David Dockhouse Host Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Super League clubs are meeting today to discuss the return of reserve Grade Rugby, or Steam if your as old as me . Pros and cons, do we want it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derwent Parker Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 1 minute ago, David Dockhouse Host said: Super League clubs are meeting today to discuss the return of reserve Grade Rugby, or Steam if your as old as me . Pros and cons, do we want it? yes but for all clubs not just SL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Yes I am all for it. It provides an invaluable stepping stone for young players and allows for more strength in depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dockhouse Host Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 31 minutes ago, Derwent Parker said: yes but for all clubs not just SL Apologies yes all clubs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastLondonMike Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Absolutely. Will be surprised if it's anything other than invitational though. If it does indeed happen. Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!Twitter: @NewhamDockersRL - Get following! www.newhamdockers.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbe Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 If it stops all this loan lark, it's been a right pain when they used call it D/R. It would make league 1 a lot closer, and give a true reflection of team strengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowdesert Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 37 minutes ago, newbe said: If it stops all this loan lark, it's been a right pain when they used call it D/R. It would make league 1 a lot closer, and give a true reflection of team strengths. Actually, we had DR and Loan. Two different operations. Still the same daft things happening - Loan for a game. ....but, we are in a Covid crisis so we’ve got to give and take imo. Reserves though? Absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Kevin Sinfield Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 The reality is clubs just don’t have enough players to run a reserve side, Leeds v Huddersfield last week had both clubs with so many injuries scraping a team together. A halfway house could be mergers at reserve team level. The following would give an 8 team reserve league, Leeds and Bradford, Castleford and Wakefield, Wigan and Leigh, Warrington and Widnes, Hull and Hull, Huddersfield and Halifax, St Helens and Salford, combined Championship side . People won’t like this solution but the reality is reserve grade rugby league was scrapped to save money as clubs could run smaller squads, this is a solution where that can happen and we still have a reserve league. Catalans and Toulouse have reserve sides in the French Leagues, if reserve league is rejected by the majority the big clubs that produce all the players, Leeds, St Helens and Wigan could enter League One with their reserve sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Fev's midweek reserve games were great entertainment for a couple of quid. I used to love the Thursday night ride over the common, talking sheeite with the brethren for a couple of hours and watching some footy.... Beats watching holby and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubby Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 25 minutes ago, Robin Evans said: Fev's midweek reserve games were great entertainment for a couple of quid. I used to love the Thursday night ride over the common, talking sheeite with the brethren for a couple of hours and watching some footy.... Beats watching holby and the like. Some good crowds in the early 1990s when I used to go too. Printed sheet for the teams. You also saw some super stars every now and then either getting a debut in or returning from injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 8 minutes ago, Scubby said: Some good crowds in the early 1990s when I used to go too. Printed sheet for the teams. You also saw some super stars every now and then either getting a debut in or returning from injury. I remember seeing Zak Hardaker for the first time.... I knew then he'd make it in superleague. Like greased lightening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubby Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Just now, Robin Evans said: I remember seeing Zak Hardaker for the first time.... I knew then he'd make it in superleague. Like greased lightening. Was always great seeing the Wigan A Team, always had a few stars in that couldn't make the first team or were coming back from injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said: The reality is clubs just don’t have enough players to run a reserve side, Leeds v Huddersfield last week had both clubs with so many injuries scraping a team together. A halfway house could be mergers at reserve team level. But that is why we need reserves and bigger squads. Small squads and no strength in depth when injuries occur is part of the problem when it comes to standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLANTISMAN Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Didn't Jonathan Davies make his debut away to Whithaven in a reserve match with around 5000 turning up? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dockhouse Host Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 1 minute ago, ATLANTISMAN said: Didn't Jonathan Davies make his debut away to Whithaven in a reserve match with around 5000 turning up? Paul It was an A team game but thought it was at Widnes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dockhouse Host Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said: The reality is clubs just don’t have enough players to run a reserve side, Leeds v Huddersfield last week had both clubs with so many injuries scraping a team together. A halfway house could be mergers at reserve team level. The following would give an 8 team reserve league, Leeds and Bradford, Castleford and Wakefield, Wigan and Leigh, Warrington and Widnes, Hull and Hull, Huddersfield and Halifax, St Helens and Salford, combined Championship side . People won’t like this solution but the reality is reserve grade rugby league was scrapped to save money as clubs could run smaller squads, this is a solution where that can happen and we still have a reserve league. Catalans and Toulouse have reserve sides in the French Leagues, if reserve league is rejected by the majority the big clubs that produce all the players, Leeds, St Helens and Wigan could enter League One with their reserve sides. Or, could they play in the third tier after SL becomes two leagues of 10? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Evans Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 3 minutes ago, David Dockhouse Host said: It was an A team game but thought it was at Widnes He signed for Widnes.... the same day he attended an A team game at fev..... sat in the stand.... nobody recognised him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommygilf Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 U23s with a number of overage players could be the way this is implemented. Having full time clubs pad out their reserve teams with local NCL amateurs just to make a 17 makes no sense however. Leeds, who weren't in favour of reserves particularly, said that their u19s would be their reserves. Anyone older would be likely to go out on loan if not ready for the 1st team. That would probably evolve into an u21/u23s over a few seasons but it would undoubtedly be a (partly) age limited affair. If they had the money, ability and inclination it wouldn't surprise me to see them set up a L1 club as a reserve level. I don't think you can force every team to love and rate reserves, it doesn’t happen even in Football. Some clubs will love it, some clubs will give it only a passing appreciation. The minimum standards should be there however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELBOWSEYE Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 59 minutes ago, Scubby said: Some good crowds in the early 1990s when I used to go too. Printed sheet for the teams. You also saw some super stars every now and then either getting a debut in or returning from injury. Bigger crowds especially when a big name union star made their debut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELBOWSEYE Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 4 minutes ago, Tommygilf said: U23s with a number of overage players could be the way this is implemented. Having full time clubs pad out their reserve teams with local NCL amateurs just to make a 17 makes no sense however. I remember in the 70's local amateurs loved running out for the A team also earning some beer money and free beer on long away trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommygilf Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 12 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said: I remember in the 70's local amateurs loved running out for the A team also earning some beer money and free beer on long away trips. I'm sure they did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Aitcheson Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 4 hours ago, David Dockhouse Host said: It was an A team game but thought it was at Widnes Come on, it must have been at Widnes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Frying Scotsman Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 4 hours ago, ELBOWSEYE said: I remember in the 70's local amateurs loved running out for the A team also earning some beer money and free beer on long away trips. 50 years ago? OK, but they would now be playing against professionals. Not against guys who worked the same jobs that they did, and got paid match fees and win bonuses. Things have moved on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yipyee Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Dual reg is far better for the game Taking players out of semi pro and amateur clubs to make up the numbers at reserve grade is a very bad idea. It works for reginal clubs like catalan toulouse and the welsh clubs but not in England, its too damaging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakefield Ram Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 8 hours ago, David Dockhouse Host said: Super League clubs are meeting today to discuss the return of reserve Grade Rugby, or Steam if your as old as me . Pros and cons, do we want it? Assuming a club needs another 20 players to run reserves that's c240 extra players in the pro game compared to now. What effect would that have on top level amateur game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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