2025 Transfer Tracker

[up the robins]

10 minutes ago, phiggins said:

All Super League clubs are forced to enter aren't they?

If they are it's a farce. We have had to loan players out for game time because our reserves go weeks with out a game, surely it can't be hard to sort it so whoever  you are playing  tgat week in super league is the same team your reserves play that week.

[David Dockhouse Host]

1 hour ago, up the robins said:

The reserves league at the moment is not mandatory and teams go weeks without any games, hence the reason why player's are loaned out instead.

A reserves league where all super league clubs where forced to enter would provide a much better platform for youngsters to get first team recognition, training with the first team and developed with the game structure the parent club want. 

Being loaned out can be quite disruptive and players may be coached different to what the parent club wish.

Yes I'm not against a better more established reserve league but there are multiple barriers.

With 1st teams now being fully pro, they train in the day. The old A team league everyone trained together two nights a week and selection often being done on the Thursday night training to which team you were in.

Now the gap is much wider and reserves can only train evenings so little opportunity to mix.

Do talented players go championship or reserve? This will also be a consideration, no easy answers to all this but I get the feeling reserves is fledging and may be lost altogether eventually. The current set up is working to an extent but not the same as the old A teams and I doubt it ever will be.

Edited April 22 by David Dockhouse Host

[phiggins]

1 hour ago, up the robins said:

If they are it's a farce. We have had to loan players out for game time because our reserves go weeks with out a game, surely it can't be hard to sort it so whoever  you are playing  tgat week in super league is the same team your reserves play that week.

Pretty sure all the UK SL clubs have a reserve team. Not sure about Catalans, they definitely have a reserve team, but not sure if they play in the UK league.

I suspect the clubs have been happy to keep fixtures to every other week, to avoid the cost of keeping enough players to have a reserve and academy side in place. 

[up the robins]

29 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Pretty sure all the UK SL clubs have a reserve team. Not sure about Catalans, they definitely have a reserve team, but not sure if they play in the UK league.

I suspect the clubs have been happy to keep fixtures to every other week, to avoid the cost of keeping enough players to have a reserve and academy side in place. 

Hi having looked into it a bit more the reserve league is a 12 round format involving all super league teams except for Catalans and includes the Bradford bulls.

If you have a big squad and are trying to keep players happy they need to be playing more than once every 2 to 3 weeks.

We have players like danny Richardson,Doro,Kershaw amongst many other twiddling there thumbs getting one or two weeks out on loan here or there waiting for injuries to occur so they can get a game.

I can't find the article but rovers at the beginning of the season said they will have to let players go out on loan as we had no reserve fixtures coming up.

Edited April 22 by up the robins

[Tommygilf]

26 minutes ago, David Dockhouse Host said:

We have the reserves league but it seems to have evolved into a hybrid of academy and young prospects.

Therefore many SL teams will loan/duel reg their more advanced players to championship and L1 teams instead.

I have often wanted RL to consider and combined 3rd tier/reserves league. Obviously would need some figuring out but years ago the 'A team' league had teams such as Hemel Hempstead in them.

I think some version of this is bound to happen with the issues of club numbers in the lower tiers; combined with the dislike of the reserve league some clubs have had. 

[David Dockhouse Host]

1 hour ago, up the robins said:

Hi having looked into it a bit more the reserve league is a 12 round format involving all super league teams except for Catalans and includes the Bradford bulls.

If you have a big squad and are trying to keep players happy they need to be playing more than once every 2 to 3 weeks.

We have players like danny Richardson,Doro,Kershaw amongst many other twiddling there thumbs getting one or two weeks out on loan here or there waiting for injuries to occur so they can get a game.

I can't find the article but rovers at the beginning of the season said they will have to let players go out on loan as we had no reserve fixtures coming up.

I think it's rare for SL 1st teamers to play reserves.

As posted above I believe SL clubs like the every other week approach as it helps with staffing as they can (although this was due to change) use academy players as academy also played every other week.

[Tommygilf]

3 hours ago, phiggins said:

Pretty sure all the UK SL clubs have a reserve team. Not sure about Catalans, they definitely have a reserve team, but not sure if they play in the UK league.

