Yeah we've go no local lads or any that have come through our ranks in the 1st team squad

Oh hang on

Horne
Radford
Yeaman
Washbrook
Briscoe (from Fev but come through our ranks along with his 2 brothers)
Hall
Nicklas
Houghton
Burnett
Lyne

and have just given deals to

Kent
Cunningham
Green

and not to mention being reponsible for the following players currently plying their trade in SL

King
Cooke
Horne G
Lee
Wheeldon
Hodgson

Yeah, so you've got 7 local lads in your first choice 17. Big deal.
That's about on par with our club.

Sorry, I don't think that's very impressive for a 100 year old well supported club in the heartlands.

Please point me in the direction of that mythical SL team that is full of local lads!! Hull have produced and continue to produce many many top level players (even more go on to play at other levels of the game). However it's ridiculous to believe that a squad or even a team will be predominantly home grown. Sharp was available and we needed a winger to compliment our existing young (Lyne is only 17) home grown pair.

Well you may end up with a couple of ex Quins players coming back before long.

7 local lads playing top grade Rugby League in a top 4 club is not a good achievement?

You sir have very high, and somewhat ridiculous standards.

I am disappointed to lose a home-grown player, come through from the South London Storm, through the Quins Academy and into the first team.

Sharp was very promising in 2007, showed good qualities in 2008, but for me has failed to replicate that form over any stretch of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He has been hampered by the great number of hit-ups has a winger has had to do from our own line. A number of people have mentioned that he has looked injured and low on confidence for the last two seasons. He seems to be someone who had searing pace, but in the last two seasons has failed to run down an opposition winger who has the ball in a straight leg race that the defender would hold the advantage in.

I understand why Sharp would wish to go with the problems with Quins not spending, but at the same time he has only sporadically looked like the player that burst onto the scene a few years back. Will he play in the centre's at the KC; possibly. Will he play for England; he has the potential. Will we miss him; yes, but I not nearly as much as if we lose another academy product.

He will be alright once he masters the art of sticking a ferrett down his trousers.

Hull are on a par with anyone bringing through home grown players but don't let that stop you clutching at straws.

Not that long ago, he said he was bored of playing of the wing.

Please God NOOOOOOOO

Will that be Paul Cooke who played the first 10 years as a professional player with the "other" mob??

Other mob?

I'll take your 7 local lads and raise you:

Paul Wellens
James Graham
Keiron Cunningham
Paul Clough
James Roby
Scott Moore
Gary Wheeler
Jamie Foster
Jonny Lomax
Shaun Magennis
Andrew Dixon
Paul Johnson
Lee Gaskell
Tom Armstrong
Jamie Ellis

All of the above are from St Helens and have played in the first team. All but Jamie Ellis have played in the first team during this season. The players down to and including Andrew Dixon have played regularly in the first team this season, thanks to our season-long injury problems. Lee Gaskell, Paul Johnson and Jamie Foster all had their debuts this season.

In addition we also have the following young players (although Chris Dean is now 22):
Kyle Eastmond, who is from Oldham but who joined Saints at 13.
Jake Emmit - from a Warrington amateur club but joined our academy
Matty Ashurst - from a Wigan amateur club but joined our academy
Chris Dean - from a Wigan amateur club but joined our academy

All of the above have played regularly in the first team this season (and last, in Kyle and Chris Dean's cases). Jake and Chris are dual registered with Leigh and Widnes respectively.

Is this a competition now ?

The point being we do produce young players and the poster who claims we don't is probably just bitter Sharp is going. Maybe he forgets about that time we actually helped the Quins out by having a couple of there young players in our academy whilst they was in Uni up here.

LMS at Uni - studying what?

What the hell are you talking about?

No idea, maybe it wasn't for University reasons but I remember we gave you a helping hand with a couple of youngsters because they couldn't be in your academy for whatever reason.

I think you'll find James Graham is from Maghull, that's clearly not St Helens, tool.

What a totally stupid comment to make, it would be a sad state of affairs if one of the top clubs in RL did not produce young players, but even I and many loyal Saints fans question how good some of those you list are, not all are superstars.

We have put a lot of effort into the community development here in London and it is a reflection how strong the amateur game is in the South, perhaps a lot more that many major M62 Rugby League player towns!

I never said you didn't bring any home-grown players through. I said that half a dozen or so wasn't great for a club such as Hull (not as good as Leeds or Saints but better than a lot of other clubs).

As for being bitter that you've signed Will, tbh, the way our lot have shaped up this season, I don't think there's anyone I would be devastated to lose (for most of this year, our players have been either crocked or crap!).

It was Dennis Tuffour who moved from Quins to FC due to University reasons. LMS, Worrincy and another player were on loan to us playing in our 20's a few seasons back.

I think it was two others - Ade Adebisi and Dave Williams

I thought Tony Clubb was at Hull for a while?

I think it was LMS, Worrincy and Adebisi that spent time at Hull a few years ago.

Just to expand on Smiggs point


Yeaman
Lyne
Cunningham
Briscoe
Horne
Houghton
Radford
Washbrook
Hall
Burnett
Nicklas
Cooke
Welham
Wheeldon
I'anson
Hodgson
Watts
Spaven
Taylor
Mariano
Latus

Players who have come through either the Rovers and Hull Academy who have played first team this season for either of the clubs.

Plus players from Hull plying their trade at other Super League Clubs

Not to mention that this season you have fielded at least 3 players who have come through either Hull or Rovers academy.

He's moved to further his career, can you blame Will Sharp?