Wait, so clubs should only be allowed to sign up juniors in their postcode? Why? Shouldn't junior players have options on how they start their career? Instead of thumbing your nose at the bigger clubs, why not ask why clubs such as your own aren't attractive to the players at Stanley and Eastmoor?

I really don't understand this inverse snobbery towards the bigger clubs when they make decisions for their own benefit. Yes, Leeds have re-jigged the squad in recent weeks, as have many other clubs. As correctly mentioned, Leeds' volume of activity is not that far away from Wakefield's in this regard. Did Castleford "wave the chequebook about" for Chayse Blair? Are Warrington "waving the chequebook around" for Luther Burrell? Salford for Josh Johnson? I think we'd all benefit from being clear on what constitutes "waving the chequebook around" in the eyes of wrencat.


There's nothing wrong with having an opinion, but people are entitled to call it out. The fact that you resort to insults suggests that your opinion isn't coming from a particuarly informed position.

you can't begrudge young players wanting to go where the money is and where better facilities are but it does show its not the be all and end all as from my lads year there's only two that have manage to get into super league the rest of the so called super stars have fizzled out, I'm surprised with the lack of money in the game that it hasn't stopped all together

The success rate, in getting youngsters into SL or Championship rugby is probably higher that many other sports, certainly football and cricket are seriously difficult for youngsters to "make it".
I dont begrudge anyone from going to the bigger clubs.
Life is short and we all have to try and do the best that we can.
What does irk, is the constant noise about the "conveyer belt" of young talent at clubs like Leeds, when the reality is that, despite mopping up most of the local talent and the media banging on and on about how many "superstars" they have developed, the reality is that they are little better than the rest and we are now seeing that, following the departure of their "golden generation", they have nothing left, nothing and now we see the cheque book coming out.
Despite spending big, having marque players and most of the local youngsters to choose from, they have been bang average.

Long may it continue

To answer the question, a little from column A and a little from column B.

I dont think that being called out by the forums no 2 troll (runne rebellion - formerly LeBron james) actually counts does it

I know of 2 out of 3 got ditched from Wigan and another who went to Wire from Leeds has managed to clinging on with London at the mo, I wonder if they stayed more local could it of changed their path

You clearly do begrudge players going where there’s more money buy you choose to blame the likes of Leeds or Wigan with that chip on the shoulder.

What the real reality is though is that these clubs AREN’T spending big as our SC has barely moved in 15 years and transfer fees rarely happen and no different to 20+ years ago.....what sport has seen that kind of inactivity in terms of money rising in the game. The problem isn’t that the big clubs can spend money.....the problem is the smaller clubs can’t even though we’ve let them stay in touch by the aforementioned lack of raise in the SC over a decade. The finger of blame for not being able to attract the best youngsters or make bigger signings should squarely be at the clubs who can’t afford to it....but easier for their fans to make excuses and blame the big bad bigger clubs for their own clubs shortcomings.

You can put as many childish emojis as you want. The fact remains your shambles of a club hasn’t produced a millionth of the talent Leeds has

Unlucky

Math's isn't your strong point is it ?

And yet, despite being one of Leeds worst ever SL seasons, Leeds have 7 homegrown players in the 19 v Hull KR and Wakefield have I make it 4 named in their 19 v Cas.

Unfortunately your post smacks of small club bitterness. Maybe your club shouldn’t have wasted all it’s money on short term things like buying players and invested. If it had you wouldn’t be in the position you are today.

That’s no-one else’s fault but your club.

The problem isn’t that Leeds, Wigan, Warrington etc spend money on youth production. The problem is that the likes of Wakefield continually don’t.

Blimey, thought I was getting on a bit!
Is your secret some special water from the Lake District, hence your visits to that part of the world.

Be careful what you say, John George Haigh was from Wakefield,
you could disappear without any trace being left.