I suspect the clubs have been happy to keep fixtures to every other week, to avoid the cost of keeping enough players to have a reserve and academy side in place. 

Catalans reserves, or the baby dracs, play in the French league.

I know when it initially came in, Leeds weren't in favour of reserves and then when they had to have them have used them as an u19s side (effectively an extension of the u18s academy side).

SL clubs tend to prefer second (or even 3rd) division loan rugby over reserves it seems. I would argue the sport more generally does too though there are issues with Dual Reg etc. 

I think a recommendation of "the review" will be some form of some SL reserves in League 1 (or below) to give enough matches. 

That said, I'm surprised we've not had a situation in the recent past where say Leeds or Wigan have looked to take over Hunslet or Swinton for example and used them as effectively a semi farm team. DR was a bit of that but went too far up the Championship ladder imo to be really serious.

[lacuna1]

On 16/04/2025 at 12:45, Worzel said:

I think you're taking the wrong lesson from Hull KR: We have hugely increased investment in the youth system in the last 4 years, and built far better ties with local community pathways, even to the extent of building them the only 3G pitch in East Hull right next to our stadium. But it takes a long time to come to fruition, so we're buying players in the meantime. I don't think there's anything wrong with that if you can afford it.

I think the lesson from the long-term high performing clubs, which I'd describe as Wigan, St Helens and Leeds, is that investment in youth is absolutely the best strategy. It gives you a huge salary cap advantage. That's why Rovers are spending so much time and effort on it, because it's the only way to be a Top Four club on a sustainable basis. You might get a few good seasons with expensive, experienced players. Being able to do that on a long-term basis is impossible, because the salary cap precludes it. 

 

Spot on Worzel. Our high schools in Wigan still push RL to the hilt so every year there is a plethora of players looking to sign for amateur clubs. I am sue this is the same in Leeds. It certainly is in St Helens. It starts from early education. Thats what needs pushing. There are too many lazy clubs who ignore what they have in their respective towns and just buy in year on year. This was the Warrington model but a few years ago took the steps KR are now taking and they have started getting a bit of a pipeline of youth players making the grade. You are correct, it does take time but once that cycle starts, it's pretty never ending. 

[Damien]

 

 

[Tommygilf]

13 hours ago, Damien said:

 

 

Presumably already a relationship with Blease, would be a very solid replacement for Frawley that is for sure

[dkw]

15 hours ago, Damien said:

 

 

Not sure thats  good idea, hes been completely ostracised by the players at Newcastle apparently because of his attitude, Leeds seem in a good place at the moment squad wise so brining someone like that in might rock the boat.

Edited April 25 by dkw

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Presumably already a relationship with Blease, would be a very solid replacement for Frawley that is for sure

Have you been watching the NRL over the last couple of years Tommy, there is a good reason that Hastings is in the wilderness.

[Harry Stottle]

5 minutes ago, dkw said:

Not sure thats  good idea, hes been completely ostracised by the players at Newcastle apparently because of his attitude, Leeds seem in a good place at the moment squad wise so brining someone like that in might rock the boat.

If he was playing well he would most probably not have an attitude.

[Damien]

3 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Presumably already a relationship with Blease, would be a very solid replacement for Frawley that is for sure

I think anyone would be a solid replacement for Frawley!

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Have you been watching the NRL over the last couple of years Tommy, there is a good reason that Hastings is in the wilderness.

Things can just not work at a club H, he's not become a poor player, certainly not too poor for SL, overnight 

[Damien]

1 hour ago, dkw said:

Not sure thats  good idea, hes been completely ostracised by the players at Newcastle apparently because of his attitude, Leeds seem in a good place at the moment squad wise so brining someone like that in might rock the boat.

It's funny that. I have heard at various times that Hasting's public image is quite different than what team mates see.

[Damien]

Just now, Tommygilf said:

Things can just not work at a club H, he's not become a poor player, certainly not too poor for SL, overnight 

I was being flippant but he certainly offers far more than Frawley and a quality kicking game is invaluable too. If he's available I certainly think Leeds should take a look.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Things can just not work at a club H, he's not become a poor player, certainly not too poor for SL, overnight 

But prior to the Knights apparently things must not have worked out at West's also they got rid after a season Tommy, my opinion he was good at Salford but didn't show the same form at Wigan.

