If this kid is a talented as many say I hope we retain him. However, throwing silly money at a 16 year old may not be best for the club or, for that matter, the kid. I recall certain posters lambasting the club when Baldwinson was lured to the NRL. Since that time Baldwinson career hasn't quite progressed as was precicted and he's back at Leeds.

Cameron Smith could be the next Ellery Hanley and he could be the next Richard Gunn. That's a degree of uncertainty.

What is far more certain is Leeds handling of juniors and their career progression has usually been spot on.

Cameron Smith, or any other Junior at this time as no relevance to Ellery Hanley or Richard Gunn. What they could be is the next Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock, Sam Tomkins, Paul Sculthorpe, Kieron Cunningham, Gareth Ellis, James Graham, Sam Burgess, or James Roby.

You see we have a game in a completely different era to what we had in Richard Gunns days. There are far far far more kids playing the game these days, which means if you are top of a much bigger pool, the likelihood is you are better than those who were top of a much smaller pool. More importantly these lads are training with clubs from the age of 13 these days, not still in the amateur game until after 16 years of age before invited to clubs. They are training with the clubs facilities, getting integrated long before decisions are to be made.

Now Andy Gilder, if you can give examples of lads who are rated at the highest in the Junior game over the last 10 years who have failed to do anything, that would have relevance.

The skill is to spot the genuine talent - if he is a generational talent then he needs a different path to his peer group. When we talk about throwing money at somebody what are we talking about? this isn't PL soccer. It would be a shame to lose a future Kevin Sinfield because of the rigidity of the salary structure. The club will know in three years if he maintains his status in his peer group so if they pay 10k a year more than they would other youngsters what have they lost - a lot less than they have wasted on the likes of Brad Clyde, Brett Mullins, the second year of Tony Carroll etc.

I seem to remember the likes of Ashley Gibson being touted as the best thing since sliced bread about a decade ago, and it never really worked out with him. I'm sure there are many others

Do you know it as actual fact that the club doesn't already do this?

It's a kind of self-fulfilling prophesy: kids who don't make it weren't really top level youngsters (despite opinions held at the time) whereas those that do were. Particularly if they achieved elsewhere.

But I agree with Sal, our pay structure should not be totally inflexible. Then again, I'm not convinced it is. After all, that's hardly the kind of information the club would want to be widely known.

Ask Morgan Smith? that is a tangible example of what can happen with very talented kids. If Cameron really is that good then I would suspect there will be some competition for his signature.

If Wigan came along and offered on the basis of getting youngsters into the first team in key positions early it would be a very compelling argument, something Leeds would not be able to demonstrate so easily.

I'm still waiting for the day when a player we let go genuinely (post missing Robinson) goes on to bigger and better things elsewhere. It just hasn't happened over recent years. You can make an argument that players such as Carvell, Scruton, Burgess have done OK for themselves but I genuinely can't recall a player we've let go whose career has progressed to the point we'd be desperate to have them back.

This is how I'd be selling the club to our young players. You can also dangle the carrot to any young ball players that spots are going to be available in the first team in the fairly short term for them to make their own for the next decade.

Until I see otherwise, I'll trust the club on these matters. Baldwinson is a prime example of how A) the grass isn't always greener and B) some people or here don't know as much as they'd like to think.

Of course there will be many others. But not the ones touted as the best of their age group, that is the key difference.

There are plenty of youngsters who excel, but then many other variables come into effect, ability, attitude, focus, build. If they are the top of their age group, and of the right quality in these areas, then these are the ones you don't see many not making it.

These are fair points - how many youngsters have Leeds had in the past 5 years that are genuinely really top class - Watkins?

Watkins almost goes back beyond 5 years now I would argue.

Ward was meant to be, which I guess shows the very best at their age group doesn't necessarily translate. He has 'made it' but I would argue due to a number of reasons is nowhere near fulfilling expectations.

Sutcliffe looks the part at times but has plenty of development to do.

I'm sure there are many others who have been touted as the next big thing (Aston Wilson anyone?) who haven't made an impact. The club will have lambasted for not giving them a chance yet few have gone on to even be very good SL players.

