Junior Production Line Working? : Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:10 am
I think so.We currently have five regular first teamers in our squad who were produced by our Academy.
Anakin
Wood
Jowitt (England Knights)
Batchelor (England Knights)
Johnstone (England Int)
We also, if I'm correct, have promoted to the first team squad over the last few years the following.
Luke Hooley
Jack Croft
Yusuf Aydin
Lewis Wray
Tyrone Travis
Lee Kershaw
(All yet to play first team)
That means next year our squad will contain 10 Academy products, certainly more than I can recall since entering SL.
I also think in terms of quality they all look promising. It's very difficult to predict who will and won't make it but I don't think any are 'making up the numbers' as has been the case in the past - they all have some genuine potential.
Bit dissapointed there are no H/B's or Hookers in there but maybe next year. I was hoping Belly's hyperbowl regarding Schofield was true but having seen him a few times now I can't see it, he's functional but there is no spark that I can see, hope I'm wrong.
I have always believed that having an Academy team that wins the comp is fairly meaningless other than the obvious glory it brings. Truth is at that level it's often the 'team' that wins the comp not the individual players and you simply can't promote a whole team in one go (unless you're Man United but they had the best individual youngsters anyway). When these team players step up sadly their limitations become exposed when no longer part of a group of similar aged and similar ability players.
It's far better to have an average team with a few stand outs imho. Yes you don't get a trophy but you do tend to get a couple of good players a season. This is exactly what you want, a glut of youngsters is no good to anyone imo. This is exactly what's happened at BV in the last few seasons.
Johnstone first - then Crowther and Jowitt - then Batchelor - then Hooley and Wray - then Travis, Aydin and Croft.
It's not equel numbers every year but it's a good steady trickle of talent that by it's nature gives young players a better chance.
I don't know how planned this method was/is but for me it's the way forwards - concentrate on a few genuine prospects and then hunt around for the waifs and strays in whose number there are always a few hidden gems. At that level you don't need to splash the cash, you need to look outside the box and see future potential of the MAN rather than current abilities of the BOY and that does take some skill to do in this size obssesed era.
