especially if they are backs/halfbacks
For some reason we really struggle to bring young backs through our system yet HKR seem to be the opposite

The COHA was a completely terrible idea from the start.

Scrap it, now!

This is how I feel. I very much appreciate a lot of what Pearson has done for the club but this has to be one he got wrong. The key word is trust, something that is quite impossible when Hudgell is involved and frankly I'm surprised at Pearson's lapse in judgement there.

Its going to be tough to untangle this mess as the RL was in on it. The other clubs must be rolling over laughing at this mess and I certainly haven't seen any other merged academies - nor do I expect any soon either.

The joint academy was a crazy idea from the off, I wouldn't even say good idea in theory. What's even worse is having anyone involved that has been so anti Hull FC and publicly.
Unless the RFL increase teams in SL next season Rovers unlikely to come back up.
The experiment for want of a better word just hasn't worked and should be scrapped.

I was quite vocal in being against the merged academy when it was first announced. Most of us saw it for what it was, a cost-cutting exercise, and in the process we've sold part of the clubs identity & got into bed with a lower league club run by a bloke who has an innate hate for Hull FC and questionable morals.

This exodus to Cas is the first real tangible proof that the academy isn't working. It's time to cut adrift the poor relations & start funding the academy properly.

Unless we announce a new intake list with the top talent from Hull, mixed with some kids from Yorkshire, then this is a big wake up call about the failings of the COHA. Ok, results have been quite good, towards the top of their league, but this isn't a good sign

Is it, or is it that young lads feel they will get more of a chance at senior level under a coach like Powell? Both Hull and Rovers are awash with overseas players and generally when one leaves another comes in, we are all aware that the number of young local players who make it in teams is far from impressive.

To be honest even if we were in SL and I had a lad in the academy and Cas came calling I'd by him a car and a tomtom

We have 7 overseas players, Cas 6 (I think). Radford is as good if not better at bringing young players through as Powell, in Powells 3/4 years in charge how many players has he brought in from there academy to play 10 plus games a season.

It is a concern, but there is nothing to stop the signing for the COHA when they are 16 or either team when they are 18.

On another note I've seen a few teams announce on twitter which young players have signed professional terms, be nice if we could do the same.

Who has Powell brought through from the Academy? Cas, just from the top of my head, have Monaghan, Webster, Roberts, Millington, Moors, Sene-Lefao, Jy Hitchcox plus Springer from Catalan (and Larroyer). They have bought Hardaker, Eden in this season too - so where is their history of youth development? They are as "awash" with overseas players as us, perhaps more so

Compared to Hull - Shaul, Logan, Rawsthorne (albeit via Halifax but by no means a first team player with them), Fash, Matongo, Turgut, Bowden, Hadley, Downs, who have all had game time this year alone.

Maybe just how it seems but from that list of your players Shaul and Bowden have made it with Hull the rest will be shipped out probably never to return. Now whether that's them not being good enough or if just a perception of how it goes who knows.

There's also the matter of how much they are being offered as a wage, is it considerably better than they are currently getting paid.