous than hindsight requires - to be taking initial tentative steps.



That's a fair point, well put. And it's not like I'm against a reserves competition on principle. Done well, it could offer value in some ways - but that isn't the £30k per annum version mentioned by an earlier poster. With the money required to do it properly, I think you could get more bang for your buck elsewhere. Putting money into the grassroots of the game, for example.

With their link-ups with York and Doncaster, I think Rovers and Hull have found a good balance. If I was a York or Doncaster fan, I'd probably have mixed feelings - but a proper SL reserves league would impact on their clubs too, in different ways.

Yeah because before they restarted reserve teams the likes of Wigan, Warrington and Saints NEVER finished in the top 4.

Games were getting cancelled due to too many injuries at clubs, how is your fringe players and youngsters playing reserve games every week going to help that? You'll end up with even bigger injury lists because players will pick up injuries in that reserve competition too. If clubs couldn't cope with weekly first team games and the odd reserve game every several weeks how are they going to cope putting out teams for both every week?

For the criticism Leeds get for not running one and going Dual Reg. we just won a GF with a new core of young players who came through our setup more than playing there part and potentially being our core for the next 5-10 years . Jack Walker a GF winner at 18, Sutcliffe, Ward, Singleton all in their early 20's and over 100 appearances and a few medals to their names.

Look at some of those who ran reserves. Warrington had a similar season to us 12 months previously. We backed ourselves and squad and young players. Warrington have gone out and splashed cash in bringing players in. Wigan get praised but look at recruitment since reserves started. An ex player in Sarginson brought back even though this former player returning has been a poor tactic for them and a young Aussie forward, last year another former player in Leuluai and two French players? Where's the real results for their two years of running reserves? The likes of Williams, Burgess, Gildart, Powell had broken through BEFORE reserves. They had the two young wingers Davies and Marshall last season but they'd have played anyway last year due to injuries.

It's not Leeds fault Reserves hasn't worked, the rest of SL and Championship shouldn't need us to hold there hand in doing it if it's the great idea people claim it is. It's also not our fault that other clubs haven't made the success of Dusl reg. that we have.