won on the scoreboard but not the best game i was bored at times limping through the season reserves and 18s been meh for past few years now

Another big score for the u18s vs KR, seems this new 1 6 7 combo is really paying off in points after a good win against Cas last time out

a gimme the 18s should be putting cricket scores on
teams with a poor history of youth development the fact theygot 50 put on them aginst saints really shows where we are as an academy that spine for me will be judged against the big teams not the poor teams we have played and will be playing in the coming weeks

If beating Cas by a cricket score is a gimme, why did Wigan lose to them earlier this season?

The whole team isn’t going to make first grade. Most will end up in champ or “lower” SL clubs. Whereas it’s nice to win, the most important thing is that we have a handful of real talents in the system.

I believe there are 5-10 players across scholarship and academy with real chances. In addition we have McCormack, Smith, Simpson, Lumb and others who are already knocking on the door.

In other words, yes our competitors have some great youth talent but Leeds are starting to get the production line working again in my view.

jim a well balanced view but we should be challenging the bigger more established academys more than we have since chev left we have looked miles off doing that over the past 2 years

i watch the 18s and the scholars a lot and theres a lot of kids gone backwards in the academy its crazy to see if you know your rugby its glaring

Interested to get your take on which kids have gone backwards?

Maybe if they've gone backwards they're just not good enough? To make it at first grade at Leeds, in theory at least you should be close to international class or working towards that level. There just aren't many lads of that quality.

Granted there tends to be better talent across the hill, including some signings that are made from under our noses.

needed time to look through the squads as not familiar with them all some names for you that have regressed brennan jones corbett hartley taylor aliou gilmore hutchinson fergus mccormack phillips proud stephenson white all of which have gone backwards in terms of their on field and visual development at a rate of knots yes all might not be good enough but doesnt mean they regress like they have over the past 12-18 months in what is deemed an elite enviroment also who have we lost across the hill

What's happened to jack smith? He had some good performances in preseason but nowhere near the squad since?

Just now back from an injury I believe, played in the reserves last game I think