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Thread: Batchelor signs new deal

  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by magic superbeetle View Post
    I think the temperament of the player is just as important as their actual on field potential. Bentley and Batchelor had to be endlessly patient (and far more patient than we as fans were), and I imagine its hard to feel like you're sitting out of competitive game time to continue your education as a player for years before you get your shot. If they had gotten frustrated or felt like they were ready when the club didn't, it could have upset the balance of the whole squad.

    We do still have the Norman and Hill projects ongoing, and if "the pattern" holds, this is going to be a really big year for Norman. We also have a glut of young players seemingly coming through who could make it professionally, Lane, Gilford, Samboux2, Vaughan, Archer, Baxter, Pemberton, Delaney, Buckley Devine are all(?) on professional contracts and will be looking for opportunities for first team games as all bar Sambou junior and Vaughan have already made their first team debut.
    Yeah, I'm not suggesting we get rid of the academy system, just use the Championship/League 1&2 to top up the weak areas. With each senior academy and scholarship group there will be positional weaknesses. Focus on those areas.

    You mention Sambou. Any reason he's not the answer on the wing? He looked good in the Castleford game, he looks big enough and he's 20 next month I believe?

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saddened! View Post
    Yeah, I'm not suggesting we get rid of the academy system, just use the Championship/League 1&2 to top up the weak areas. With each senior academy and scholarship group there will be positional weaknesses. Focus on those areas.

    You mention Sambou. Any reason he's not the answer on the wing? He looked good in the Castleford game, he looks big enough and he's 20 next month I believe?
    Yeah I think my point is between senior non-fed players coming in and juniors in the academy, the amount of gaps we actually have for projects is fairly narrow. I think we seem weakest at backrow with only really Buckley coming through there, but with Batchelor, Sironen, Mata'utia, Bell, Royle and Davies its not like theres much of a gap to bring someone in.

    According to Sambou's agent he is the answer (though he also has a somewhat vested interest in that, and was Graces agent too). The reality is hes played one game for the first team - if he had been fit this year, I could have seen him getting a run of games (especially in that month leading up to the playoffs where we basically didnt bother with a left edge) and being far more talked about as the answer, but since he didnt, he isn't.

    Saints tend to have a very set structure for bringing kids through, 1-5 game in their first year, ~10 games second year, ~15 games third year before being considered "first team". Occasionally players "skip a year", Bennison skipped year 2 this year, Dodd skipped year3 etc, but to go from playing 1 game to first choice is a huge step up.

  3. #28
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    Keeping Batchelor is great news.

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