The state of the game

They can still run academies, they just won't be elite ones.

I maybe daft but shouldn't the game as a whole but looking to improve the pool of young players throughout the game? They won't all be good enough for SL but they will swell the pool of quality players at whatever level they get to.

As it stands we seem to be looking to reduce our top echelons and skills to a smaller and smaller number, presumably believing that all their academy players will be of sufficiently high quality to sustain the game as Sky funding diminishes.

Sounds a bit like the expert who knows more and more about less and less, finally knowing everything about sod all.

But surely we can all see that its about keeping the money tight amongst the few who already have more than the rest!

We are losing the expansive game ideology and going in the opposite direction, or building up to an 'us and them' breakup, SL and the rest.

Not good for the game at all imo.

Pardon the ignorance, but what is an 'Elite' Academy?

Pardon the ignorance, but what is an ‘Elite’ Academy?

Its the standard of Academy thar we had, but we became non-SL. The SL/RFL brainstrust have decided who is competent to run an Elite academic. Those not competent can run their own sub standard Academy.

I'm not sure what funding is provided, if any, but our funds were withdrawn on Admin and we can't afford to fund an Academy atm.

Pardon the ignorance, but what is an ‘Elite’ Academy?

They are referring to a Category 1 Academy which clubs run with funding from Super League. Each Category 1 Academy receives £100,000 plus additional money dependent on set criteria such as how many Super League players the Academy produces. Widnes were due to receive an additional £72,000 based on our Academy performance when we went bust. This additional funding was subsequently not paid.

You can also have a Category 3 Academy (Non-Elite) which is run in conjunction with a college. Warrington run a Category 3 Academy in conjunction with Priestley College (Warrington) in addition to their Category 1 Academy. Their is some educational funding for a Category 3 Academy but no funding from Super League or the RFL.

Magnus wrote:

Pardon the ignorance, but what is an ‘Elite’ Academy?

They are referring to a Category 1 Academy which clubs run with funding from Super League. Each Category 1 Academy receives £100,000 plus additional money dependent on set criteria such as how many Super League players the Academy produces. Widnes were due to receive an additional £72,000 based on our Academy performance when we went bust. This additional funding was subsequently not paid. You can also have a Category 3 Academy (Non-Elite) which is run in conjunction with a college. Warrington run a Category 3 Academy in conjunction with Priestley College (Warrington) in addition to their Category 1 Academy. Their is some educational funding for a Category 3 Academy but no funding from Super League or the RFL.

There lies the reason for restricting the number of Academies. Nothing to do with any impact on the local community game, just about funding. What can the RFL afford to pay and could clubs complaining about not being given an Academy Elite licence (and £100,000 plus), still afford to run an Academy without that funding?

If a SL club can afford to hand out player contracts of £100,000 plus, perhaps they could consider their priorities and invest in an Academy.

The problem is multifaceted, there is narrative within rugby that in order to run some sort of youth pathway you need an expensively budgeted academy that provides education and is supplemented with three academy teams in the set up. In short, I don’t understand why academy cannot be part-time, give young players and opportunity to work and study, and instead of a staged process, why not just have one academy team from 16-19? Cut costs and reduces the need to raid huge numbers of players from the junior game.

Overall, too many teams in RL rely on bailouts and transfers from the RFL. If central funding vanished, half the teams in lower leagues would and if SKY fully pulled out, at least 3 or 4 SL clubs would go into admin. It is the same with the academies, Salford pulled their academy so they could improve the first team. In many cases, the money is there for an academy, clubs just don’t want interrupt spending on the first team.

See one of the architects of the state of the game, Nige Wood has been honoured!!

The mind boggles.....

The problem is multifaceted, there is narrative within rugby that in order to run some sort of youth pathway you need an expensively budgeted academy that provides education and is supplemented with three academy teams in the set up. In short, I don’t understand why academy cannot be part-time, give young players and opportunity to work and study, and instead of a staged process, why not just have one academy team from 16-19? Cut costs and reduces the need to raid huge numbers of players from the junior game. Overall, too many teams in RL rely on bailouts and transfers from the RFL. If central funding vanished, half the teams in lower leagues would and if SKY fully pulled out, at least 3 or 4 SL clubs would go into admin. It is the same with the academies, Salford pulled their academy so they could improve the first team. In many cases, the money is there for an academy, clubs just don’t want interrupt spending on the first team.

I think there are multiple effects but the cause is lack of money in the game in general.

A lack of funding to support the grassroots of the game - schools and local junior teams and the day to day operational costs to support amateur - grassroots- clubs and leagues.

A lack of investment in the junior game means a reduction in the emerging player pool and a loss of interest in young players who used to be the future of the game.

The lack of value for money and the emergence of alternate forms of entertainment with the emergence of multi-media and access to more options is causing the failure of support in the younger generations and ever dwindling attendances and the emergence of a downward spiral.

The revenue the game does still have is directed towards futile projects - not least expansionism of where random locations are given exemptions to try and bolster a dying business

He game as it stands is slowly killing itself but we’ve been down this path a fair few times on this board.

I would guess that academies are the least of Ralph Rimmer's worries atm - he had planned for an 'Allstars' team but can't seem to get the clubs to share his enthusiasm!!!

What a performance! Get Sheens to coach but can't get players, and we wonder why the game is struggling for street cred?

It’s also strange they are letting 2 other SL matches to be played at the same time as the international, when there are no games being played on Saturday or Sunday.

Isn't this farce, symptomatic of the way that the game is run in the UK? Arrange an international game, without getting agreement from the clubs to release players and then playing club games at the same time, leaving the game in doubt a few days before it is due to be played. No wonder the game is in trouble.

Isn’t this farce, symptomatic of the way that the game is run in the UK? Arrange an international game, without getting agreement from the clubs to release players and then playing club games at the same time, leaving the game in doubt a few days before it is due to be played. No wonder the game is in trouble.

My point exactly Frankg! How much coaching or even socialising before the game, and then Wane can claim a win!!! Farcical in the extreme.