According to my calculations, Cas have used 27 players, 22 of them HOME players, 5 overseas, 12 Cas reared. Plus 2 loaned players, both of those HOME players.

You could include Liam Watts and Ben Gledhill as Cas reared players at other SL clubs.

no worries m8

The criticism of Rovers youth policy has long been misplaced and is now being shown to be so, IMO. There was always going to be a lag phase before it bore fruit. Comparisons with Cas ignore that they're a much longer established SL club with just a couple of 1 season breaks. There was very little incentive for Rovers to develop players while in the second tier (see Jon Wilkin going to Saints at 19), and even less money. As an aside - Watts is a fully qualified Rovers trained player, even by the most recent and strictest RFL definition - 3 years at the club while eligible for the under-20s.
The argument that overseas players will block opportunities for youngsters, is fine - but Sheriff's progress is no more blocked by Taulapapa than it would have been by Cockayne, for example. The choice we have made hasn't been experienced foreigners over kids, it has been experienced foreigners over experienced British players produced by other clubs. That may be just as blameworthy to some - I don't mind criticism if it fair and logical.

This man talks sense.

The choice HKR have made is overseas players (not always experienced) over british players. Signing a 29 year old overseas utility back does take away a place from a young british player. It is unbelievable that HKR couldnt find in either their academy, other academies or the lower leagues a young british player to give an opportunity as a utility back to.

It disheartens me when Rovers get constantly castrated by fans on here when we have so many young players that have come up from our academy playing 1st team especially when many more look so promising. Our U18's lost 3 games all season and the majority are able to play at that level next year after coming up from the U16's scholarship side last year.

Hull FC (A) 26-24
Salford (A) 24-16
Wakefield (A) 44-36

Does everything Rovers do good at Academy level count for nothing when they sign one Louis Sheriffe is coming through at fullback but he isn't ready for a full season at SL level

What you win at academy level does count for nothing. If players arent coming through it is of no interest to anyone except the players playing.

And if they had one it wouldnt be such an issue, but they have plenty and i dont think its controversial to say that signing a 29 year old lower league overseas utility back is a step in the wrong direction.

Players are starting to come through Scott Taylor & Jordan Cox to name just two very very good forwards who have what it takes to be the mainstay of Rovers pack for years to come.

I'm sure you mean castigated.

It's quite a bit different to being castrated.

Well when they are, and when HKR are no longer relying on overseas players then people wont castigate them for doing so,

But until that time, and when they are still relying on large amounts of overseas players, and using every loophole they can to keep that number as high as they can, they will rightly be criticised for it.

We wouldn't be getting grief it we'd signed 29 year old Stuart Reardon though. I think there are legitimate reasons why this signing can be questioned - bringing youth development in to it muddies the water, IMO.

We're not doing quite as well in the backs as the forwards, but 18 year old fullback Louis Sheriff made his debut this year. 21-year old Sam Latus has played about a dozen games I think. No longer a youngster, but Kris Welham is probably favourite to be the club's POY. Centre Liam Salter, also 18, has signed as a pro for next year and is seen as a good prospect I believe.
Say we should have kept Briscoe, Fox, Colbon or even Cockayne, and while I might or might not agree, I could at least see your logic.

Elima was in the Cas academy and may have played first team when he was (very) young.

I believe that to be "home-grown" a player had to play for a club for 3 years under the age of 21. Might be wrong though.

Because you would be giving a chance to a british player, which is one of the responsibilities of the british game.

