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Dual-registration - should we put an end to it?


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DR could have been successful for the fringe squad players at clubs.

However, when Morley and Bridge played for Swinton then it became not fit for purpose. Not picking on Swinton but the best example I cold think of whilst typing this.

Or when Wane threatened his players with the reserves (Workington) showed it had lost its way

The catalyst was the SL teams scrapping reserves, but there was still nothing wrong with loan arrangements, where the SL team couldn't dictate to its 'partner' as it was a fixed term.

At all levels Rugby League teams can't exist on squads of 20 players as most have an injury crisis at some point, but with squads of 25 or 28 there could be a lot of players kicking their heels, and 6 weeks without getting a game can mean they are out of condition and timing has gone. Its a difficult situation as we owe those young players a duty to develop them as rugby players, but if the are only getting say 8 games over 2 seasons - it doesn't do much for their development.

Some then get peed off and return to their amateur teams - my own club has lost 2 from last season, for this reason due to them not getting game time, but then we couldn't field 17 recently. An unacceptable situation.

On balance DR has to go, but something else has to replace it. Academies - no club should be denied running an Academy team if they want to and finance it. Reserves - combined reserves could work. Again, it needs decisions making for the good of the game overall - developing and expanding the talent pool at all levels, not just myopic thinking and saving a few quid.

The problem with academies is it destroys the amateur game at youth level with knock on effects at open age level. I think there is a need for Under 19s academies still, but the Under 16s grade is a very damaging competition, especially because clubs only play about 8 games at that level, just enough to destroy amateur sides, but not enough to offer players an alternative. Restarting reserves could be a fair trade off for scrapping Under 16s, unless clubs want to develop their own juniors at an amateur level (which would maybe make sense for Keighley or Sheffield and is what clubs like London Skolars already do)

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Fev u16s were allowed to still play for there amateur teams.

I think thats the same for Saints. When there's gaps in the U16's fixtures or when out of season these lads go back and play for their amateur clubs. The only real difference is they continue to train with their Pro club rather than their amatuer one. Which isn't really a bad thing as the standard of training and facilities is likely to be higher at Pro level than amatuer level

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I was mainly thinking about U19 academies and not U16

Surely there is a way or working together so that the Pro Academies and those linked to the amateur clubs do not clash or overlap so much that an academy team run by say Fev does not impact on the viability of the amatuer team or teams at that level. Or maybe we should have enough players at this level around the country for the impact to be minimal.

 

Maybe an easy principle in theory though........could be wishful thinking

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Fev u16s were allowed to still play for there amateur teams.

That's actually worse as it means amateur clubs can raise a team for 2/3 of the season only. At least if players played full time for the pro club they could plan for the season
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Halifax are dr with a champ 1 team so it's ok for Marshall when it suits

And why is that? Because there are not enough 2nd team games in a season to give our reserve grade players sufficient game time. If the RFL scrapped DR and made clubs run 2nd teams this would not be necessary.

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DR in its current format needs to go. As it currently stands the system has shrunk the playing pool pyramid whilst unfairly skewing results in the lower tiers when suddenly a Championship side picks up a bunch of SL players (only the loose them a week later).

For me the push needs to be to bring back Reserves and/or Academy sides and the old loan system (where a player is loaned for a month or more).

Now naturally it's not that simple and not all teams can afford a second side, but maybe this is where the RFL needs to take the lead.

We've already seen the creation of joint Hull and Cumbria Academy teams, no reason why more areas can't share either Reserve or Academy teams if they can't justify their own sides (which should be the aim).

For me any steps that can be taken to get more players into the professional pyramid is better for UK Rugby League.

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For me the push needs to be to bring back Reserves and/or Academy sides.

Now naturally it's not that simple and not all teams can afford a second side, 

 

Before Superleague Hunslet used to run an academy (colts) a reserve team (Yorkshire senior competition) and a first team...............

 

Most clubs did, but they were semi-pro days.

 

The economics are different now and I think (tricky one this)  Championship clubs have to put all their eggs into one basket i.e. the first team.

 

If they don't and they are top sides they may not be able to compete for promotion to SL, conversely if they are bottom sides they may collapse into league 1.

 

If Championship clubs can afford the best Championship players like Chase etc they will buy them.

If Championship clubs can't afford them they will get them off DR like Lilley. 

 

Surely the clubs should have a choice of workable alternatives?

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Instead of a reserve league something like the b team system used in European football would be better for clubs who want to run a second team. For players too old for the under 19s and not getting into the first team playing for a b team in the championship against Leigh, Bradford, Fev, Batley etc would be far better for them as they would be playing at a better standard than what a reserve league would provide.

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Instead of a reserve league something like the b team system used in European football would be better for clubs who want to run a second team. For players too old for the under 19s and not getting into the first team playing for a b team in the championship against Leigh, Bradford, Fev, Batley etc would be far better for them as they would be playing at a better standard than what a reserve league would provide.

So who finances these teams? SL clubs?

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So who finances these teams? SL clubs?

 

This is it isn't it.

 

Championship clubs get second sides and under 19 sides what for?

 

All the best players will have gone through the SL system so it won't provide talent.

 

Any talent available to Championship clubs is becoming available when Leeds, Wigan, Saints etc don't sign their own academy lads, It makes sense to feed off that.

 

But running reserves and academy will cost championship clubs £tens of thousands clubs do not have spare.

 

Hunslet's Junior and intermediate sides were extensions of the schools system when there was no local junior RL outside school, the lack of easy travel meant top players came through the system and didn't go to Leeds, but they earned little even if they became first team regulars.

 

Massive waste of money, and even with their hot bed of RL even the Hull Superleague sides with rich owners won't run two sides as there isn't the talent, and they have to pay the players and staff to run these things  

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And why is that? Because there are not enough 2nd team games in a season to give our reserve grade players sufficient game time. If the RFL scrapped DR and made clubs run 2nd teams this would not be necessary.

Even less games now that Fev have disbanded their 2nd team.

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So who finances these teams? SL clubs?

Ideally, any club who can afford it and wishes to do so. Not every club will be able to run a reserve team so I was just putting it out there as an alternative as it would solve the problem of a lack of fixtures.

But again it comes down to the problem of there being a lack of money in the game, although it is a bit bizarre that SL clubs pleaded poverty to running a reserve team and then passed the marquee rule, where most of the money used for a marquee player could be used to run a reserve or b team for a year.

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SL clubs have the money they choose not to spend it to run a reserve team!

DR exists because SL clubs wanted a cheap option in order to improve the bottom line and in creating DR they achieved that at the expense of player production.

We've let a generation of aspiring young and talented players down and the longer we leave DR in place the more players we fail.

CEOs should NEVER be allowed to voteon, influence or control anything to do with coaching structures, they simply don't have the knowledge of the game to allow them to understand how their finance related decisions will affect the game.

DR needs to be gone now, it should never have been!

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SL clubs have the money they choose not to spend it to run a reserve team!

DR exists because SL clubs wanted a cheap option in order to improve the bottom line and in creating DR they achieved that at the expense of player production.

We've let a generation of aspiring young and talented players down and the longer we leave DR in place the more players we fail.

CEOs should NEVER be allowed to voteon, influence or control anything to do with coaching structures, they simply don't have the knowledge of the game to allow them to understand how their finance related decisions will affect the game.

DR needs to be gone now, it should never have been!

DR is also trying to replicate the Aussie reserve structure by the back door....is was brought in under licencing to have a second team in the area I.e

wigan, leigh

Hudds, fax

Leeds, hunslet

etc...

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