It seems to me they want to reduce the numbers because so many lads don't make it, and they want to keep a wide spread to make sure kids in London and Newcastle retain a pathway.

I would guess if there's no Bradford Academy and quality Bradford lads want to play for Bradford then won't they just go through Huddersfield or Leeds academies anyway and then sign for Bulls?

I note Les Catalans are bowing to the Academy requirement as they did for Licensing 2009. This may just save their Superleague skins

Anyway as long as all the top lads still find an academy to go to this may mean a lot of young lads staying in the community game, and I mean a lot because don't only one or two lads in a hundred make it through the academies to pro clubs and those that don't tend to call it a day...

If there's only room for one academy around Wakey way why not just call it "Calder" and play at each of the three grounds

I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Both Jake Trueman and John Bateman had offers from better clubs than Bradford but chose to sign for their home town club.

Then there’s the likes of James Bentley who signed scholarship terms with Featherstone after failing to impress super league scouts when he was at Outlton Raiders. Never had a game for Featherstone and looked like he would fall through the net - as again none of the super league academies wanted him - but thankfully got picked up by Bradford’s academy thats been staffed by dedicated people that sweat blood for it. Now (before injury) he’s been turning out regularly for Saints. As a young lad at six form college would he really traipse up to Newcastle to train with their academy?

as opposed to Huddersfield who’ve given us Jermaine McGillvary and.. ...erm that’s it in the last decade. Or Wakefield who gave us Josh Griffin and that’s it since Gareth Ellis 20 years ago

Well they must have produced more players than Cas because Cas were the BOTTOM club in players produced since 2014.

It's also about player development in an educational sense and the impact the academies have on their local community game, if you're taking 50 youngsters out of the community game in the hope 2 of them become Super league players then that is detrimental to the community game. I would imagine those with elite status produce top class education and care to a fewer amount of players who are all fairly decent prospects.

You're either very bitter or very out of touch, look at both clubs squads and then maybe you'd like to correct yourself.


In fact, nah, you are just very bitter

Well TBF Cas used to produce many home grown players of immense talent at times.....

Watts, Holmes Clare and Eden seem to be the only Cas products in the Cas squad.

I do recall someone lamenting at Cas (a previous CEO) that the days of the conveyor belt of star Cas players was slowing right down.

Cas are a great club don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go, but Cas were hardly a "top side" until Darryl Powell came along and AFAIK he's a Wakey lad?

No I was talking about the England train on squad. I thought that was obvious.

From Huddersfield’s academy - Jermaine McGillvary.
From Wakefield’s academy - Josh Griffin and Tom Johnstone (injured)

In response to a comment claiming the clubs excluded haven’t produced England players for a decade.

...and before you ask Tom Burgess, John Bateman and Elliot Whitehead in the current train on squad.

Yes I am bitter because my club have been stiffed by a short sighted decision that will ultimately reduce the player talent pool for the sport further doing more long term damage than the savings to a few super league Chairmen. I’m extremely bitter

Oh come on with all due respect that is rubbish.

Those players you mention come from an era when Bradford were splashing cash they did not have. All those players would have found there way in the game through another Academy. I know Trinity were desperate to sign Bateman as a youth so he wasn’t short of offers.

I see no reason why they didn’t give Bradford the nod but you are guilding the lily big time.

Wakefield by the way just thrashed your under 17’s so with respect you’re not that good anymore, sorry.

I thought the sport required all SL clubs to have an academy.

How things suddenly change.

So no Tom Johnstone then.

Or Ben Westwood or Danny Brough,

There are a fair few others who started at Wakefield but I just can’t be bothered.

Then of course there is the list of Wakefield based players but that list would just be enormous, Stanley Rangers alone has produced more players than some pro clubs.

Get a grip.

They haven’t, Salford opted out a few years ago, it’s not been required for a while but this time it’s been enforced rightly or wrongly.

Possibly a reason behind it.

Maybe the financial assurances from some clubs wasn't there??

I don't know the reasons, but I'm sure we will find out in due course.

Ah ok, so you're judging academies strength by how many players in the England squad have come through it? that wouldn't be because in your straw clutching world it's the one that helps you win the argument over Hudds and Wakey then? well that stat alone should have got them an elite licence, cos you produced 1 more England squad player than Wakefield and 2 more than huddersfield

With all due respect we’ve not been able to splash the cash for years and yet despite us being out of the picture you lot have produced a whole zero more England players than us.

Despite the fact we’ve been on our for years in the championship and even league one we’ve continued to produce players that have made up the bulk of our squad whilst losing loads to super league. The likes of James Bentley, Jake Trueman, Ethan Ryan, Roman Milnes, Oliver Wilson, all super league players all came through since relegation. Plus the likes of O’Brien and Mellor who came through when we were on our and needed to blood players early just to field a team in super league.

Leigh have been refused.

Ben Westwood and Danny Brough? Ha ha ha bang up to date there. Why stop there what about the Fox brothers!

Want anymore straws to grasp at my pompous friend?

That's a fair post post, I would suggest that the "stat" for youngsters "making it" is far worse than 2 out of every 50 academy lads.

Again not having a go but the as we see with Cas they will turn over what? 30 local prospects a year and if they get a good one like Olly Holmes they will get 10 years and 200 games from him (and still counting)... but Holmes is more of a one in a hundred player.

Just got a flashback or two from my youth....I can recall the "Classy Cas" teams when the majority of players were actually from Cas, and wasn't Featherstone Rovers cup winning side over Hull in 1983 all local lads except Steve Quinn?

I was responding to one comment. I judge academies on their ability to consistently develop players year in year out. Ours still does that despite everything that’s gone on.

Look at how many of our first team players came through our academy. Then consider how many leave every year to go and play in super league.

It’s not it’s because they didn’t want more than two academies outside super league and they weighted it in favour of London and Newcastle due to their geographical location. That’s despite there being another 2 licences available that they haven’t dishes out.

That’s why I’m bitter. I’m not saying we’re more deserving than anyone else but we do deserve a licence and to miss out on what I feel is a pretty shortsighted thinking to save a few quid.

That’s not to mention the 90 young lads and staff (many of which are enrolled in education courses through this) who’s futures now hang in the balance.

You suggested Bradford had better products than Wakefield and Huddersfield, how many of their players, Huddersfield especially are now Super league regulars?
you virtually dismissed the strength of those 2 academies on the basis that they have 1 and 2 academy products in the england squad while conveniently ignoring those regularly playing Super League and indeed in the England Knights squad.
Apart from the 3 you mentioned in the squad and Bent;y O'brien and Mellor i'd suggest that huddersfield and possibly wakefield have produced a better standard of players than Bradford, hence they have a licence and Bradford don't

I know you guys are having a bit of a ding dong, but Wakefield have of course produced many great players like Fev and Cas and my word in the sixties and early seventies the talent in the "Calder" area was massive........

I thought the pathway was the community game to the senior club. Why the need for academies?

No I didn’t. I merely pointed out how many players our academy has consistently produced that have competed at the top level.

Also you don’t rate Jake Trueman the super league young player of the year 2018 &2019?

The reason we haven’t got a licence is because they had already decided they didn’t want anymore than 2 of the 12 licences to be given to aides outside of super league. They’ve only given out 10 licences.