Mrs Barista wrote:What a dull response - where's the sport in that?
Salford have just come up:
Richie Myler (age 19) 14
Jordan Turner (age 20) 13
Stefan Ratchford (age 20) 12
Luke Adamson (age 21) 15
Andrew Thornley (age 20) 1
Adam Sidlow (age 21) 6
Dean McGilvray (age 21) 2
Jason Walton (age 19) 1
Total 64
Not that dull, dull is the position Salford find themselves in at present, along with other clubs that are struggling to compete. It's a well known fact that Rovers sacrificed their youth policy, which was well respected for a lower league club a few years back, to assist them with their plan to get into Super League, which they managed to do as you well know.
Rovers have over the last couple of seasons have progressed in the top division, and at the same time we've progressed at youth levels also. Every club has it's own policy on it's youth development, Salford's is to bring in players at an early age as your stats suggest, but yet it's also encouraged by the state Salford find themselves in, with little money to spend on new players, Mcrae's own words, and a reliance on youth to help out.
Hull have a policy of telling the world they have a very good crop of youngsters coming through, yet constantly look to Australia and New Zealand to recruit players, what does this say to the young players looking to step up into the first team?
Now although some might argue that Rovers have the wrong kind of approach, I can only suggest the stats point to it working in our favour, the first team are going well in the Super League, the youth teams are improving.