I don't think they're are been given the opportunity to develop once they're on the fringes of the first team.

Most of the 19s in this years league will be gone,either signed up by their respective clubs or get lost in the system .At Wakey the vast majority will still be together for the next 2 yrs with some of this years 16s included which I believe will be a lot stronger and wiser.

Club 1873 has been the catalyst for some major changes in the Youth pathway at Trinity, changes which have helped us go from a 4 rated structure to a 3 bordering on a 2.



1873 has also helped Trinity provide better facilities, coaching structure and scouting system which in turn has seen us recruit better juniors for the last 3 years.



The tip of the 1873 fuelled Youth Pathway is Crowther, Jowitt, Johnston, Swann etc and the 16s and 15s below them. 7 of the U16s have signed full time contracts while 2 (one an U15) represented England. All of the highly coveted U15s have resigned with the club despite being offered deals at other so called bigger clubs like Wigan, Warrington & Leeds.



1873 is perhaps the only decent part of the Elston/Glover legacy so please don't abandon it.

I hope they are at least able to produce some good news before the season tickets go on sale (and no just having a stable club does not cut it) or other than the regulars I do not expect an increase in demand.

Trout will not make a player we may aswell just release what is the point. Annakin has bags of potential and its strange why we cannot be bothad to train him up. Walshaw, Johnstone and Annakin should all be playing, why are we training 3rd rate cas players up instead of our youth its beyond me!

This season was always about staying in SL, at pretty much any cost.

Mission accomplished, even with the '3rd rate' Cas players!

Walshaw when he's played this season has contributed significantly to our team and it would be a travesty if he and Annakin are not signed and further developed for next season as back rowers. I'd rather have them than a 'Has been' forward in terms of Moi Moi or Gilmour.

In essence - now is not the time to lose faith - give it time! Even this L**ds side, founded on a group of juniors that were signed together as teenagers, took a few years to come through! I remember a conversation with Toppo wher he was telling me that we should try and get a young player from the Leeds academy, who wasn't getting any first team at the time, and get him in the first team at Wakey. That lad, well it was Danny Maguire.



The events of recent years have de-railed much of our clubs great production line. People are working hard to try and correct that, let's give them chance!

Interesting that because it was David Topliss that broke up the Trevor Bailey Colts team and wouldn't entertain almost all of them as part of his 1st team, unpopular fact but true!

Perhaps it's just that the grass is always greener.....

Don't know if you can call them back but Annakin and Trout are on season long loans with us but still training full time at Wakey It sounds a good move for Fev as we will basically have 2 full time players in our team all year but they won't cost us full time wages If they improve they are still yours the season after so a win win for both clubs Thing is will they want to come back if Wakey don't want to give them game time

That's a good example.



That team was outstanding at colts level, as was the coach.

BUT the step to first division was quite big. Our team wasn't strong enough to carry them all while they learned their trade.



Spencer and Conway were clearly capable but even then I don't think Billy just walked in to the team.

But Potts is a great example of a great player at colts level, good leader, big guy who dominated and had a good off load, but didn't quite make it at top flight.

Maybe if he'd been at Wigan where the pack was strong enough to ease him in he would have faired better but at Wakefield he just didn't quite (and only just) make it. Injuries make a difference too. The stress on the body is a big step too.

Green and Moules were outstanding at colts level and should have been our half backs for years to come but injuries and a steady introduction cost them and us.



Some might say they were not good enough and some might say we didn't train them well enough, but either way, it shows how hard it is to move from under 19s to top flight. Talent alone isn't enough.

States on the clubs web site under the 1873 draw , the lottery has helped retain Ben Shulver, haven’t seen that before

It was, but surely when the job was done (I.e. mathematically impossible for us to be relegated) the young guns should have been given there shot over players like Gilmour ?

As we seem to have given up on the top 8, then surely we have to plan for the future and although you cant put all of the youngsters in together, maybe one or two more may get a shot in the 1st team and yes, if the loanee's are not staying, then now would be the time to "rest" them.

I would assume its because we suddenly found ourselves in the hunt for the top 8 play-offs.

I never know whether to laugh or cry at these threads as they are a ludicrous mixture of sentimentality, lack of knowledge and seeing what you want to see.



First of all the Academy team that Anakin came from is not the first to win a title and then see none of the players really make it. I clearly remember the Featherstone Colts team from the very early 80's being the best around by some way - yet not one of those players made it and I know because a pal of mine was one of them. The good but not as good Trinity Colts team of the time however produced a number of long serving Pro's - why I don't know. Often some of the greatest RL players come from very poor junior teams, in essence success at that level has never been a guarantee of success higher up the ladder.



