Talk about being shafted. : Thu Nov 08, 2012 2:21 pm
Barry Eaton has had his say on feeder clubs.Looks like any club not doing it, is getting shafted well and truly.
Eaton doesn't dismiss the idea as "just four players on loan" but speaks of a dual "player production system" in which Leeds scout the young players and between the two clubs they develop them with the "better players" of course going to Leeds, but the best players who can't get an SL deal going (he hopes) to Hunslet.
Duality doesn't stop with registering players or the player production system, but Eaton says that RL supporters in and around Leeds can also be dual supporters too watching Leeds on the Friday and Hunslet on the Sunday.
Nice to get some plain speaking from Mr. Eaton, certainly any old rivalry is over (so Leeds haters in Hunslet will be the losers here) as is any idea of Superleague ambition for Hunslet.
Meanwhile we are reminded that independent Championship clubs are seething at the fact the dual registered players wages don't count on the Championship cap. This means that, the salary cap would be meaningless and effectively any club without a tie up could be outspent by clubs with a tie up.
It remains to be seen if in the fullness of time "feeder" clubs or "A Teams" or whatever this is best described as will come to dominate the second tier, if they do this will be quite alienating for the independent clubs. All this is fascinating stuff albeit it doesn't seem to do much for the unity of the game, The "game" seem to be a continuing power struggle.