Dunning "relieved of his duties"

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, Expatknight said:

Maybe we should go back to the way we used to do it with A teams and juniors, but no, that wouldn’t do would it? Far better to go for the easy option,  it just reinforces how amateurish our game is and I don’t mean that to be a slur on the amateur game who probably run their clubs in a more professional manner than a lot of so called pro clubs.

Where do the players and the money come from for that? To be done properly that is; because we do still, across most at SL level at least, have that reserves and academy set up.

What do you want the second tier competition in this country to be: The Championship or the Reserves? If the former, then that is where SL clubs will want their developing players to spend time playing in, if the latter, the Championship is going to regress further from SL on field. There is also a knock on for every level below that, with amateur clubs already feeling a squeeze on player numbers at every level.

Inevitably the question of where money is spent, and by extension is best spent, arises too. 

I think the current situation, like a lot of RL over the past decade, is a compromise based on the practical realities the game currently faces.

[RP London]

The problem is, which is a difficult circle to square, is that the way it should work really is that players on the fringes want first team action and so move to get it.. and that knocks down the division and people drop to the lower divisions who feel the same in teams down at the bottom of super league. That then frees up places for the younger players and the cycle starts again and is how it should work.. but it drops off too quick and too far when you drop out of Super League ie part time from full time.. (and we don't have the money to stop this).. hence people are happy to stay on at Super League clubs with loans and DR as an option.. but we don't really want that, but we don't want the reserves because that then takes away players doing the drop down cycle.. meaning the quality down the divisions is less good.. 

DR should have had an age limit on it (I dont believe it did) as should loans IMHO.. but again not thought through enough to actually solve the problem. 

Its not easy, but equally there has to be a solution to it that isnt such a mess, but it has to be stuck to so that it develops. 

With so many things in RL it feels (as a process manager in a past life) like they have gone through 3 of 5 phases of processes fixing and just gone.. "close enough screw it lets start doing it this way" missing the most important phase of "test" which is not done in live conditions, but done before rolling out... 

sorry this is quite a tangent away from a man getting sacked!

Edited May 10, 2023 by RP London

[Expatknight]

35 minutes ago, RP London said:

Yes that would seem the sensible way to solve the issue (or similar, doesnt have to be exactly that but a team or 2 below first grade is definitely what was needed IMHO), however, that would have taken time, planning and patience.. hence it wasnt done.. just a bit too tough... 

it should be part of the criteria to be a member of the Championship a certainly Super League, there are far more positives than negatives if only giving your fringe players and those returning from injury game time, it is also a useful avenue for developing officials and judging by some of the comments and my own observations this season that has to be a good thing. It is a massive step up from the conference league to semi pro for players and officials alike .

I remember watching some cracking A team games when I was growing up.

I cannot understand why we went away from it in the first place , I know people will say it was unaffordable but I would counter that by saying it was actually an investment overlooked by greedy short sighted chairman who seem to have plagued our great game over the years.

[Mumby Magic]

5 hours ago, OriginalMrC said:

Think Bradford fans need to stop putting the blame on the coaches and look at how the club is run. I genuinely hope that someone with a long term vision and plan for the club takes over because at the minute the club is going nowhere 

We've had gripe with how our club has been rub for years buddy. Let us deflect onto something else lol. However like I said I wouldn't have sacked him.

[Mumby Magic]

5 hours ago, OriginalMrC said:

Think Bradford fans need to stop putting the blame on the coaches and look at how the club is run. I genuinely hope that someone with a long term vision and plan for the club takes over because at the minute the club is going nowhere 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Mumby Magic

[Mumby Magic]

With regards to our squad and team. We have an academy and reserve team.

Academy and Reserves

2 years ago we blooded through SL target Ebon Scurr. Apart from Sunday, Jayden Myers has stood upto this level.

We have George Flanagan Jnr who has had the odd game this year. He's still wet behind the years. However SL becomes and he could probably plated on the wing if we were that short as he is no worse than what we have brought in. Myles Lawford is first team ready and found have been more involved this year. Final one of note, Billy Jowitt. Dunning became a bit obsessed with playing him as relief 9, whereas I think Lilley should be 9 as he struggles to control games. Jowett is definite first team squad quality.

