seriously what is the issue of having loan/dual reg players?!!! i wish people would stop going on about it. IT IS IN THE LAWS OF THE GAME!! so why on earth are people being so petty?

I'm sure 'us Widnes fans' probably would have a go because there is a lack of youth at your club! We're the only Championship club running a very impressive under 18s.

You say our excuses for having loans players dont stack up? What excuses are they? As I previously said, we had a number of injuries and playing 17/18 year olds in this division isn't realistic. What does Cull do until players are fit to return? Sign new players for the season and then have too many when everyone is back fit, or be sensible and sign players on loan/dual reg who can come in and do a job. I think the fact that we got to the cup final is testiment to the job Cull is doing.

James Webster leaving left a big gap, both on the cap and on the pitch which I don't think we've recovered from yet. So no problems signing players short term. We're getting players back slowly but surely now, hence only Davies and Ainscough playing last Sunday in the cup.

Incorrect! It wasn't having a pop at Barrow using loans it was mentioning them bagging Widnes for playing two! No need to be so defensive

Added I don't think Widnes have used more than 4 loans in one game (I think that's the rule anyway?) and the reason we have needed more loans is that the likes of Farrell impressed that much and with 1 / 2 injuries Wigan wanted him back and now a key 1st teamer!

Edited for accuracy

I'll admit my bad in thinking Bauer was a loaner

Do you run a Reserve Team ? Nobody would expect many U-18's to make the step up.

As I said before, Widnes fans would be up in arms if another major competitor had fielded 8 (or more) different loan players over the course of the season.

No we wouldn't not under similar circumstances

Yes we do, another credit to the club to be running yet another team. That's where we got the likes of Mullaly, Hulme, Houghton, Kelly, Craven from etc. How many young kids do you expect us to put out?

There is absolutely no way we would be up in arms like some of you are. It isn't based on the fact that we have so many loan and/or dual reg on our books at all. That's nothing. It's an irrelevance because if we're in the rules and we have 13 on the pitch there isn't a real issue to complain about. It's simply an overreaction to the strength of our club in light of the coming license bids. We're being over scrutinised and no matter what challenges we face and how we face them somehow we are always either not working within the spirit of the game or rules or worse we are cheating.

If you'd had an injury list like ours, you'd have turned to more loan signings.

Yes.

And we used several players from that squad too. The main problem in bringing these through to cover injuries was that the reserves didn’t start playing until a couple of months after the start of the Championship season, so none of these players were initially match fit. Yet another RFL up!

No they wouldn’t.

Barrow fans have shown themselves to be massive hypocrites. Their club has used loan players – it doesn’t matter how many – they use them and they have needed them.

When you can also use 8 club-trained youngsters too, you can brag about it. Until then what Barrow are doing is far worse imo.

J20 was correct in highlighting the breathtaking hypocrisy and sheer ignorance of some of your fans.

Remember it was J20 who started this thread trying to be a smart @rse when he didn't know the facts. It is some of your fans who are the ignorant (and arrogant) ones.

I can't see how I'm ignorant to be honest. The facts and figures speak for themselves. Your season has been akin to a grand scale 'hokey-cokey' - players in, out, in, out. Ainscough being the perfect example. The system is bad for the player, unsettling for the squad and unfair on the player that gets dropped when the 'big time charlie' is available to play.

Injuries and recalls have all played their part. There is nothing to snipe at here. Like I said, we have used 8 club grown players. When your club can say that you may have something to get on your high horse about.

We have probably played too many of our youngsters too soon. This isn’t good for them and has leveled the learning curve they should be getting by playing along side a team with plenty of experienced players. The players we have brought in on DR are close to the step up, as has been shown with 4 of them being recalled to first team rugby in SL.

When you look at the reasons why we have used so many players, and put it in its true context, there is no cause for the sort of criticism which has been coming from some quarters. No-one at Widnes wanted it this way either.

Barrow have used both loan and DR players. They do not bother with a youth system and have no moral high ground to pontificate about Widnes’ use of such players.

Indeed Pepe. All this rent a squad nonsense was started by Barrow fans before they'd made any loan signings, the implication being that loans or dual reg signings are somehow not in the spirit of the game. But they've now got some, and all of a sudden its a competition over who has the most. Absolutely irrelevant. We're within the rules, and we have a successful academy who has provided for us. Barrow can say one of those things, but the other is a distant dream. We may not be able to say we always own our players fully, but at least we can say we serve the area properly.

Incorrect Featherstone Rovers have a second team, under 18 team (which functions under the name of Featherstone Lions) and an under 15's scholarship along with several superleague teams

However i do agree that all the bashing about your loans is uncalled for

I can't find the thread on the Barrow board criticising Widnes, nor do I have an issue with your squads origins. I think the rent-a-viking thing started as banter last season prior to the NRC when you had Hall, Pickersgill, Penny and another I can't remember (too may bangs on the head).

But just to clarify some points and keep things factual. We have 1 DR player in McGillvray, he was originally on month by month loan but Hudds preferred the DR arrangement to make him available for them as and when.

Barrow developed players used this season:
Nixon, Beech, Harrison, Mossop, McDermott, Butler, Larkin, Cairns, McGoff

Other locals in team not developed locally:
Broadbent - started at some dodgy club near Liverpool


Campbell - Wakefield

Released last 2 seasons:
Finch, Finch, Dutton, Pedley, Marshall, Kaighan, Carter.

We do develop players locally, however we concede that we do not have the funding or infrastructure that Widnes have to bring them through to this level in a lot of cases.

you are the only team running an u18's because the RFL will not allow any other team to do so

Amazing... I really need to hear this story.. c'mon then lets have the 'facts'!

I've heard this "fact" regurgetated a few times recently. Out of nowhere and never substantiated with any evidence. Why on earth would the RFL not permit teams who had perfectly good under 18 teams to play them?

The correct and factual terminology is 'we're the only Championship club [uallowed by the RFL [/uto run a very impressive U18s'

Ok, thanks for the correction. Yay us.

I've had it on good authority that it is because the RFL 'hate' Leigh.

Any evidence of this whatsoever?

Enough for me thanks

So none then?

Your surrender is accepted.