Reserve League - thoughts on how it’s going.

[welshmagpie 808]

Anybody been to a game yet? What’s the quality and intensity been like?

Ive kept a keen eye on team lists last weekend and this and there have been plenty of first trainers in action which can only be a good thing.

I notice Castleford’s today featured two Keighley players in Gaylor and Hawkyard - I do believe it won’t be long until the game in the UK replicates the structure seen commonly in NSW*
 

* Manly > Blacktown > Ryde-Eastwood Hawks

With players flitting between grades where necessary. 

[Emosi Koloto 186]

I’ve watched Wigan v Widnes & Hull Fc v Bradford.

Wigans forward pack was better than some SL forward packs. It was big & powerful. 
Widnes had a young squad as did Bulls.

the standard has been ok but I expect it to improve over the season.

Is is great to see the reserves back, example: 17 yo kids playing alongside Albert Kelly & Mahe Fonua whIch is good for their development, when the Academy season starts they should go back with confidence.

[kev p 112]

How many teams in reserve league? What is league format?

[Celt 804]

7 hours ago, kev p said:

How many teams in reserve league? What is league format?

2 pools of 9, one more based around the north west, the other one more covering yorkshire, humberside, places like that.  You play each team once at home, and all other teams in your pool, you play them away as well.  After these 26 fixtures, the top 3 from each pool move to the playoffs, with the remaining 12 teams results being aggregated together.  from this table of 12 teams, the nominal 'top 2' (which may both come from the same pool) make up the 7th and 8th spots in the playoffs.  The next 8 teams who don't qualify play a knockout cup competition against each other, to make up fixtures. For the bottom 2 teams, their season is over, and they have to wait for an RFL committee to decide if they will be allowed in next year, or be replaced by Keighley.  For the teams in the playoffs: quarter finals are drawn out of a hat, with the top seeds at home.  semis are 2legged home and away with an aggregate score deciding who goes through to the Grand Final.  The final is played at a neutral venue (Featherstone) as a one off stand-alone event.  

Very simple really.  

Edited February 9 by Celt

[JonM 2,497]

10 hours ago, Emosi Koloto said:

I’ve watched Wigan v Widnes & Hull Fc v Bradford.

Wigans forward pack was better than some SL forward packs. It was big & powerful. 
Widnes had a young squad as did Bulls.

There was a comment from someone at Widnes that their reserve team had faced tougher opposition in Wigan Reserves than the first team had in Oldham on the same weekend. As Widnes reserves beat Cas Reserves pretty convincingly yesterday, it makes me think that there's a big variation in standards between reserve teams.

[Lowdesert 2,835]

10 hours ago, Emosi Koloto said:

I’ve watched Wigan v Widnes & Hull Fc v Bradford.

Wigans forward pack was better than some SL forward packs. It was big & powerful. 
Widnes had a young squad as did Bulls.

the standard has been ok but I expect it to improve over the season.

Is is great to see the reserves back, example: 17 yo kids playing alongside Albert Kelly & Mahe Fonua whIch is good for their development, when the Academy season starts they should go back with confidence.

Hull v Wigan called off due to waterlogged pitch. (Brantingham).

Wigan are reported as planning to hold these at Community Clubs also.  Hull plan the same.  If the pitches are in good condition, great initiative.  Not really sure how others are covering this.

 

[Damien 9,207]

9 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

Hull v Wigan called off due to waterlogged pitch. (Brantingham).

Wigan are reported as planning to hold these at Community Clubs also.  Hull plan the same.  If the pitches are in good condition, great initiative.  Not really sure how others are covering this.

 

It could be a nice little earner for those community clubs and gives something back. A great idea.

[Lowdesert 2,835]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

It could be a nice little earner for those community clubs and gives something back. A great idea.

Hull used to play a few games against local Clubs, (Dockers, BP etc) pre-season for Academy, A teamers and squad players.  Always well attended and contested.  I dont know if that still exists but the Reserves games will be a sure way to engage with Community Clubs.

 

[DoubleD 5,271]

1 hour ago, JonM said:

There was a comment from someone at Widnes that their reserve team had faced tougher opposition in Wigan Reserves than the first team had in Oldham on the same weekend. As Widnes reserves beat Cas Reserves pretty convincingly yesterday, it makes me think that there's a big variation in standards between reserve teams.

I think that will inevitably be the case, particularly in the first season. Cas have been depleted by injuries to their first team, which saw them field a very young bench vs Wigan so their reserves would similarly have been depleted compared to normal

[del capo 236]

6 hours ago, Celt said:

2 pools of 9, one more based around the north west, the other one more covering yorkshire, humberside, places like that.  You play each team once at home, and all other teams in your pool, you play them away as well.  After these 26 fixtures, the top 3 from each pool move to the playoffs, with the remaining 12 teams results being aggregated together.  from this table of 12 teams, the nominal 'top 2' (which may both come from the same pool) make up the 7th and 8th spots in the playoffs.  The next 8 teams who don't qualify play a knockout cup competition against each other, to make up fixtures. For the bottom 2 teams, their season is over, and they have to wait for an RFL committee to decide if they will be allowed in next year, or be replaced by Keighley.  For the teams in the playoffs: quarter finals are drawn out of a hat, with the top seeds at home.  semis are 2legged home and away with an aggregate score deciding who goes through to the Grand Final.  The final is played at a neutral venue (Featherstone) as a one off stand-alone event.  

