It's all very well saying we need to produce our own players, I don't think anyone disagrees. Our success in 2016 and 17 was on the back of a decent homegrown contingent. The problem is we have had a smaller catchment area than the big clubs and just haven't unearthed many SL quality players. We've invested more money and have cast a wider net but only time will tell whether we produce any stars.

As it is our squad has a massive chunk of academy lads in it. We will have no option but to play them once injuries start to mount. Just have to hope that some of them make the jump to this level and that our fans give them a chance before attacking them.

I think this crop of young players is the best we have had for a while, there genuinely seems to be belief within the club that a lot of them can make the step up to the first team, I can't think of a better bunch of young players since we had Houghton, Lee, Washbrook etc... all come through.

The thing is, in the last 3/4 years or academy have just about every year finished in the top, but for some reason we don't seem to make that talent transpire into the first team compared to Leeds, Saints and Wigan.

Hopefully that's changes with the new set up and players we have.

I'm convinced at least 8 or so players who are in our set up from academy to Reserve level would become good SL players at Wigan or Saints. Let's hope we can do that.

I think a lot of the current crop are good enough but a lot has to go right for a good kid to become a good adult. The lads promoted this year and last seem a better standard than those from previous years, especially the forwards.

Genuine question are kids still playing RL in big numbers in Hull? We've had Covid years with little to nothing happening and the sport isnt exactly giving off an image of long term career potential and big earnings at the minute.

We might see a boom in parents taking their kids down the pub to play on the dart board too

2016 and 2017 was largely on overseas players and Ellis

Take likes of carlos, fonua, Kelly, mini, Ellis, manu out we were nothing

Only homegrown who played any real impact were shaul, taylor and Houghton

Kelly was huge in 2017 biggest impact from a overseas player since Jason Smith and Swain

By homegrown do mean fed-trained (in which case, Sneyd) or club-trained (in which case, Taylor)?

Blore just signed for the Storm, shows how highly rated he is, probably best we didn't sign him, as he would have been here for a year max.

Looking at our options and what was available, think we have done just about as good as business as we could have.

Two regular NRL starters a NZ International and a big up and coming prop.

Homegrown ie from hull

The poster made out our 2016/17 success was down to our homegrown

Which us utter nonsense as apart from them 3 ( shaul, taylor and Houghton ) it was the others who played the huge part

Ellis and Kelly were huge in them days

Think you're doing home grown players Bowden, Green, Washbrook and Yeaman a huge dis service as they played a huge part in the 2016 season including the first win at Wembley not forgetting Hadley who also played his part in 2016. Notice you didn't mention Sneyd or Watts who weren't homegrown but weren't overseas players nor Thompson.
Take 5 or 6 of any of those out the 2016 squad and we would have been lacking and not an overseas player in the 8 mentioned.