Are we missing an opportunity? : Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:54 pm  

''we have 6 first team players who spend almost every day in schools in calderdale . . we have Mission Nutrient a healthy eating lesson which goes out to every year 5 class in calderdale, delivered by players . . we have rugby training courses,. . we have Cheerleader classes....''

Taken from Fax site, Widnes use players to deliver the schools programme.
It enables better players to be employed and benefits the club.
Should we do the same?

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:07 pm  

With players who work during the day?

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:44 pm  

I assume Fax found players who didnt want to work during the day
I assume its players like Penky, Black, Gleeson etc who would command the higher contracts.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:50 pm  

AFAIK all our players are employed during the day so on that premise whilst an idea it wouldn't work at Leigh, and we have a pro-active youth department as it is.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:14 pm  

maurice wrote:

I assume Fax found players who didnt want to work during the day
I assume its players like Penky, Black, Gleeson etc who would command the higher contracts.

Possibly one or two of those but also quite possible that they have some ' junior ' squad players doing this as well

Leigh used to do it , Weisner , Marshall , Sanderson , Smythe not forgetting Rowley [ remember the sponsored scooter Paul had ] all had thier contracts part funded via the community dept

All this stopped on ' D ' day

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:24 pm  

I just feel that if we had say, a Lee Briers/Morley/named import type player (Moran last year)doing the school work we could offset some cost and the kids would get a bigger kick from it.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:52 pm  

But wouldn't any monies paid still be on the salary cap restrictions? and not all players want to do this sort of work, and isnt this another of those perrenial posts that come up? Like I have said before having done a lot of work in schools players should only be used as a 'tool' unless they have an apptitude and a willingness to do this work, would you let a carpenter repair your leaking toilet? horses for courses.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:05 pm  

Fred you`ll have to explain what a " carpenter" is to some of younger posters.

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:19 pm  

FredParky wrote:

But wouldn't any monies paid still be on the salary cap restrictions? and not all players want to do this sort of work, and isnt this another of those perrenial posts that come up? Like I have said before having done a lot of work in schools players should only be used as a 'tool' unless they have an apptitude and a willingness to do this work, would you let a carpenter repair your leaking toilet? horses for courses.

The clubs negociated a 20 k per season SC exception back in 2004 , dont know if it or something like it still applies

: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:20 pm  

There are plenty of "grants" around these days especially government ones for anything to do with healthy lifestyle and diet. Many of them can be rescourced by schools themselves as they also get extra funding for teachers preperation time away from classrooms.So in certain cases they can afford to pay players to deliver the healthy eating/ lives lessons whilst their teachers are on thier Prep time.The Fax players have been trained by Eureka for the healthy lifestyles package I do believe an award was won by the club for it.It has got to be a win win situation for any club and for individual players who take part ,they are learning skills for later life which are valuable when thier carreer is over.I believe Frank Watene is the leader of the first teamers who take part.