A league 2017/18

[fivepointer]

This is just farcical. If the clubs dont have the squad depth or inclination to put out proper teams lets lay this competition to rest and get guys out on loan in the Championship or NL1.

[Tigersman]

This is just farcical. If the clubs dont have the squad depth or inclination to put out proper teams lets lay this competition to rest and get guys out on loan in the Championship or NL1.

TBF if we didn't have U20's on this weekend or the U18 finals on aswell it prob would be mostly Tigers
1. Gigena, 2. Mahoney, 3. Betts
4. Barrow, 5. Maksymiw
6. Lewis, 7. Reffell, 8. Tuilagi
9. White, 10. Hardwick
12. Smith, 13. Thacker
11. Owolofela, 14. Brady, 15. Worth

16. Prob Student, 17. Hills, 18. Heyes,
19. Jordan, 20. Lavin
21. Yarnell, 22. Student, 23. Student.

Which i'm alright with.

Now Bucs is over I don;t mind seeing the students TBH, gives us a chance to scout them.

[Raggs]

I don't mind it if it gives players another route to be picked up.

[Banquo]

has Will Evans disappeared off the face of the earth?

injured during the game v Cardiff Blues.

Cheers. Just worried he’s going the way of any eqp who plays like a 7

[fivepointer]

Falcons won 33-10 with this side, which is a pretty decent looking reserve line up.

15 Tom Penny
14 Zach Kibirige
13 Dominic Waldouck
12 Juan Pablo Socino
11 Adam Radwan
10 Brett Connon
9 Sam Stuart
1 Sami Mavinga
2 Santiago Socino
3 Scott Wilson
4 Evan Olmstead
5 Andrew Davidson
6 Callum Chick
7 Simon Uzokwe
8 Ryan Burrows (captain)
Replacements
16 Jamie Blamire
17 Adam Brocklebank
18 Trevor Davison
19 Max Davies
20 Matt Salway (Northumbria University)
21 Cameron Cowell
22 Craig Willis
23 Belisario Agulla

The points about missing u20s and u18s and giving students an opportunity are good ones.

But if this competition is going to have any meaning dont we have to decide on what basis teams are going to be selected? Should internationals and seasoned campaigners play, or should it be limited to players under 23.
As it stands, some clubs literally do put out their 2nd teams, while others go into their academies and bring players in to guest.
Some consistency would be welcome.

[Raggs]

Does anyone really care about results for the a league? I'm worried about game time, building fitness and development, and offering a pathway.

[Mellsblue]

My concern is the quality. I thought the idea of beefing up the league rather than having official links with Champ teams was that it would be a bridge, quality wise, between leaving the academy and getting into the 1stXV. Playing against half of Loughborough Uni’s team isn’t that bridge.

[Tigersman]

has Will Evans disappeared off the face of the earth?

injured during the game v Cardiff Blues.

Cheers. Just worried he’s going the way of any eqp who plays like a 7

Wouldn't surprise if he does leave.
Will be interesting to see how it works with Reffell and Evans together coming up.

My concern is the quality. I thought the idea of beefing up the league rather than having official links with Champ teams was that it would be a bridge, quality wise, between leaving the academy and getting into the 1stXV. Playing against half of Loughborough Uni’s team isn’t that bridge.

As a system it's good on paper but very flawed in reality. It's the same with loaning players to the champ teams. Champ teams have their own agenda and will want players to be training with them but Prem clubs now are wanting to keep those players close so they can train with them. I remember Tigers citing Bower as an example of it going wrong Tigers wanted him to try playing TH (I think) at a champ team but that champ team was only giving him 5 minutes at the end and sometimes keeping him at LH.

The issue is clubs use it for different reasons, Tigers had 50% Students Falcons had
I would rather see it become almost a U23/25 comp for players from stuck between U18 and Senior squad.
Maybe give clubs more incentives to keep Academy players instead of just 500K for home grown credits and maybe up the academy cap from 30K wage maximum to say 60K.

Would love for there to be a NRL youth comp system:
U18 league
U23 league
then say the AWC for the players to intertwine abit

With each club linking up with a Uni to give the players who fail to make the grade.
1. a direct Pathway to education or 2. another pathway into rugby with a improved Bucs league.

