Where Superleague gets it's players from

[Barnaby Reddin]

Purely for interest, here’s a look at which junior RL areas super league clubs currently have sourced their professionals. .....

I stopped reading once I realised Tony Clubb 15 for Wigan, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 13 for St Helens and Dan Sarginson a Hemel Junior and now Wigan and England Centre weren't counted on your "database" of current SL players.  

[Dave T]

I stopped reading once I realised Tony Clubb 15 for Wigan, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 13 for St Helens and Dan Sarginson a Hemel Junior and now Wigan and England Centre weren't counted on your "database" of current SL players.

i think they will be part of the 17 he referred to, but i agree it makes the list worse not including london, france and wales.

[Padge]

This sort of thing can get silly, players could have played at school in Wigan, played junior for a BARLA club in St.Helens and sign as a junior for Warrington.

 

You have to know the criteria for selection for a particular region/town. What is it based on?

 

Come on Parky tell us exactly what you used to decide a players 'home'.

 

Footnote: I notice Parky having attempted to stir this up again has disappeared. Its a regular theme, lets get people arguing over who comes from where and which town etc. produces the most. 

[Dave T]

This sort of thing can get silly, players could have played at school in Wigan, played junior for a BARLA club in St.Helens and sign as a junior for Warrington.

You have to know the criteria for selection for a particular region/town. What is it based on?

Come on Parky tell us exactly what you used to decide a players 'home'.

Footnote: I notice Parky having attempted to stir this up again has disappeared. Its a regular theme, lets get people arguing over who comes from where and which town etc. produces the most.

its why i prefer the region thing if we need to do this at all.

I wonder do ru or football fans discuss players places of birth.

[ELBOWSEYE]

Too many holes in the figures, he states 6 SL players from Warrington yet they have played over 8 local born juniors last season, and that's counting players at other clubs.

[Padge]

its why i prefer the region thing if we need to do this at all.

I wonder do ru or football fans discuss players places of birth.

 

In the case of soccer's premier league its which country. England being at the bottom.

[Padge]

Too many holes in the figures, he states 6 SL players from Warrington yet they have played over 8 local born juniors last season, and that's counting players at other clubs.

 

Without the methodology the figures are meaningless.

[damp squib]

I wonder do ru or football fans discuss players places of birth.

Probably not, but then the fact that Superleague teams still have so many genuinely local players is very appealing to a lot of people and is one of the sport's strengths. Of course it only exists because of the sports biggest weakness (small geographical footprint).

[damp squib]

Without the methodology the figures are meaningless.

It's a bit of fun, not a census.

[Bartholemew Smythe]

Pretty sure Scott Moore and Dom Manfredi are from Leigh and as Padge has said a bit of mischief from the missing Parky.

[Padge]

It's a bit of fun, not a census.

 

Wait until you have seen this recurring theme a few more times.

[Trojan]

This sort of thing can get silly, players could have played at school in Wigan, played junior for a BARLA club in St.Helens and sign as a junior for Warrington.

 

You have to know the criteria for selection for a particular region/town. What is it based on?

 

Come on Parky tell us exactly what you used to decide a players 'home'.

 

Footnote: I notice Parky having attempted to stir this up again has disappeared. Its a regular theme, lets get people arguing over who comes from where and which town etc. produces the most. 

If they've had a pint In the Skyrack they're deemed as Headingley discoveries in Parky's book.

[Just Browny]

I wonder do ru fans discuss players places of birth.

Nah. School and Oxbridge college, old chap.

[The Future is League]

I stopped reading once I realised Tony Clubb 15 for Wigan, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 13 for St Helens and Dan Sarginson a Hemel Junior and now Wigan and England Centre weren't counted on your "database" of current SL players.  

I think we can add Kieran Dixon of Hull KR as well.

[Barnaby Reddin]

 

Footnote: I notice Parky having attempted to stir this up again has disappeared. Its a regular theme, lets get people arguing over who comes from where and which town etc. produces the most. 

