Re: Reserves comeback confirmed for 2020 : Fri Jul 26, 2019 1:35 pm  

Levrier wrote:

Most of us seem happy that the reserves will be returning but how do we expect to benefit? There could be a few but it depends on what the aims of the club are. Will reserves be a higher or lower standard than DR?

In terms of progression once reserves are in place would surely be:

Under 19's
Reserves
Dual Reg - Championship
First Team

That's not to say some players jump from Reserves to First Team (and vice versa). Take Kibula for instance, playing decent standard at Swinton. Would he move back into the reserves team? (maybe if his form drops off) but makes sense to stay there until he breaks into the first team.

Re: Reserves comeback confirmed for 2020 : Fri Jul 26, 2019 2:15 pm  

MattyB wrote:

Levrier wrote:

Most of us seem happy that the reserves will be returning but how do we expect to benefit? There could be a few but it depends on what the aims of the club are. Will reserves be a higher or lower standard than DR?

In terms of progression once reserves are in place would surely be:

Under 19's
Reserves
Dual Reg - Championship
First Team

That's not to say some players jump from Reserves to First Team (and vice versa). Take Kibula for instance, playing decent standard at Swinton. Would he move back into the reserves team? (maybe if his form drops off) but makes sense to stay there until he breaks into the first team.

It will never happen, but I'd love to see our reserve side playing in the Championship. Not sure the logistics of it, but player dev would massively improve if they could stay in the Wigan environment, but also play at that level.

Re: Reserves comeback confirmed for 2020 : Fri Jul 26, 2019 5:39 pm  

One of the reasons that reserves failed, in the past, was that they were often not seen as having a strategic value. Some clubs see them as a way of getting players match fit or for bringing younger players through, but last time we tried we ended up with a bizzar mix of youngsters, trialists and even a couple of lads from rival teams who needed a game. This time the will seems to be there to make a better attempt.

Re: Reserves comeback confirmed for 2020 : Fri Jul 26, 2019 9:59 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

It will never happen, but I'd love to see our reserve side playing in the Championship. Not sure the logistics of it, but player dev would massively improve if they could stay in the Wigan environment, but also play at that level.

Do you think they would be competitive? I don't to be honest, obviously we have some Championship quality reserves because some play there, but I think overall our reserves would be more like a good League 1 or NCL Premier side, particularly if they were playing a full season and dealing with the inevitable knocks.

Re: Reserves comeback confirmed for 2020 : Sat Jul 27, 2019 11:19 am  

I thought the whole purpose of the reserves was to improve the quality of rugby by creating competition for places.
Players who are out of form in the first team will be looking at who's in form in the reserves and might replace them in the first 17.
It's the missing piece in player's development where the gap between U19s and first team was too great. Plenty made it but even more didn't and departed either to other clubs or/and out of the game eventually.
To work it had to be a league that involved each club and that is what has happened.
With the quality of young players at Wigan it could help maintain the form of the first team when injuries and suspensions occur.