Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Wed Nov 15, 2023 4:42 pm  

jbuzza wrote:

We got 8.07 points, around 4 points below what we would need for a SL ranking. Even if IMG had included points for having an Elite Academy I doubt this would have attracted more than a single point since it does not directly support the objectives that the grading system is designed to incentivise. Perhaps with league performance being the biggest single factor in the grading (max 4 points), IMG expected clubs would see the sense in producing a supply of quality players. On the other hand, what do they care if clubs buy in success as long as it is done in a sustainable way.

The club have positioned this decision as being driven by the rating system.
So while communicating this as a decision not to run the Elite Academy for 2024 they also accept we are unlikely to be in SL in 2025.

The question is how is the club going to change in order to make up the ranking deficit ? How are they going to invest that money in a better way ?

I quite agree that having an academy wouldn't secure Broncos a place in the top league. I just think it's absurd that no recognition is made of player development. What were the clubs thinking of?

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Wed Nov 15, 2023 8:05 pm  

jbuzza wrote:

The question is how is the club going to change in order to make up the ranking deficit ? How are they going to invest that money in a better way ?

I think we all know the answer to that one. The £250,000 saved here will go on a new hockey stick for the CEO and a salary hike for a commercial manager who delivered little if any commercial benefit over the last season. God knows it won't go towards attracting new fans to the game!

The club stumbles along in a reactionary manner, with no forethought or planning. Hughes statement a few years back when he rambled on about 2nd tier union and third tier football stadiums only delivered 1 factual reference. The fact that

"it sometimes will look like it's not working"

guess what Hughes. It looks like it's not working because it bloody well isn't. You've AGAIN surrounded yourself with yes-men and now it looks like you're running low on cash.

Once we are relegated we will be back to 750 fans watching Halifax or Whitehaven, in a stadium we neither need nor can afford and now with fewer London born players because of this masterstroke......if it weren't so tragic it would be funny

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Wed Nov 15, 2023 11:49 pm  

orangeman wrote:

Once we are relegated we will be back to 750 fans watching Halifax or Whitehaven, in a stadium we neither need nor can afford and now with fewer London born players because of this masterstroke......if it weren't so tragic it would be funny

Sadly, this is indeed the most likely outcome without significant change to the club management.

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Thu Nov 16, 2023 11:52 am  

Not suggesting it's a good idea getting rid of the junior set up but as a matter of interest out of the names mentioned in lot of press out of LMS, Dixon, KPP, Mike McM were any of them part of the scheme? I believe the Leyland brothers were but how many of current squad came through that actual system?

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:17 pm  

orangeman wrote:

I think we all know the answer to that one.
Once we are relegated we will be back to 750 fans watching Halifax or Whitehaven, in a stadium we neither need nor can afford and now with fewer London born players because of this masterstroke......if it weren't so tragic it would be funny

750 you say! Sounds like our aggressive marketing plan has borne fruit.

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:18 pm  

Wasn’t it only a few days ago that the club asked fans for their input? Own up which one of you told them to bin the player pathway! Or had they made this really important decision before weighing up fans views? Thinks. Nah it’s definitely the former.

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:38 pm  

BigTime wrote:

750 you say! Sounds like our aggressive marketing plan has borne fruit.

750 all crammed into the Gold Lounge!

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:59 pm  

RfE wrote:

750 all crammed into the Gold Lounge!

Sounds like a plan. In fact, it sounds like THE plan. Have you unearthed the Broncos 2024 development plan? Possibly left in a Wimbledon cafe. If so are there any other gems!

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:03 pm  

BigTime wrote:

Sounds like a plan. In fact, it sounds like THE plan. Have you unearthed the Broncos 2024 development plan? Possibly left in a Wimbledon cafe. If so are there any other gems!

Would that there were a plan for me to find!

Re: Scholarship / academy set up gone? : Thu Nov 16, 2023 1:55 pm  

northernbloke wrote:

Not suggesting it's a good idea getting rid of the junior set up but as a matter of interest out of the names mentioned in lot of press out of LMS, Dixon, KPP, Mike McM were any of them part of the scheme?

Unless I'm mistaken I think they all played for Broncos academy.