There's a few not far off first team rugby the way things are going, not sure if Baker is ready yet though.

Well if i were Lowes i'd throw a few in. The fans will get right behind Liam Kirk running in and Joe Lumb from dummy half.

The whole club is flat and the young players will give everyone a lift and weren't be under pressure from the fans. Lauaki for example won't lift the fans and and as soon as he makes a mistake the crowd will be on the teams back.

Agree we shouldn't just lob them in willy nilly, but I think there's a natural reluctance to blood youngsters generally (across all teams and even wider most sports)

How often has a new star emerged in an injury crisis when a club has no other option?

I'd say the incidence of new talent coming to the fore by this route is higher then youngsters being introduced in a "controlled way"

NB: I have no evidence to support this - purely gut feel!

Problem is largely that the young lads we do have that look like they're ready or nearly ready, are in positions that we're not exactly struggling in.

Joe Lumb for example. As much as we'd love to see him get some time off the bench, he's realistically not going to get in the side and then keep out the current 9.

I'm disappointed they didn't use Ethan Ryan a little more when we had a couple of centres out and Blythe was stinking up the place.

The main point being though our best academy players from what I've seen are mainly forwards. And we're not struggling for quality in the back row especially, but really all across the pack.

If we had a halfback who was even nearly ready, I'm sure they'd have tried him by now. Which suggests the current halves aren't ready for that step up yet and they don't want to shatter their confidence by throwing them in and having them crash and burn.

Jacob Trueman is a great prospect at stand off but is still 17 I think so could be ruined by being put into a demoralised 1st team and expected to make things happen. Same goes for Brandon Pickersgill at fullback.

Danny McGuire?

McGuire was 19 when he debuted (2 years older than many of our better U19s) and he wasn't a regular until he was 21. He was 22 when he broke through with all those tries.

He also had better players around him.

So I don't really think it's a fair comparison. Mind you in 1998 we were struggling and gave debuts to Fielden and Deacon who held their own at 19.

That then!

Thought he was loads younger....must be perception of time!

Wigan and Saints always seen to do similar in times of need and unearth a Gem - Eastmond is the one that sticks out straight away.

I understand not throwing them in too early as you don't want to destroy their confidence as Bullseye said. But at the same time the crowd make far more allowances if a young player makes a mistake. For me if we don't give some of the young players a go now, when none of the first team are justifying their shirt, when are we going to give some a chance?

Don't think we would see someone tried even if they were ready. Look at Adam Brook last year. Why the coaches think playing a centre or back-rower at HB is a better option just because they're more experienced is a mystery.

Thought I would put this here for anyone who wants to sponsor the walk that's raising money to renovate the Academy changing rooms http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/bradford-b ... renovation

Thought I would put this here for anyone who wants to sponsor the walk that's raising money to renovate the Academy changing rooms http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/bradford-b ... renovation