I did consider not replying to this thread and it's ignorance of London Developed SL players based on the same suspicion of the OP's motives. I really should know better.

[Wire quin]

 

The Parksider, on 06 Jan 2016 - 07:17 AM, said:

Purely for interest, here’s a look at which junior RL areas super league clubs currently have sourced their professionals. .....

I stopped reading once I realised Tony Clubb 15 for Wigan, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 13 for St Helens and Dan Sarginson a Hemel Junior and now Wigan and England Centre weren't counted on your "database" of current SL players.  

Not forgetting McMeakin at Cas, Dixon at HKR..............

[Derwent]

So, basically, within the heartlands, the largest population areas produce the most players. Who'd have thought it ? Though it would be interesting to see the numbers as a ratio of population.

[The Parksider]

1. So, basically, within the heartlands, the largest population areas produce the most players. Who'd have thought it ?

 

2. Though it would be interesting to see the numbers as a ratio of population.

 

1. Why the mean spirited comment, it's just an interesting excersise

 

2. Then go ahead good sir. Your a good number cruncher......   Anyway......

 

Taking the research further it can be argued there are now 15 professional RL clubs in England. It’s not quite as easy to find the information, and there seems to be a few gaps in squads but across London, Bradford, Sheffield and Leigh another 68 professional RL players can be added in to the following effect  

 

Wigan 32

Leeds 19

Hull 16

Castleford 13

Saints 13

Pontefract/Fev 11

Huddersfield 11

Wakefield 11

Bradford 11

London 10

Salford/Manchester 9

Halifax 8

Warrington 6

Oldham 4

West Cumbria 3

Dewsbury 3

Barrow 3

 

Overseas players go up to 93 or six per club, plus a few others from such as Gateshead, Wales and, Barnsley. On the latter finding a senior professional from Sheffield seemed impossible, the nearest I could get was a Hoyland Vikings player at the Eagles…..

 

Warrington’s efforts is notably the poorest amongst SL club areas, but they have Mr. Moran writing out transfer fee cheques for ready made stars to sort this. London pretty good as they are in the top ten (what might have been eh?)

 

The most astonishing figure is Pontefract/Fev. 11 professional players. Of which most are Pontefract born. Featherstone used to produce the lions share years ago. Is there a strong schools RL set up in Pontefract perhaps? 

[The Parksider]

 

 

On the subject of "population areas" it's a difficult one at times as areas run into each other really.

 

We know Manchester and Bradford are big places but RL is very thin in Manchester, and also quite thin in north Bradford and up the Aire Valley - non existent almost until Keighley.

 

For a combined population of what 200K the so called Calder area does magnificently. The strength of the game is also historical - traditional areas do well soccer areas (sheffield) are nigh 30 years on impossible to crack.

 

Contrast Wigan and Bolton!!

 

If we want our game to do as well as it can we probably have to accept that the best policy is to treasure our heartlands. Cas & Wakey dropping on good stadia would boost the game tremendously. Fingers crossed

[John Fisher]

Warrington: Crosfields, Latchford, Woolston, Rylands, Burtonwood, Culcheth & Golborne.

Widnes: Halton Farnworth, West Bank, Moorfield and St.Maries. Maries only have one or two age groups and Moorfield have only a few but seem to be regrouping.

Golborne may have a WA3 postcode, but it's actually part of Wigan.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Purely for interest, here’s a look at which junior RL areas super league clubs currently have sourced their professionals. As per Brian Mac’s comments this is the top 21 players in each SL squad (his core “first team squad”) Plenty of good player profiles about to work this out to be quite a good picture. Of course a few players have travelled a bit when in their formative years, but for the most of them leaving their home towns has come about when they signed pro. 231 players…..