I guess my point is that until we start getting it massively wrong I'll trust the judgement of the people who've been doing this successfully for years.

But thats largely to do with the fact we've had this 'golden generation' around......which simply won't be around in 3 years time or less in some cases.

Given also that we don't look like a club that will go out and spend big to replace them all, then actually if you're around 16/17/18 now then now is the perfect time to be on the cusp on the first team. When Peacock and Leuluai go ahead and retire then Mulhern and Baldwinson chances look better here than if they were behind the likes of Amor, Walmsley, Masoe at Saints.

Who are the U18s players over the last 10 years who have been touted as "best in class". I can think of Sam Burgess, Kyle Eastmond, Watkins, Bateman. Are there any who've done a Richard Gunn and *not* made it?

I seem to recall Rogue's Gallery, a poster who has never shied away from decrying Leeds youth development, once describing Stevie Ward as the best player of his age group. He's now a steady Super League player but would I break the pay structure to keep him? Doubt it.

The pay structure work. It's proven. It is not a bar to retaining the right players with the right attitude (Hall, Watkins etc). Juniors can commit long term within it (Golding etc). At the end of they day if young Smith is the type of player whose sole motivation at age 16 is to play for whatever club offers the biggest contract then talented or otherwise does he fit the ethos of the club.

Of the 29 players named in the 2010 England Academy squad (so arguably the best 29 players of their age group in the country) there are around half a dozen holding down regular first team places in SL/NRL at the moment - Tommy Makinson, Brad Singleton, George Burgess, Adam Milner, Ben Crooks and Matty Russell.

That squad included the likes of George Elliott, Liam Hood and Jared Stewart from Leeds all of whom have dropped off the SL radar. So even under systems where juniors come to clubs much earlier in their pro development there's still a sizeable drop-out rate in terms of making progress to even playing at first team level, let alone going on to become a superstar.

And none of those still in Super League would be worth breaking the bank for.

Again some good points - is the current structure fit for purpose? the circumstances are very different from when it was first introduced. The team is now in decline as its key players age - how do you arrest that decline either spend large money on average NRL players or invest a little more in the very best youngsters.

If Smith is that good he will thrive in any top 4/5 clubs, they all have a good record with youth. Why should he take less money to stay at Leeds - what can Leeds offer him that Saints/Wigan/Saints/Warrington cannot?

George Burgess - whilst not in SL might have been quite useful now - maybe he wouldn't have had the opportunities at Leeds he has had at South Sydney.

Being on his doorstep for a start off. Did he grow up a Leeds fan like some of the players in the current squad?

Doubt it. He's from Cas (Daniel Smith's brother and Tony Smith's nephew).

Very, very difficult to tell how good a kid will be at 16. All you can do at that age is keep learning and keep doing your best. I find it very silly to start employing agents and looking for money at that age. Still, some kids these days involved in sport seem to have a very high opinion of themselves, and that's not just in RL. My lad has basically given up rugby for the moment to concentrate on swimming and boy, do you get some egos from kids 11, 12, 13. By the time they are a little older that tends to go because most drop out when the bubble bursts and everyone else goes through puberty as well. The kids that make it have talent and a work ethic that puts other sports to shame.

How come Kevin Sinfield signed for Leeds can't think either of those criteria were important to him.

At elite level you need to make decisions based on cold hard facts and try and cut out emotion as much as possible

Kevin Sinfield signed for Leeds because we offered the best deal at the time, as did Chev Walker. Both of these were the highest rated individuals in the country at the time of their respected offers.

This model was imperative in why we have just come through the era we have. Why we moved away from it, was because we already had the players in the first team. We should take a step back, and repeat what we did so well. Sign the best youngsters we can.

Would seem sensible, particularly as the quality we might otherwise have signed from down under's no longer an option.

Whilst not playing for Leeds, what happened to Lee Crookes lad? One minute the most exciting young centre in British Rugby League and the next minute..........whoosh, where's he gone?