The U19s side we *could* put out would wipe the floor with everyone at this level to be fair.

I’m going to put this out there and say that the talent in our system right now is better than it’s ever been in my time watching. We pretty much have a 1-13 side of home-grown players either already in first grade, or knocking on the door.

Maybe some of these players would have been picked up by Bradford Bulls back in the day, but whatever the reasons we really do have a bumper crop overall. Happy times.

Thats not strictly true, they should wipe the floor with everybody, but a near full strength team got beat by Cas at headingley earlier this season with only really Gannon not playing. The team yesterday had Rep players everywhere, be that England Youth or Yorkshire Academy, more than enough that they should be beating a poor HKR team easily. The issue i have isnt the talent in the system, we have good talents everywhere, but even the best need good coaching at young age to reach there full ability.

What good coaching looks like is subjective, but for me, a lot of our 19's looked more intelligent rugby players at 16 than they do at 18

Not sure I agree Jim to be honest. The standard of the junior game is very poor. The standard of opposition the U17s played was actually embarrassing KR was only team they played that had an idea. We have some outstanding kids in our club but most are now in the full time squad and not in the academy system. I look at yesterdays 19s and look at our 17s and they arent that great. In fact both teams are poor.

A few ago the standards was much better but thats a game issue not only a Leeds issue.

Bastian has been brought in to widen the search for talent and to manage, structure and organise the whole department. Leeds believe we can really take advantage the next couple of years as clubs are really going to struggle financially.

Agar believes Butterill, Walker and Simon Bell are the right people to work alongside him.

Covid will impact the sport much more than people realise at all levels. It already has.

We have to remember also that the club released an entire age group during covid so these 19s lost a years development, came back not in rugby shape and have no older kids in the team.

The entire team is 1st year 19s and have no 2nd years to carry the load when needed. We didnt play any full timers with them either.

Every clubs players were in the same boat regarding covid and missing a years development.

Yeaterdays 18 man squad had two 3rd year 19s, ten 2nd year 19s and six first year 19s. So not particularly young.

Think the 17's (first year academy) are a quality group, Gannon, Edwards, Edgill, Simpson, Gatus, Morgan are all very good imo. 4 were very good playing a year up in the academy origin while Gannon is doing it in the first team with Morgan just back from injury.

There might have been 10 x 2nd years Matt but they didnt play or train for a year, thats the point im making. The 2nd years are really 1st years bar a couple of games last season.

But it was the same for every club, if it had just been us then thats different, but with every club being in the same boat then we can only judge it off there age group.

Yeah it was and its impacted every team. The standard of all teams is really low at both 17s and 19s. Lads have lost a massive and key part of their development and standards across the board are lower.

I watched all the 17s games live apart from London away and the standard was embarrassing really. I said earlier that KR was only team with a clue but looking back at it now the standard of that 2nd half was a joke actually and they was the best team we played. Ive watched all the 19s games bar Cas away.

The community game will have been massively impacted by Covid which will have a knock on effect on scholarship and academy rugby for a few years to come. The game isnt producing key position players and hasnt for a while..

Im not accepting the 19s yesterday but these lads have really been unlucky with the timing. Jeez theyve only played a handful of games this season and its August now and they have missed countless training sessions due to the virus all season long. Its little wonder theyve taken a step backwards. We shouldnt be too harsh on them. I feel sorry for them actually.

I understand all that, just dont accept that we'r dissadvantaged with a young squad when every team has had the same things to deal with, yesterdays squad had ten 2nd years, they missed a year of development like every other teams 2nd years, if we'r classing our 2nd years as 1st years then you have to do the same with every other club.

Im not actually criticising or being harsh on the players , i think theres some good players in the group, i think theyr being badley coached, iv maintained that opinion throughout, my opening post in this thread about the qualitys of the players in our 19s hasnt really changed...the 2nd years have some good players, especially forwards, the first years are a very good group with a bit of potential star power.

I think the quality goes in cycles, regardlees of covid, dont think the standard is any different overall, we'v had some shocking intakes over the years where the talent just hasnt been there or we'v done a bad job identifying it, and we'v had some excellent ones. Our 1st year academy are very good, one of our best for years imo with some very good players at other clubs in the same age group, our u16s arnt great imo and our u15s and the 15s talent in yorkshire overall is good.