 

Wigan 27

Leeds 17

Hull 15

Castleford 12

Saints 11

Fartown 11

Pontefract/Fev 8

Wakefield 7

Warington 6

Bradford 6

Halifax 5

Widnes 4

Oldham 4

West Cumbria 3

Salford/Manchester 3

Dewsbury 3

Barrow 3

 

 

 

 

Do not know where you get your figures from, but the numbers are wrong in many cases. Others have stated this. I will Highlight your failings from my area. Where do you only get 5 from Halifax?Its 8 and are :- Evalds, Wardle, Leeming, Robinson, Finn, Connor, Grix, Dickinson are all signed from the Halifax area by SL Clubs and have squad numbers in 2016. Add the likes of Barlow, Kavanagh, Fleming, O´Brien, Mellor at Bradford and Leigh. Instead of giving out figures based on nothing, maybe you should produce Facts. Until then, your posts are meaningless.

[Trojan]

On the subject of "population areas" it's a difficult one at times as areas run into each other really.

 

We know Manchester and Bradford are big places but RL is very thin in Manchester, and also quite thin in north Bradford and up the Aire Valley - non existent almost until Keighley.

 

For a combined population of what 200K the so called Calder area does magnificently. The strength of the game is also historical - traditional areas do well soccer areas (sheffield) are nigh 30 years on impossible to crack.

 

Contrast Wigan and Bolton!!

 

If we want our game to do as well as it can we probably have to accept that the best policy is to treasure our heartlands. Cas & Wakey dropping on good stadia would boost the game tremendously. Fingers crossed

Where is "Manchester" in this context? Given that one former and one current player are products of Manchester, depending upon where you draw the line.  Manchester (without Trafford and Salford) alone is quite a small place,

[Dave T]

 

 

If we want our game to do as well as it can we probably have to accept that the best policy is to treasure our heartlands. 

I wouldn't necessarily come to that conclusion. I think most of our players come from those areas because that is where we make effort and scout. If we were to make effort in other places, then we would start to see some benefits. It may be hard and take a while, but it would be far more rewarding than focusing solely on the heartlands.

 

I refuse to believe that there are no lads worth scouting in Scotland or Wales for example - at the moment they may be playing other sports, but how much do we even try.

 

I'm all for going for the low hanging fruit in places like Cumbria and West Yorkshire, but this pot cannot sustain us forever - particularly against growing pots in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

The best approach is to continue to support the traditional areas and focus on at least recruiting from non-traditional areas, but more importantly, getting presence in these areas. Personally I'd target the large population areas with sporting heritage - pick two or three in the UK and focus on them with maximum resources for a sustained period of time.

[BilboJeggings]

The most astonishing figure is Pontefract/Fev. 11 professional players. Of which most are Pontefract born. Featherstone used to produce the lions share years ago. Is there a strong schools RL set up in Pontefract perhaps? 

 

The maternity hospital in Pontefract serves the whole area - including Cas and Fev.

[Dave T]

 

Warrington’s efforts is notably the poorest amongst SL club areas, but they have Mr. Moran writing out transfer fee cheques for ready made stars to sort this. London pretty good as they are in the top ten (what might have been eh?)

 

 

But this is where the methodology used is flawed. If you wanted a discussion on state of the amateur game in each town that is one thing, but I think simply linking it to number of players doesn't work.

 

London as a region is bigger than Warrington, Wigan, Widnes and St Helens put together.

 

If we wanted to look at Wire's efforts on youth development, then we should look at the 15 players they utilised in SL last year from their own system. We then had a couple of others playing in SL (notably Riley and McCarthy) with Mike Cooper plodding around in the NRL and representing England.

 

Saints used 14 of their own.

Wigan c18 of their own

 

I'm comfortable with our approach to home-grown and bought in, it is in line with most other clubs.

 

Out of interest, where did you classify Sam Tomkins? Born in Milton Keynes, played in Chorley, before moving to St Pats. The family were Wire fans originally.