Also Leeds are a red herring, yes a lot of their juniors made it from that team but look at the players and coaches they were surrounded by - now look at us and our stability on all fronts.



As far as Im concerned the Academy is there to give us a possible talent pool. it is however not a social obligation to the city or the players. You want to purely represent your town play for Eastmoor - you want to be a SL player play well for whoever pays you. Frankly I don't see the issue as to where we get players from so long as they are the best available, their origin is irrelevant IMHO. For example Sinfield is from Oldham but do Leeds fans care. I firmly believe in a fair crack of the whip but no special rights to our juniors - whether that happens none of us really know and never will.



What really irks me is the number of touchline internationals who come on here claiming that Anakin is the future and worth keeping - how the hell do they know! Do they know Anakin, do they work with him day after day, do they know how he fits into the team dynamic - no! I don't mind speculation but to talk with such authority about something they have no knowledge of - come on.



As for Anakin I can't make my mind up on what I've seen, but so far he's put in nothing like the stella performances some on here have suggested. What I do know is Webster is his third coach and so far none of them have felt willing to back him - why. Oh yes because they are all in a conspiracy against him and just can't see the rough diamond in front of them - yeah right their all in it together

Also why have no other teams snapped him up or why have Fev not taken him as they are so flush at present?



Maybe just maybe he isn't ready yet and the coaching staff feel another year at Fev will make or break him. Remember it's a loan not a transfer.



So lets move on.

Wise words Vasty. Can't argue with any of that.

I can , to make a judgement on a player even as just a fan you have to at least watch them , the trouble with Wakefield and its proving the case now with Gilmour and Riley is THAT OUR OWN ARE NOT GIVEN A CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT TALENT THEY HAVE ,using Wildie as an example, have a look at who his appearances were against and who else was or wasn’t in the team .  Richard Own made his 150th first team appearance 2 weeks ago and is no better than what we have , Cas were prepared to play him and back him , we don’t .  

I am totally with Vasty on this one.

Anakin has not yet shown attributes to convince me has what it takes to be a regular Superleague player .

As for Wildie he definitely has had the opportunity but cannot quite move up to the required level.

I hope I am wrong in both cases.

It is not as though they do not still have the opportunity.

If they are good enough they will come through.If it happens at another club so be it.

We need a team to certainly challenge for the top 8 and personally, at my age I do not really care where they come from.

I am also sure that the missing, apathetic Wakefield, so called fans ,are only interested in a successful team.

In an ideal world, yes, it would be great to field a team with a considerable percentage of 'home grown', but it can only be achieved by gradually blooding more and more, following on from on the field success.

As I stated on another thread the real problem is the lack of reserve grade.

Jowitt, Crowther etc. would now be ready to play regular 2nd team alongside and against some seasoned pros. and then be fit enough and experienced to gradually ' step up ' when required.

And this is what irks me, so you know better than the previous three coaches? - sorry but prey tell how unless your one of them?

To be fair Vastman he probably knows more than Agar





Agree with you on this though, coaches work with these players day in day out so they know there ability inside out and they have no reason not to select them in the team other than they believe there is a better option or there not ready for SL week in week out.



For what its worth I think Chris will become a solid SL player, from what I have seen he is the closest of the homegrown talent to been a regular SL player, love his style and love his effort.



I just hope that we have a recall option on this agreement, as Webster has already stated we will be running with a smaller squad next season and if injuries occur we could be in a sticky situation!

Sorry Vasty but I've heard you wax lyrical about that Fev team before and they were good but no where near as good a team as the Wakefield Colts that swept the board under Trevor Bailey and I'm not being rose tinted in any way.



The Fev team wouldn't have lived with the speed, intensity and movement of that Wakefield team and there was some real class from a few of the pivotal players which underpinned everything they did.



Leeds, Wigan and Hull in particular all sent teams brimming with first team experience in an attempt to beat that Colts team and all went home after 30 & 40 point lessons.



There were a number of reasons why a few of them didn't progress and they weren't all down to things under the control of the players themselves.

Annakin played really well when he´s had the chance for Trinity.

I think another indicator as to how good the youngsters are that have been mentioned is the amount of interest shown in them from other SL coaches - none I think.

I think Walshaw has the most potential - I have seen nothing in Anakin yet to convince me. Wildie had his chances as did Trout but none of them set the world alight.