Wakefield 0 Wigan 34 just before half time.

Final score Wakefield 0 Wigan 80

I really don't know what good that does either team.

Maybe we need a plan B.

Close game. will be of great benefit to both teams!

They can't be! They use the same move.

Sounds like a nail biter

You can do what you want Internationally and regionally but this sport will never go anywhere until we have structures in place for a competitive game at all levels and ages.

Exactly.

Nail on head....

We got lucky there then

In Spanish football the reserve and youth sides of many of the big teams play in the lower leagues. Could be worth considering.

Is that one of the poor sod's in the Wakey team?

Said a few times I would go with something like that for the top clubs

Surely you lot should be made up; Wigan and Leeds kings of the academy again. Hetherington and Lenegan have got what they wished for.


As for using a championship team as a reserve team, its funny that Warrington and Swinton have attracted so much criticism for their arrangement this season.

Had it been U18's and U20's there would have been little difference.

Why didn't Warrington and the rest support the RFL's U23 proposal?

Playing your U19s in the Championship as Wigan against other Championship clubs is slightly different to sending players from your first team to Swinton willy nilly to take the place of Swinton first teamers.

Happy clapping nerve touched duly noted.

Because under the marshalling of Hetherington and Lenegan the clubs had already pushed aside that proposal so that the option that there was a vote on was what we have now. Only Warrington and St Helens voted against. God knows how many times you have to be told this before you understand it.

FYI Warrington and St Helens both proposed staying with u18s and u20s with 3 overage players in the u20s but were willing to go with 5 overage players if other clubs insisted.



The Academy competition is fatally flawed in this country as unfortunately all the decent youth talent gravitates towards the same clubs. Having said that until every club is forced to spend sufficient funds on their youth systems so that players receive the standards of professionalism, coaching and facilities young professional sportsmen deserve then it is unfair on the players involved to restrict the free market. The Academy structure this year has just invited the same clubs who were already under-investing to actually cut their spend even further.

Should there be any restriction around numbers or locality of youth signings? No; God forbid that the likes of Hampshire should be forced to be exposed to the cost-cutting at Wakefield or Castleford. However to have an u19 age group that consists of three age groups is a joke. Didn't Wigan sign something like 11 lads from last year's u16 team? Whilst know the likes of Gildart are flourishing there must be others that are being effectively starved of competitive rugby.

I expect it all to change again next year (u19s and u23s would be my bet) but in all honestly it is just shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic until all clubs invest seriously in their youth development.


I applaud your commitment to youth development but on this point you need to ask questions of Lenegan.

For all intent and purposes this season Swinton are Warrington's reserve team. To not acknowledge the fact is plain stupid.

"nerve touched" without a doubt but "happy clapping" has lost me.

Could we not run an U23s along with the Championship teams?

Well Is Mister Youane right or Is he wrong?

So everyone thinks the competion is flawed! Is it not the fact that the Wigan academy players probably train harder than the other teams in the competition! Yes theres some quality players in the academy but size, strength and fitness levels dont come naturally and from what ive seen this year this is where Wigan have beat teams! Theres no excuse its up to the other professional clubs to sort out.

Good to see "it's all Wigans fault" again!

Long may it continue

I voted labour, it's not that I ink they're any good, just better than the other proposal on the table at that time.