The DR and loanees.

From memory.

Fenton Rogers. One of the better ones.

George Roby. Good but was dire at Keighley and was sent back. 

Liam Tindall. Average

Leon Ruan. No thanks 

Corey Johnson. 1 game did ok.

Jack Bibby. Erm soso

Rob Butler. No thanks

James Donaldson. Different Level

Sam Walters. See Donaldson

Roberts. No thanks.

Jason Qareqare. I think he'll do OK but any better than what we have. Who knows.

 

 

 

 

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Where do the players and the money come from for that? To be done properly that is; because we do still, across most at SL level at least, have that reserves and academy set up.

What do you want the second tier competition in this country to be: The Championship or the Reserves? If the former, then that is where SL clubs will want their developing players to spend time playing in, if the latter, the Championship is going to regress further from SL on field. There is also a knock on for every level below that, with amateur clubs already feeling a squeeze on player numbers at every level.

Inevitably the question of where money is spent, and by extension is best spent, arises too. 

I think the current situation, like a lot of RL over the past decade, is a compromise based on the practical realities the game currently faces.

Thank God for IMG then Tommy coming pounding over the hill on their White Chargers to change things for the better, I don't think so!

Edited May 10, 2023 by Harry Stottle

[Tommygilf]

4 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Thank God for IMG then Tommy coming pounding over the hill on their White Chargers to change things for the better, I don't think so!

I think in the short term they will compromise on some things. Medium term I hope, indeed expect, such compromises to go out the window.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Expatknight said:

it should be part of the criteria to be a member of the Championship a certainly Super League, there are far more positives than negatives if only giving your fringe players and those returning from injury game time, it is also a useful avenue for developing officials and judging by some of the comments and my own observations this season that has to be a good thing. It is a massive step up from the conference league to semi pro for players and officials alike .

I remember watching some cracking A team games when I was growing up.

I cannot understand why we went away from it in the first place , I know people will say it was unaffordable but I would counter that by saying it was actually an investment overlooked by greedy short sighted chairman who seem to have plagued our great game over the years.

Oh so true Expat. I was in the era when at Leigh we had the Colts U17, B Team U19, The A team Reserves, and of course the First team, for the better lads there was progression through the system, and the A Team was the learning ground for the upcoming youngsters against older seasoned pro's it was also the place for the out of form first teamer's, and those returning from injury, all being under the watchful eye and tutorledge of the first team coach where all the players were familiar with his strategies and game plans.

[RP London]

15 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Oh so true Expat. I was in the era when at Leigh we had the Colts U17, B Team U19, The A team Reserves, and of course the First team, for the better lads there was progression through the system, and the A Team was the learning ground for the upcoming youngsters against older seasoned pro's it was also the place for the out of form first teamer's, and those returning from injury, all being under the watchful eye and tutorledge of the first team coach where all the players were familiar with his strategies and game plans.

problem is now.. thats an awful lot of wages to pay,.. 

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, RP London said:

problem is now.. thats an awful lot of wages to pay,.. 

Yes it is, which brings up the question of who pays the wages of DR and Loanees the Parent club or the Recieving club?

[RP London]

2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Yes it is, which brings up the question of who pays the wages of DR and Loanees the Parent club or the Recieving club?

depends on the deal I would expect.. but for every club this type of thing helps to drop a wage bill from having to have the number of teams you laid out.. and there in lies the biggest issue to be solved.. money!

and lets face it, since the days your talking about (I assume) the game has gone full time and become more expensive to fund.. and the money coming in has not matched that.. it is not going to be solved over night.. DR was a stop gap at best but not fit for purpose.. we need something more sustainable to come through but we also need to give it time and money.. first lets hope the changes start to bring in some money!

Edited May 10, 2023 by RP London

[daz39]

12 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Don't Leeds have a reserve team?

