A young Halifax player has called on reserve grade to be introduced on a wider scale.
Will Calcott made his professional debut for his hometown club on Friday in their defeat to Leigh Centurions.
The 19-year-old is the latest product of Halifax’s reserve grade system, which has helped develop a number of first-team players for Richard Marshall’s side since it was introduced by the club last year.
Calcott, a former Siddal amateur, has been given a chance to impress in the club’s frequent reserve grade fixtures, which has seen Fax go up against the likes of St Helens and Wigan.
Having now made his debut for the club’s first-grade side, he believes more clubs need a reserve grade to allow more players to develop towards a senior level.
“We need to see every club do it I think,” he said.
“People develop at different rates. Coming from 19s to your first team, it’s not just like that. It’s about your development, getting in the gym maybe, your size, your nouse about the game.
“You learn a lot of things from playing in these reserve games because there are players in there that have been and done it and you can learn from them.
“There needs to be more reserves to give lads a chance to push on and maybe do what I’ve done and earn a place in a well-established side.”
Buy League Express today for a piece with Wigan’s Joe Bretherton, who also discusses the value of reserve grade.
