Young SL players - A breakout season

[Scubby]

4 minutes ago, M j M said:

Morgan Gannon is probably going to be the best of all the Leeds players named.

He wasn't great against Wigan but I really noticed him at home to Warrington. He is very strong and will get better.

[meast]

3 hours ago, Just Browny said:

Lol, when were all these internationals from the last 2 seasons he has missed out on?

True, but theoretically, he's played 50+ games now, some players only play 4 or 5 and people are calling them international class.

[meast]

Who was the last fawned over Leeds youngster to really make the grade, to actually push on past the hype and become a really top player?

They all seem to get built up after 5-10 games but never really kick on and become nothing more than decent SL players.

[The storm]

13 hours ago, Just Browny said:

Josh Thewlis

Connor Wrench

Matty Ashton

Ellis Longstaff

Ellis longstaff needs to bulk up considerably 

[JM2010]

3 hours ago, dkw said:

Tindal at Leeds looks a hell of a prospect. 

I agree. He looks fast and strong. 

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

1 hour ago, meast said:

Who was the last fawned over Leeds youngster to really make the grade, to actually push on past the hype and become a really top player?

They all seem to get built up after 5-10 games but never really kick on and become nothing more than decent SL players.

That’s just youngsters in general. A young player has a good game, then the fans and media then label them as future Internationals and over hype them. This isn’t just for Leeds players, it happens to young players at every club that produces players. Also there is nothing wrong with producing decent SL players. 

[Barry Badrinath]

4 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

This thread is difficult for a Catalans fan... 

Not sure any of our youngsters are world class caliber right now. Cesar Rougé and Thomas Lacans probably have the highest ceiling. Paul and Justin Sangare at Toulouse are big blokes but can they take it up the the SL level? 

 

Morgue?

[Barry Badrinath]

1 hour ago, meast said:

Who was the last fawned over Leeds youngster to really make the grade, to actually push on past the hype and become a really top player?

They all seem to get built up after 5-10 games but never really kick on and become nothing more than decent SL players.

Well, that's why you guys have got Golding, who was the next big thing after hardaker's personal demons started becoming apparent,he quickly got usurped by walker who was the Next next big thing

[dkw]

4 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

This thread is difficult for a Catalans fan... 

Not sure any of our youngsters are world class caliber right now. Cesar Rougé and Thomas Lacans probably have the highest ceiling. Paul and Justin Sangare at Toulouse are big blokes but can they take it up the the SL level? 

 

Laguerre looked a fantastic prospect last season.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Arthur Morgue, Mathieu Laguerre, Joe Chan, Corentin Le Cam

[Barry Badrinath]

1 hour ago, The storm said:

Ellis longstaff needs to bulk up considerably 

He does,  but he's got an attitude and maturity to play at sl level already, he'll fill out

[rhinos78]

2 hours ago, meast said:

Who was the last fawned over Leeds youngster to really make the grade, to actually push on past the hype and become a really top player?

They all seem to get built up after 5-10 games but never really kick on and become nothing more than decent SL players.

The thing getting missed here is that Leeds academy was extremely poor for a long period of time, we only started to get things together again around the time of the Oledzki, Walker, Smith intake,  for years before that our recruitment was awful for the most part, the only 3 in recent memory before that batch, that i was sure would make it big were Watkins, Ward and Goulding...Ward and Watkins were excellent when fit, Goulding didnt kick on, but 2 out of 3 isnt bad... Sky comentators getting excited about someone like Jordan lilley isnt how id determine hype, he, and plenty others, were never going to be good enough. Suttcliffe done better than i thought he would when he got into the first team initially and had a good run at left centre in our 2017 title season, but he's just never had a position, even in the Academy, he'd play fullback one week then loose forward the next then everywhere inbetween, he just lacks certain attributes to play whichever or whatever position at a top class level. 

 

From the intake mentioned, Oledzki is already an England international at 22 so he's living up to the hype, Cam Smith is starting go show his quality, England knights player and our starting 13 and Walker was doing very well before his 2 year injury woes.

The intake after we had Newman, he's living up to the hype and Tyler Dupree who's the best young prop in the championship as im sure Widnes and Oldham fans would agree, he should be in contention for these young England teams people are posting because he's better than some of the props getting mentioned. Then your own Owen Trout who's played plenty of SL at a young age.

The intake after that is the likes of Broadbent and Holroyd who are well on the right track, Broadbents an England knights player at 20 and Holroyds top class if he could ever stay fit, which is the biggest problem a lot of our youngsters have, they're always injured. 

A lot of the excitement about our current youth are players like Gannon 18, Edwards 18, Sinfield 17, Simpson 17 who are a way too young to be making calls on living up to any hype, right now they're exactly where we'd want them to be, some of the best prospects we'v had in our system for years.

[Hvy wg]

34 minutes ago, dkw said:

Laguerre looked a fantastic prospect last season.

I like him. I do. He's already 23 and I've seen him struggle defensively against some big guys in the Elite 1.

I reckon he might not cut it at centre in SL and his best shot is on the wings but we're not moving Davies or Yaha.

[arcticchris]

4 hours ago, DoubleD said:

He’s raw but that pace and balance is exciting. He’s got a good build too.