Funny a Leigh fan asking that question....

[Harry Stottle]

8 hours ago, daz39 said:

Funny a Leigh fan asking that question....

Why?

[Wolford6]

Dual Registration stinks.

Dual Registration with your deadly rivals really really stinks.

Edited May 11, 2023 by Wolford6

[Click]

Not sure how we could possibly go back to having a full A, B team, Reserves, etc. I don't think it is even about the money, it is more about the players - We don't have them. 

If the SL clubs had reserves, A teams, etc then they would most likely have those same players currently playing in the Championship in those teams, which would certainly take away from the Championship. But I guess that is "super greed" for you !

[daz39]

29 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Why?

Because Leigh haven't, they just cancel games a week before and take a 48-0 loss so they can plough money into the 1st team, there's some very annoyed and disappointed development coaches around over this, it is after all a compulsory requirement for Super League teams, Leigh are being very naughty over this and i believe 'looked at'.

[Barley Mow]

3 minutes ago, daz39 said:

Because Leigh haven't, they just cancel games a week before and take a 48-0 loss so they can plough money into the 1st team, there's some very annoyed and disappointed development coaches around over this, it is after all a compulsory requirement for Super League teams, Leigh are being very naughty over this and i believe 'looked at'.

Is it compulsory for SL clubs?

We're obviously excluding Catalans from this, but my recollection (and it is just from memory, I could be wrong) is that it is compulsory for those SL clubs who were awarded category A academies.

Aren't the fixtures run fortnightly with the academy matches in the other weeks?

[daz39]

Just now, Barley Mow said:

Is it compulsory for SL clubs?

We're obviously excluding Catalans from this, but my recollection (and it is just from memory, I could be wrong) is that it is compulsory for those SL clubs who were awarded category A academies.

Aren't the fixtures run fortnightly with the academy matches in the other weeks?

As far as i am aware it is a compulsory requirements for SLclubs to run a reserve side

in fact:

Quote

Having a reserve team is a compulsory part of the minimum criteria to hold a Super League licence, but Catalans Dragons have dispensation to run their reserve team in the French Elite League for logistical reasons.

So yes it is.

Obviously Leigh are getting around this by making out they can't raise a team so are forfeiting fixtures, usually at cost to the opposing team.

[Barley Mow]

1 minute ago, daz39 said:

As far as i am aware it is a compulsory requirements for SLclubs to run a reserve side

in fact:

So yes it is.

Obviously Leigh are getting around this by making out they can't raise a team so are forfeiting fixtures, usually at cost to the opposing team.

Thanks.

Where's the quote from?

[daz39]

2 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

Thanks.

Where's the quote from?

That was from Wikipedia but it also confirms it on the RFL site.

[Barley Mow]

1 minute ago, daz39 said:

That was from Wikipedia but it also confirms it on the RFL site.

Cheers. I just wondered whether, with the reference to a Super League licence, that referred to the previous version of the reserve comp - before they scrapped then reintroduced it.

Happy to take your word on it.

[daz39]

1 minute ago, Barley Mow said:

Cheers. I just wondered whether, with the reference to a Super League licence, that referred to the previous version of the reserve comp - before they scrapped then reintroduced it.

Happy to take your word on it.

Nope it was from 2022.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, daz39 said:

Because Leigh haven't, they just cancel games a week before and take a 48-0 loss so they can plough money into the 1st team, there's some very annoyed and disappointed development coaches around over this, it is after all a compulsory requirement for Super League teams, Leigh are being very naughty over this and i believe 'looked at'.

Honest question, when are you referring to daz?

[Expatknight]

it would seem to me, correct me if I am wrong, that some posters on here see the Championship  clubs as  feeders for Super League clubs, they are not and never should be, they are stand alone clubs with their own history, the Championship is a stand alone competition thanks to the way Super League was set up and the vast majority of championship players are not full time, 'A' teams players in the past were not paid or if they were it was winning pay and expenses, the cost as far as players goes should be no more or even less than bringing in Dual Reg players.