: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:18 am  

Mugwump wrote:

Being top of the academy table means little. We're talking about a competition toward which SL clubs are not 100% committed 100% of the time and containing a wildly disparate spread of talent, ages and attitudes. I've lost count of the number of "New" Murphys, Vollenhovens, Bostons, and Karaliuses which have amounted to nothing (indeed, it often works counterintuitively with kids of average ability maturing into top-tier talent - Wellens, Roby etc.), just as I've lost count of the number of championship-winning academy sides which have failed to provide the next generation of SL players (the much vaunted Hull academy that produced Dean Busby achieved zip). The truth is there's a big black hole sat between academy and first grade which consumes the majority of players. And it's never had enough to eat.

I am still waiting for Y2K - the year of the Warrior as well as 'the New Breed' to come to fruition.

Wigan fans are the new Wires... Is Paul Darbyshire the next Paul Sculthorpe yet?

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:32 am  

Veivers v Lomax
Ainscough v Amrstrong
Marsh v Dean
Thornley v Foster
Charnley v Baines
Pryce v Wheeler
Tomkins v Eastmond
O'Carroll v Graham
McIlorum v Roby
Prescott v Emmitt
Hansen v Clough
Mossop v Dixon
Tomkins v Ashurst

Farrell v Thompson
Davies v Yates
Flanagan v Magennis
Tuson v Frodsham

Anyone fancy having a pop at splitting the two?

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:33 am  

St_Maca wrote:

Frightening side that.

It's more frightening than the Saints team that was put up, in particular the back line.

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:34 am  

Mini Rogue wrote:

It's more frightning than the Saints team that was put up, in particular the back line.

Especially the back line? You mean ours that have 5 players with first team experience to your 3, 1 of which is a Bradford reject?

Ok.

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:39 am  

Sthelens RLFC wrote:

Especially the back line? You mean ours that have 5 players with first team experience to your 3, 1 of which is a Bradford reject?

Ok.

From what I have seen on more than enough occasions to judge the only Saints players in the 1-7 who are better than the Wigan backline are Lomax and Wheeler. I would take the Wigan backline anyday over the Saints one, as proven in the last u21s encounter. If you was there you would have known this, the league table also doesn't lie. Our 18's are also top at the moment of their league, are you going to tell me that the Saints 18's are also better? Even though the league table suggests otherwise.

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:59 am  

Enicomb wrote:

We'll see how well you go once you lose Long and Cunningham.

you lot have been saying this for years:

"lets see how you cope without...

Bobby Goulding
Paul Newlove
Chris Joynt
Tommy Martyn
Paul Sculthorpe
Jamie Lyon
...."

plus any other number of names. now its Long and KC, in a couple of years it will be "lets see how you cope without Pryce and Wilkin", then it will be "lets see how you cope without Roby and Graham".

We always cope.

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:02 am  

Mini Rogue wrote:

would take the Wigan backline anyday over the Saints one, as proven in the last u21s encounter. If you was there you would have known this.

Well done, but we're talking young local talent, which for us would include the likes of Lomax, Graham, Roby, Clough, Frodsham - all of whom didn't play in the reserve GF loss.

After all Wigan's bleating about Saints putting players in from the first team squad to boost the reserve grand final side, we didn't. Wigan, however, played Goulding, McIlorum and O'Carroll who were regular first teamers and a couple were going to the World Cup Suppose you can't blame them - we did finish top of both academy leagues last season after all. We were winning at half time too.

Wigan's youngsters may well be winning at reserve team level - bolstered as it has been at certain points by the likes of Smith, Mathers, Pryce, Goulding who have played first team for years - but Saints academy has produced the last 3 MoS winners. I know which one I'd rather have.

If we put all our home grown players up against all Wigan's it would be a massacre. Name a home grown, on the books wigan team that could live with:

Wellens
Armstrong
Dean
Wheeler
Lomax
Eastmond
Matty Smith
Graham
Cunningham
Frodsham
Clough
Ashurt
Roby

Moore
Emmitt
Dixon
Ellis

England international on the bench

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:06 pm  

saints35 bulls0 wrote:

you lot have been saying this for years:

"lets see how you cope without...

Bobby Goulding
Paul Newlove
Chris Joynt
Tommy Martyn
Paul Sculthorpe
Jamie Lyon
...."

plus any other number of names. now its Long and KC, in a couple of years it will be "lets see how you cope without Pryce and Wilkin", then it will be "lets see how you cope without Roby and Graham".

We always cope.

I wondered how long it would take for someone to roll that out. Long and Cunningham are far more influential than any of those players.

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:09 pm  

Enicomb wrote:

I wondered how long it would take for someone to roll that out. Long and Cunningham are far more influential than any of those players.

Yep, every saints player is made to look great by the others.

: Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:09 pm  

Enicomb wrote:

I wondered how long it would take for someone to roll that out. Long and Cunningham are far more influential than any of those players.

More influential than back to back MoS winner, Saints and GB captain Paul Sculthorpe?

Long is so critical to Saints at the moment that we take him off at half time so Eastmond can play and are letting him go to Hull.