Very simple really.  

Do you have a link for  all this Celt ?

 I understood the format was a 14 team competition , (  for SL  clubs  and those with proven Academy 1 status or otherwise meeting strict criteria )18 match in total with no play offs.

That was  what the RFL press release  stated on Rugbyleague,com and  the fixtures released  under ' Championship Reserves competition  ' seem to bear that out ?

[Angelic Cynic 1,015]

15 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Anybody been to a game yet? What’s the quality and intensity been like?

Ive kept a keen eye on team lists last weekend and this and there have been plenty of first trainers in action which can only be a good thing.

I notice Castleford’s today featured two Keighley players in Gaylor and Hawkyard - I do believe it won’t be long until the game in the UK replicates the structure seen commonly in NSW*
 

* Manly > Blacktown > Ryde-Eastwood Hawks

With players flitting between grades where necessary. 

   4 players - Steven Hayes and Will Cooke,also in Castleford side. 

[dead man inc 75]

14 hours ago, kev p said:

How many teams in reserve league? What is league format?

Originally the RFL launched the Reserve Grade 2020 as a 15 team competition:

Bradford, Castleford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull FC, Hull KR, Leeds, London, Newcastle, Salford, St Helens, Wakefield, Warrington, Widnes, Wigan.

Then Halifax withdrew leaving a 14 team reserve league.

Unfortunately, the format is not as simple as it should have been (i.e. each team plays each other once home & away.)

From RFL website...

’Each of the 14 teams will play 18 matches, with the last round of fixtures on the weekend of August 30 - and no play-offs, meaning the team finishing top will be crowned champions.’

https://www.rugby-league.com/article/56084/reserves-and-academy-fixtures-released-for-

[kev p 112]

Doesn’t make sense changing the format after the season started. It loses credibility. However it’s nice to see 18 teams, instead of 14/15 as originally stated. Normally a league loses teams not gains them, but early days!

[dead man inc 75]

1 hour ago, kev p said:

Doesn’t make sense changing the format after the season started. It loses credibility. However it’s nice to see 18 teams, instead of 14/15 as originally stated. Normally a league loses teams not gains them, but early days!

The season started with 14 teams, there are only 14 teams in the reserves league.

Edited February 11 by dead man inc

[thunderpete 110]

Great result from Thunder v Salford.

 

[Emosi Koloto 186]

Despite the appalling conditions Wigan v Hull KR was a tough physical game.

Wigan again put out a strong team and at times KR matched them. 
Just can’t wait for it to dry up so we can see more open footy.

[NERugbyDad 250]

Another great result for the Thunder's reserves on Saturday beating London Broncos 14 - 10. The entire Thunder squad being made up of players who are either in or have come through the academy.

[thebrewxi 10]

Are they shown online at all. Though the Leeds Bradford game was on but couldn't find it. For Wigan TV show them live? Any other clubs? Would have thought wolves would  be doing something. 

[Damien 9,207]

10 hours ago, Emosi Koloto said:

Despite the appalling conditions Wigan v Hull KR was a tough physical game.

Wigan again put out a strong team and at times KR matched them. 
Just can’t wait for it to dry up so we can see more open footy.

The Wigan team showed what reserves should be all about and showed the immense benefit of reserves both in developing players and providing valuable game time to those returning from injury and those not selected for the first team.

[Hela Wigmen 774]

It’s far too early to be decrying this a success or a failure, but then, snap decisions are what Rugby League is all about.

[Wolford6 2,096]

 

Rob Burrow

 

@Rob7Burrow

 

A real tough win today against

@OfficialBullsRL

Reserves in terrible conditions. The lads stuck together & grinded out the win. Im so grateful for the donation from the Bradford lads - pure class!

@MuizzMustapha

effort alone was worth the admission fee #mot

7:03 pm · 15 Feb 2020 from Pontefract, England·Twitter for iPhone

Edited February 16 by Wolford6

[welshmagpie 808]

I’ve been most pleased at how the reserves is being used as a tool for it should be: providing valuable game time.

Hull KR’s team yesterday was full of ‘first teamers’ who needed the minutes. 

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon 992]

Is there any evidence yet that, or is it the plan that, the reserve league is also used as a way of nurturing on-field match officials towards league ! and above, or is it felt that they can step up from more local leagues directly to the semi-pro structure?

[Tommygilf 4,272]

Got to be honest I've seen hardly anything from the Rhinos on this. I consider myself a bit of an RL nause too but this really hasn't figured on my radar at all, which is a shame because its something I could see myself getting behind; especially if they played some games at a few amateur teams grounds.

[terrywebbisgod 1,922]

20 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Got to be honest I've seen hardly anything from the Rhinos on this. I consider myself a bit of an RL nause too but this really hasn't figured on my radar at all, which is a shame because its something I could see myself getting behind; especially if they played some games at a few amateur teams grounds.

They played the Bulls at Stanningley. I suspect they'll play at Stanningley all season.