But will agree with you that half's are not required to perform to the same level of expertise in SL as opposed to the NRL consistently to get better ratings.

[Gooleboy]

On 22/04/2025 at 15:46, Tommygilf said:

Catalans reserves, or the baby dracs, play in the French league.

I know when it initially came in, Leeds weren't in favour of reserves and then when they had to have them have used them as an u19s side (effectively an extension of the u18s academy side).

SL clubs tend to prefer second (or even 3rd) division loan rugby over reserves it seems. I would argue the sport more generally does too though there are issues with Dual Reg etc. 

I think a recommendation of "the review" will be some form of some SL reserves in League 1 (or below) to give enough matches. 

That said, I'm surprised we've not had a situation in the recent past where say Leeds or Wigan have looked to take over Hunslet or Swinton for example and used them as effectively a semi farm team. DR was a bit of that but went too far up the Championship ladder imo to be really serious.

Didn't Leeds take over Bramley?

[Tommygilf]

44 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

Didn't Leeds take over Bramley?

Not officially iirc. @Barley Mow will be the better informed.

As I understand it, Leeds bought the Kirkstall training pitch which was Bramley's very short term shared home with Headingley RUFC after leaving McLaren Field the year prior, then Leeds allowed Bramley to play at Headingley, and then Leeds 1st team players returning from injury etc would turn out for Bramley (at Headingley) occasionally. That lasted 3 years in total before the club folded as a merger with Hunslet didn't materialise.

My sort of thinking would have seen for example Bramley playing at McLaren Field or Hunslet in South Leeds rather than just pitching up at Headingley to play as the reserves.

[The Future is League]

James Bentley extends contract at Leeds.

I wouldn't have thought that any top Super League sides would have been interested in signing him

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/c93g7jyl72wo

 

 

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Not officially iirc. @Barley Mow will be the better informed.

As I understand it, Leeds bought the Kirkstall training pitch which was Bramley's very short term shared home with Headingley RUFC after leaving McLaren Field the year prior, then Leeds allowed Bramley to play at Headingley, and then Leeds 1st team players returning from injury etc would turn out for Bramley (at Headingley) occasionally. That lasted 3 years in total before the club folded as a merger with Hunslet didn't materialise.

My sort of thinking would have seen for example Bramley playing at McLaren Field or Hunslet in South Leeds rather than just pitching up at Headingley to play as the reserves.

Weren't Bramley effectively the Leeds Rhinos reserve team at this time?

This period coincided with me a being a regular on the Headingley terraces. I do distinctly remember watching Bramley lose to Leigh Miners in the 1999 Challenge Cup at a near deserted Headingley and thinking them continuing as a professional club all seemed a bit pointless (I know that sounds harsh).

[Tommygilf]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

But prior to the Knights apparently things must not have worked out at West's also they got rid after a season Tommy, my opinion he was good at Salford but didn't show the same form at Wigan.

But will agree with you that half's are not required to perform to the same level of expertise in SL as opposed to the NRL consistently to get better ratings.

Wests are totally dysfunctional though so I'm not sure what can be drawn on that, other than Hastings having a poor choice of NRL teams!

I think at Salford he was the number 1 star. He was never going to shine like that at Wigan because the team in general are much better and thus less reliant on his particular maverick ability, and their style of play is more heavily weighted towards structure and set moves.

I think at Leeds he would be similar to Wigan, where he's a key figure in a overall talented team.

[Tommygilf]

Just now, Damien said:

Weren't Bramley effectively the Leeds Rhinos reserve team at this time?

This period coincided with me a being a regular on the Headingley terraces. I do distinctly remember watching Bramley lose to Leigh Miners in the 1999 Challenge Cup at a near deserted Headingley and thinking them continuing as a professional club all seemed a bit pointless (I know that sounds harsh).

I think that is how they ended up, but only because they would have ceased to exist pretty much otherwise.

[StandOffHalf]

I've always liked Hastings. I think his style of play probably suits SL better.

His control alongside Croft's running would potentially make for a really good halves pairing.