The shrinking salary cap (in real terms) has allowed the better off clubs to spend more on junior development, which is a good thing and should allow those players to reach somewhere close to their full potential.
The cash spent on junior development doesn't count on the cap, does it. This should mean that those with more brass in their pockets (Leeds, Wigan etc) SHOULD be developing way more juniors and to a better standard than the rest ?
Chips or no ships, this doesn't appear to be happening.

For the record, Trinity's failures, especially off field, go right back to the 60's and some of the management has been pitiful.
We haven't had any multi millionaires willing to fill the void and under the Wildcat moniker, it's fair to say that we are lucky to still be here.

Thankfully, although still right at the bottom if the SL spectrum in terms of revenue, we are, at least, solvent and IF we can maintain our position in SL, there should be some improvement in both the facilities, which is long, long, overdue and supporter numbers.

As for Leeds' troubles, they are likely to only be temporary but, despite their income, support, junior development and extremely deep pockets, they appear to have avoided the trap door and I'm sure their fans are delighted.
Their noisy neighbours ceratinly are

So who exactly are producing better youngsters than the big clubs?

You can get a boat load of great youngsters in but ateotd you can only have so many in your first team squad. Whilst you may think Leeds always throw big money at academy players their was a period recently when we weren’t which coincided with lack of spend on first team squad too...both of which coincided with spending big on the stadium instead. No coincidence that Leeds’ best group of youngsters in a while are on the verge of coming through in the next season or two as well as marquee signings just after the stadium work is completed. But using your money to do up your stadium to a high quality standard with a load of money isn’t something a Wakefield fan would know anything about.

The standard has been pretty poor this year in my view, we're in second place at the moment with a very average looking squad at the moment. There have been a handfull of awesome games this year and a lot of very poor games.

Certainly more competitive and i think mainly due the the threat of relegation

Bradford are producing plenty of quality youngsters.
In fact, going through SL teams, there's not many who don't have at least 1 in their squad as well as a number of clubs through the Championship as well.

Oh no, only just the record points scorer when try’s were worth less and one of the finest forwards to put on an England shirt in Gareth Ellis.

If only he'd worn a white shirt with a single red chevron on it, someone might have accepted this answer.

400 years



I going to leave you with one name that will stick in your mind for ever, Neil Fox one of the greatest ever players to walk on a rugby field who played for 23 years and setting rugby league's all-time points record scoring 6,220 points at a time when tries was 3 pts not 4 like they are now, this record will never be beaten

Wakefield Trinity will live on for ever for having the highest points scorer ever

Dave Topliss

Paul Newlove (born in Wakey) might be accepted!

London seem to be doing OK........but they'll be lost to the comp next year when we go down, but that's OK, because the top 4 or 5 clubs will hoover up our best and we'll go back to being whipping boys.

by top 4 or 5 I mean Wasps, Quins, Irish, Sarries et al.....

Printer genuine question who are the official big clubs then is it Saints,Wigan,Leeds,& Wire and maybe Hull fc then, Because i like watching other teams players when we Wakey are playing them and i don't know all there names but Cas have a very good young lad i think called Trueman and another one but don't know is name both exciting prospects , And then there's Hudds who have got some good young players gaining first team experience in a struggling side and then us Wakey we have young Kershaw who is on par with regan grace of saints with is speed only difference is regan is playing first team now where as Kershaw's case he got a so-called player called Tom Johnstone in front of him who was developed by wakey so we are all producing good young players just some get there opportunity before others pending on who there coach is so it's not just the so-called top 5 clubs who are producing better youngsters than the rest of us in my opinion.

Looking at Warrington from outside it seems Ratchford has been a much bigger loss than first thought? Mamo and the youngster who got a game can't influence a game like he can. The centres and wingers are big fast and generally good I'd say? Clarke is superb but without Ratch,teams are able to target him a bit more as less danger elsewhere.Of course the pack is strong and Austin going great but Patton isn't consistent it seems? Or maybe just not good enough. When is Ratchford due back because I'd say before he got crocked Warry at least on a par with Saints. Still think you will win at least one pot this year.