But i'm a dreamer.

[Mellsblue]

My concern is the quality. I thought the idea of beefing up the league rather than having official links with Champ teams was that it would be a bridge, quality wise, between leaving the academy and getting into the 1stXV. Playing against half of Loughborough Uni’s team isn’t that bridge.

As a system it's good on paper but very flawed in reality. It's the same with loaning players to the champ teams. Champ teams have their own agenda and will want players to be training with them but Prem clubs now are wanting to keep those players close so they can train with them. I remember Tigers citing Bower as an example of it going wrong Tigers wanted him to try playing TH (I think) at a champ team but that champ team was only giving him 5 minutes at the end and sometimes keeping him at LH.

The issue is clubs use it for different reasons, Tigers had 50% Students Falcons had
I would rather see it become almost a U23/25 comp for players from stuck between U18 and Senior squad.
Maybe give clubs more incentives to keep Academy players instead of just 500K for home grown credits and maybe up the academy cap from 30K wage maximum to say 60K.

Would love for there to be a NRL youth comp system:
U18 league
U23 league
then say the AWC for the players to intertwine abit

With each club linking up with a Uni to give the players who fail to make the grade.
1. a direct Pathway to education or 2. another pathway into rugby with a improved Bucs league.

But i'm a dreamer.

I’m not saying one is better than the other. The point of the new A league was a response to the issue of players gaining experience and gametime in the void between age grade and 1st XV. One proposal was official links between Prem and Champ clubs and the PRL countered with a beefed up A league. It hasn’t really worked this year, and a lot of that is to do with the huge injury rate we’ve seen, but regardless playing against half of Loughborough Uni’s team won’t help bridge the gap from age grade to 1st XV.

I’m not suggesting Prem-Champ links will work, either, nor am I championing the idea. Being a Bedford fan, this season of having 99% of the squad as Bedford players rather than the previous 50/40/10, Bedford/Sarries/Wasps spilt has lead to more success and more entertainment.


You’re not the only one.

[Tigersman]

Leicester Tigers (v Wasps, Aylesbury RFC, Monday 8.00pm)
15 George Worth (c)
14 Will Foster (Loughborough Students)
13 Matt Smith
12 Charlie Thacker
11 Bamidele Fadahunsi (Loughborough Students)
10 Joe Ford
9 Ben Pointon (Loughborough Students)
1 Facundo Gigena
2 Jack Dickinson (Hinckley RFC)
3 Pat Cilliers
4 Joe Maksymiw
5 B J Edwards
6 Henri Lavin
7 Taylor Gough
8 Thom Smith

Replacements
16 Harry Mahoney
17 Owen Hills
18 Chris Baumann
19 Xander Purcell
20 Ollie Kilgallon (Loughborough Students)
21 Will Findlay (Loughborough Students
22 Andre Dunn
23 Jonathan Hughes (Loughborough Students)

More like a A league team, 5 U18's from the prem final side including the entire Back Row.

[fivepointer]

Saints beat Exeter 31-21 last night in the final.

Northampton: T Collins; K Pisi, F Dingwall, T Stephenson (capt), N Tuitavake; J Grayson, A Mitchell; F van Wyk (M Beesley 75), C Clare (J Fish 60), J Ford-Robinson (E Painter 54); D Onojaife, A Moon; L Ludlam, P Ryan, B Nutley (W Allman 70). Replacements: M Beesley, T Trinder, W Allman, T Emery, F Strachan, J Elliott

Tries - Ludlam, Ford-Robinson, Ryan; Conversion - Grayson (2); Penalties - Grayson (4)

Braves: M Bodilly; T O’Flaherty, M Campagnaro, T Hendrickson (H Strong 75), J Short; S Morley (H Skinner 59), W Chudley; B Keast (J Kenny 70), S Malton (J Innard 54), M Low; T Salmon (J Caulfield 75), S Lonsdale (W Van der Sluys 70); J Freeman (capt), M Kvesic, T Lawday. Replacements: D Southworth, J Snow

Tries - Low, Lawday, Kvesic; Conversions - Morley (3)

Referee: J Makepeace

Attendance: 3,390