Yes, I'd agree to an extent - it is one our responsibilities. The extent to which it is a [ipriority[/i is a matter of opinion. There is a balance to be struck. [uI think[/u it would be bad if the game was completely overwhelmed by overseas players. Equally, protectionism often creates more problems than it solves - a weaker SL might be one issue that could further undermine England's chances. Already, before the non-fed quota has fully come come in to effect, there are calls to cut clubs from the League, as there isn't enough talent to go around (or 'being produced', as some would no doubt frame it, as justification for culling chickens and smashing eggs).
Anyway - that balance. If we go in to 2012 with 10 or more (apologies if you're spluttering on your coffee

) overseas players [uI[/u won't be completely comfortable with it. We could have signed Reardon or Dave Halley maybe.
That has nothing to do with our production of players, which suddenly looks pretty good - this is our first real batch, so we can't guarantee that we'll do this well consistently, but it looks a decent start.

If it was pretty good you wouldn’t need to have that many overseas players. The fact is the strength of the league wont be negatively affected by giving a chance to Dave Halley or Stuart Reardon instead of Misi Talupapa, similarly it wouldn’t be negatively affected by looking to a couple of the lower league props, or someone like Gil Dudson instead of Lovegrove.

There isnt enough talent to go around because enough talent isnt being produced. It is a responsibility of HKR and all the clubs in SL especially in a franchised league to give young players the chance to make that position their own. I understand you might argue Sheriff is too young right now, but that is a lack of succession planning at HKR, something which shouldn’t result in a 29 years old lower league overseas player taking that position.

Actually that was something that I brought up on our board a while ago. Watching Leigh vs Halifax, the props included Jim Gannon, Makali Aizue, Frank Watene and David Mills - all ex-Rovers and now very much veterans (and three of them from overseas). I then checked out the rosters of the other championship clubs and their props were almost without exception, by SL standards, has-beens or never- weres. The Championship doesn't produce many players, their relative lack of wealth means it [iisn't[/i their responsibility - they get players that SL clubs deem not good enough, not ready (on loan) or past their best. There'll be the odd one that slips through the net, but not many.

Now, if you're going to give a player from the C'ship a shot, and you've currently got 9 overseas players on your roster, looking at Ian Hardman again or Dave Halley might be... politic. Hardman could certainly do a job for somebody in SL - it's been suggested he's happier getting regular game time at Fev and with a 'real' job as well, he's probably not any worse off financially, so maybe it isn't that straight forward.

You'll tend to struggle for props in the lower leagues as they're only part time, so whereas backs can still excell with their skills and step up, forwards often don't have the size of those who have spent years in full time training... With the odd exceptions of course.

When you have finished ranting.
Vella wont be here and there is every possibility neither will Fisher or Clinton.

This just proves how clueless you are then.
Mariano is a product of the HKR youth set up you dimwit.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Brilliant. Did anyone else watch Fanboys on the tele last night?

Yes obviously we should have been feeding him growth hormones


The fact that we have given Cox, Taylor, Latus, Beaumont, Sheriffe and Welham their RL debuts is proof that we have interest in bring youth through.

The funniest thing is that HKR are being pinged more than a good golfball even though we have given those players above from Hull their SL breaks as well as bringing in players not required elsewhere such as Hall, Hodgeson, Hodgeson, Horne, Wheldon, Netherton, all of whom are Hull born.

We then gave Watts and Murrell their second chances at SL level when they had lost their way and could have been lost to the game when they were classed as unwanted by their origional clubs (Leeds classed Murrell as not up to it and Watts was in real danger of shizzing it up the wall by all acccounts).

But we use what ever means we can find to bring jonny foreigner across at the cost of not giving brits a go obviously.

Oh and please be aware that 14 players on the books of Hull KR are OOC at the end of 2012 of which 5 are none english.
Vella will be gone before the start of 2012 as will Fisher (Both exemptions) there is also serious talk that Newton will be gone and he is in that same catagory.

Joel Clinton is likely to be going home as well before 2012.

That will take us to 7 overseas players down from 10 in 2011.
I wonder when it is reduced what else you will find to moan about Smokey?
Firstly it was the state of NCP then you moved onto our overseas numbers what will be next will you suddenly take a disliking to a red and white colour scheme?

How many appearances have those homegrown players made this season (and in total) out of interest?