I worry Jack Walker isn’t going to fulfil his early promise. He stagnated after breaking onto the scene and his injuries haven’t helped but he didn’t look like he had much pace yesterday and his positioning was poor for some of the tries. I fear he’s going the same way as Ash Golding. Outstanding young prospect at full back but doesn’t translate to the top level. I hope I’m wrong

I think he was always overhyped to be honest, particularly by the pack of Sky TV pundits.

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

2 hours ago, Barry Badrinath said:

Morgue?

 

2 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

Arthur Morgue, Mathieu Laguerre, Joe Chan, Corentin Le Cam

Threads like this always raise the question of what is a young player, and by implication, does their expereince so far at SL level affect the answer to that.

Mourgue (not 'Morgue' by the way!) will only turn 23 in May, so I would call him young.  A mere handful of games in the 2018 to 2020 seasons were followed by 23 appearances last year.  Was that the break-out year, or - when he fully recovers from his injury - will this maybe be it?

[arcticchris]

4 hours ago, meast said:

Who was the last fawned over Leeds youngster to really make the grade, to actually push on past the hype and become a really top player?

They all seem to get built up after 5-10 games but never really kick on and become nothing more than decent SL players.

Arguably Danny McGuire/Ryan Hall

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

37 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

 

Threads like this always raise the question of what is a young player, and by implication, does their expereince so far at SL level affect the answer to that.

Mourgue (not 'Morgue' by the way!) will only turn 23 in May, so I would call him young.  A mere handful of games in the 2018 to 2020 seasons were followed by 23 appearances last year.  Was that the break-out year, or - when he fully recovers from his injury - will this maybe be it?

I’d say anyone 23 and under is a young player. It’s fairly rare to get teenagers in Super League nowadays with it being so physical 

[Magic Superbeetle]

I think Welsby and Dodd will be on everyone’s radars from Saints, and have rightly got the 1 and 7 shirt this year. But the next crop to come through will likely be Jake Wingfield (currently keeping Bell out of the 21 man squads) Matty Foster who played most of the year on DR with Leigh last year and impressed, Josh Simm, who played today vs Hull, but might be hard pushed to keep his place with Hurrell and Hopoate, and Pemberton, who might be a year too early for him, but is heir select at hooker to run alongside Lussick when Roby retires.

Sambou, Martyn* and Baxter are also good prospects, though suspect they’re too far down the pecking order to get game time this year.

*yes, Tommy Martyn’s son

[meast]

3 hours ago, Barry Badrinath said:

Well, that's why you guys have got Golding, who was the next big thing after hardaker's personal demons started becoming apparent,he quickly got usurped by walker who was the Next next big thing

Thats my point, none of them really kick on and become truly class players, for such a rich talent pool they haven't really produced that many top class players and still rely on overseas signings or players from other clubs in the main.

[rhinos78]

52 minutes ago, Magic Superbeetle said:

I think Welsby and Dodd will be on everyone’s radars from Saints, and have rightly got the 1 and 7 shirt this year. But the next crop to come through will likely be Jake Wingfield (currently keeping Bell out of the 21 man squads) Matty Foster who played most of the year on DR with Leigh last year and impressed, Josh Simm, who played today vs Hull, but might be hard pushed to keep his place with Hurrell and Hopoate, and Pemberton, who might be a year too early for him, but is heir select at hooker to run alongside Lussick when Roby retires.

Sambou, Martyn* and Baxter are also good prospects, though suspect they’re too far down the pecking order to get game time this year.

*yes, Tommy Martyn’s son

Hows Reece Sumner getting on these days, always thought he looked a quality prospect when ever we played your scholarship/Academy teams

[welshmagpie]

3 minutes ago, rhinos78 said:

Hows Reece Sumner getting on these days, always thought he looked a quality prospect when ever we played your scholarship/Academy teams

Played reserves last night unsure how he went. 

[Barry Badrinath]

21 minutes ago, meast said:

Thats my point, none of them really kick on and become truly class players, for such a rich talent pool they haven't really produced that many top class players and still rely on overseas signings or players from other clubs in the main.

Weirdly  the only one you could say that has kicked on, and become a fixture is ash Handley,  who wasn't rocket strapped when he made first team and Leeds fans have been vocal ever since that he's not good enough for them

[Magic Superbeetle]

2 minutes ago, welshmagpie said:

Played reserves last night unsure how he went. 

He impressed by all accounts. His biggest issue at Saints is he’s in a really crowded cohort, with Wingfield, Foster, Davies and Royle all fighting for back row spots, in training, in the reserves and for Duel Reg. Dan Norman has also started playing more back row recently too, and the first team is crowded as well, with Batchelor coming through last year showing his class, on top of the established players.

Woolf is a big fan of Wingfield, so imagine he’s top of the pack at the moment, and then Foster and Davies due to their DR experience last year with Leigh and Salford respectively. He did get the back row spot over Royce though in the reserves, so may see him make a push

[Damien]

I do have big hopes for Kai Pearce Paul. He has all the attributes to be something very special.

[EastLondonMike]

Kai Pearce Paul did look to have improved from last season in the game against Leeds. Like others have said, he looked pretty decent.
 

it will be interesting to compare  the progress of some of the young guns in the NRL to those in SL who have broken into their first team squads. Matt Burton at the Bulldogs has only one season under his belt (I think), as an example. Also Sam Walker at the Roosters. Another with big things being said about him and also only one season under his belt. And of course Dom Young.