Player Pool : Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:27 am  

I just wanted to open up a debate I was having with a friend this week, sparked by both Hull clubs being at the foot of the table (not just now, but over the past few years). Basically, since Rovers came to SL we've both (barring the odd season) been mid to lower table. One of the potential reasons for this is the local player pool available, we thought (there are other reasons obviously), the quality of juniors coming through and cementing a place. So, we compared the amount of clubs in the Hull area, to that of Leeds, who realistically are a benchmark as to what are club should be doing. In Hull, there are around 20 amateur clubs in and around Hull, shared between two SL sides. Leeds have close to 30 community clubs, which despite other clubs being close by, realistically they have the pick of. This includes the city itself, but also towns like Batley, Morley, Wetherby, Garforth, Dewsbury etc. http://www.leedsrhinosfoundation.org/am ... -clubs.php That's a pretty big gap. So, is our player pool too shallow? Do both clubs need to try & get more juniors playing? Could the clubs set up more teams in the city and surrounding towns? Is this all codswallop and it's down to the coaching?

I just wanted to open up a debate I was having with a friend this week, sparked by both Hull clubs being at the foot of the table (not just now, but over the past few years). Basically, since Rovers came to SL we've both (barring the odd season) been mid to lower table. One of the potential reasons for this is the local player pool available, we thought (there are other reasons obviously), the quality of juniors coming through and cementing a place. So, we compared the amount of clubs in the Hull area, to that of Leeds, who realistically are a benchmark as to what are club should be doing. In Hull, there are around 20 amateur clubs in and around Hull, shared between two SL sides. Leeds have close to 30 community clubs, which despite other clubs being close by, realistically they have the pick of. This includes the city itself, but also towns like Batley, Morley, Wetherby, Garforth, Dewsbury etc. http://www.leedsrhinosfoundation.org/am ... -clubs.php That's a pretty big gap. So, is our player pool too shallow? Do both clubs need to try & get more juniors playing? Could the clubs set up more teams in the city and surrounding towns? Is this all codswallop and it's down to the coaching?

Re: Player Pool : Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:53 am  

we seem to have some of the best amateur sides in the game so I think it is the step up from amateur to the academy ranks that seems to stunt development - but that's an outsider looking in. There are many more people on here with better knowledge of the amateur game than me

Re: Player Pool : Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:55 am  

Our amateur clubs are a lot of ex-academy players other areas academy players join the lower divisions clubs [this due to travel ].
I don't think we do enough getting the villages etc. in the area starting clubs up even if just juniors .
Brough ,Mk Weighton,Driffield Hornsea etc.

Re: Player Pool : Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:04 am  

oud3pstander wrote:

Our amateur clubs are a lot of ex-academy players other areas academy players join the lower divisions clubs [this due to travel ].
I don't think we do enough getting the villages etc. in the area starting clubs up even if just juniors .
Brough ,Mk Weighton,Driffield Hornsea etc.

That was what I was thinking too.

I'd even take the radius further to include places like Pocklington, Brid, Filey, Scarborough, Malton, Goole, Howden and even places South of the Humber.

Hopefully this is something the Foundation are looking at doing. More community clubs that we're engaged with, with clear pathways to Hull & Rovers is surely a good thing.

Re: Player Pool : Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:07 pm  

The problem is the further you go the more those small towns and villages are very much rugby union strongholds including their schools and youth clubs. Maybe an answer is for both pro clubs to set youth sides up at places nearer like Beverley, Cott, Hedon. Could be good for our fanbassadors scheme

Re: Player Pool : Sat Mar 28, 2015 12:17 am  

There are only 14 amateur teams with youth set ups and 2 of these only have one or two age groups.

The whole system is under review with concepts like Embed The First Pathway and Primary RL but these will take a while to adapt to.

The talent pool does need to grow as well as the numbers playing the game. SKYTRY is allowing the pro clubs to get into schools but we need success in turning these kids into regular players.

We're lucky at Hulk Wyke to have great numbers in all squads but a lot of teams locally do struggle,esp competing against Union and football , some players go to these sports for rep honours rather than remaining loyal to our game.

The problem Hull and to some extreme Rovers have is turning these players from great amateurs and even academy internationals into good pro's whilst keeping there feet on the ground, Hull is a very small goldfish bowl.

Re: Player Pool : Sat Mar 28, 2015 10:44 am  

Do a lot of our youngsters still leave the city to join rival teams like they did in the 90's?

Re: Player Pool : Sat Mar 28, 2015 5:57 pm  

Not really these days

jordan Abdull was at Leeds for a while but most opt for FC or KR

Couple of u16 lads from our team are at Fev and doing well

Re: Player Pool : Sun Mar 29, 2015 1:16 pm  

Hutchie I know your involved with kids game so maybe you can let us now are the two clubs doing any thing in Lincolnshire to promote the game?
Remember a few tag teams from there at KC once and Rovers doing some thing at Grimsby but nothing recent .
Most work teams now seem to of dried up too.

Re: Player Pool : Sun Mar 29, 2015 1:39 pm  

I've seen them do stuff over there and Scunny but will ask the question.

I remember going over to Grimsby few years ago to play the South Humber Rabbitohs and Scunthorpe have a thriving touch rugby set up but as for junior game I aint a clue. Lot of union over that side