NEWCASTLE THUNDER need a strong player pathway to progress, according to one who has been through their set-up.
Fullback Joe Bradley, who hails from Widnes, moved to the north-east in his early teens and was picked up by Thunder at 16, going through their Scholarship, Academy and Reserve systems, including when the club had a full-time set-up.
He has now established himself in the first team and said: “Bringing players through is key for any club.
“A lot of our players have come through the pathways. There is a lot of talent to be unlocked in the north-east, you just need the provision to support it.
“Without the talent pathway at the club, I and a lot of the boys wouldn’t have been on the journey we have.
“You see how big the game is in the north-west, and that comes from kids playing the community game from such a young age, going through their town teams and making the Scholarship grade to hopefully go on and play Academy and so on.”