Championship players stepping up to SL (or not) : Sat Jun 19, 2021 6:19 am
It is that time of the year when fans are poring over the SL ooc list, counting available non-fed spots and thinking outside the box about finding a prospect from RU.However, it seems like the old mantra that there’s loads of talent in the Championship has drifted into disuse, and it isn’t difficult to see why. It’s roughly a decade since Chris Hill and Alex Walmsley stepped up from Leigh and Batley. There are others, mostly a little less notable, who have done so since - Chris Atkin hasn’t looked out of place when selected by Hull KR and Salford, since leaving Swinton, for example. However, it hasn’t been exactly a rich seam of talent and I wonder if people have thoughts on why… or want to challenge my premise and say that it is? It is, after all, the second highest standard this side of the equator - much better than academy level (for obvious reasons, and younger players have more potential of course) or even the reserves level when it is re-established.
Looking at some of the stronger Championship squads, it does seem to be at least as much a place players go to end their careers as a place to start. I do also wonder whether being a fringe squad player in a middling SL team and maybe having to give up a second income just doesn’t seem like a good career choice for some of the better, younger lads.