Re: Squad 2020 : Wed Oct 23, 2019 12:44 pm
Someday wrote:
When we last had A teams we used to have players named A another and we got some decent players that way will that still happened do you think
I imagine they were amateurs, last-minute inclusions or maybe RU players who needed to be discreet. I don’t see any reason why those couldn’t be sources of new talent again. Back then though, the gap was from amateur (for example) to semi-pro, whereas, if we’re being selfish we’re looking for lads to step up to full-time RL. Talent is still talent - there’s just another rung on the development ladder.
Initially, I imagine it’ll be similar to (but better, I think and hope) the system that was in place when we first arrived in SL. Then it was, iirc, under-16s, -18s and -20s/21s with a certain number of overage players allowed in the last. Then they moved to 16s and 19s, in part because there was a feeling that a fair few lads who were never going to make it had to be retained to fill out the 20/21s. And the focus got narrower still with the CoH joint academy.
I think many of the reserves will be lads who are too old for 18s, but not yet ready for a senior contract. But with more flexibility, without an official age limit. To me that makes sense, rather than signing half a dozen extra pros who are over 24 just so we can field a team. The first team should be supplemented by a-team players, not the other way around imo.
