3 Feb 2008 - Warrington Wolves' route paying dividends
Warrington Wolves' route paying dividends - Warrington Wolves' 2008 squad contains 11 players who started their primrose and blue careers in the club's Academy system.
Promoting from within is a growing trend across the board and, with the World Cup in Australia just nine months away, it is good news for England coach Tony Smith that the number of home-grown players set to take part in engage Super League XIII is on the increase.
Figures released by the RFL, at the official launch of engage Super League XIII, have revealed that this year's competition will see a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of players who have been trained by and developed by their own clubs.
This increase, combined with the introduction of a new club-trained' player rule for the 2008 season, has resulted in a six per cent drop in the number of overseas players in the last two years to 29 per cent.
Nigel Wood, chief executive of the Rugby Football League, said: "The club-trained player rule fulfils a long-term objective that we've had to develop more young and talented players.
"By giving them greater opportunity at the top level it is likely to improve standards not only at a national level but also internationally.
"It is fantastic that in World Cup year so many of our top sides are built around young English talent.
"Not only are they getting the opportunity to play at the highest level but they're also benefiting from playing alongside and opposite some of the best overseas players in the world such as Trent Barrett and Matt King. This will not only aid their personal development but will further boost the national team."
According to the 2008 squad listings, defending champions Leeds Rhinos boast 19 players in their 24-man squad who are eligible to play for England in this year's World Cup.
Fifteen of these players are also classed as 'club-trained' having graduated from the Rhinos' Academy system.
It's a similar story at Knowsley Road where 21 members of the St Helens 27-man first-team squad are eligible for England, with 13 products of the Academy.
Warrington's 11 players in the Super League squad with a Warrington Academy background are Kevin Penny, Mark Gleeson, Paul Wood, Steve Pickersgill, Andy Bracek, Ben Harrison, Simon Grix, Chris Riley, Mike Cooper, Lee Mitchell and Matty Blythe.
* The record books show that last year was the most competitive season in the Super League era with many predicting that 2008 will be the tightest yet.
This, according to Wood, is down to a greater distribution of playing talent driven by the game's salary cap rules.
RFL figures show that in 2002 just three Super League clubs were spending the maximum allowed by the salary cap.
In 2008 this is likely to be eight, including Warrington, and by 2009 it is predicted that all clubs will be spending the maximum allowed under the salary cap.
Wood added: "The one word you can't use to describe engage Super League is predictable.
"Compared to other sports you can't predict the results that will happen each week and it's virtually impossible to guess the six teams who will make the end of season play-offs.
"New clubs are breaking into the top six and the gap between all 12 clubs is closing which is delivering great contests.
"As we move into a new era of Super League the excitement will move away from relegation and instead be focused on which sides can make the play-offs.
"Last year the top six wasn't decided until the final day and this season all 12 coaches have stated their play-off intentions."
And the increasingly competitive nature of engage Super League is leading to the competition growing in popularity.
The average weekly attendance has increased every year since 2001, and last year grew to over 10,000 for the first time.
In 2007 the aggregate attendance for a full round was broken twice and, not only were Leeds Rhinos crowned engage Super League champions but they also claimed the title as the best supported side in either code of rugby.
For the second consecutive season, the Grand Final at Old Trafford attracted a 70,000-plus crowd and the innovative Millenium Magic event in Cardiff, which will be repeated this May, also attracted nearly 60,000 supporters.
Viewing figures for live matches on Sky Sports also remain strong with more than one third of the broadcaster's regular TV audience coming from outside the traditional heartland of the sport. One in five viewers now live in London.
Wood said: "Across the board this is an extremely positive time to be involved in Rugby League and engage Super League.
"We strongly believe these positive trends will only be encouraged and boosted by the new licensing system.
"Just like the move to summer rugby in 1996 has made this sport more popular than ever, we believe licensing will take Rugby League to the next level and will improve playing talent, stadia, financial performance and levels of competition among others."
Promoting from within is a growing trend across the board and, with the World Cup in Australia just nine months away, it is good news for England coach Tony Smith that the number of home-grown players set to take part in engage Super League XIII is on the increase.
Figures released by the RFL, at the official launch of engage Super League XIII, have revealed that this year's competition will see a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of players who have been trained by and developed by their own clubs.
This increase, combined with the introduction of a new club-trained' player rule for the 2008 season, has resulted in a six per cent drop in the number of overseas players in the last two years to 29 per cent.
Nigel Wood, chief executive of the Rugby Football League, said: "The club-trained player rule fulfils a long-term objective that we've had to develop more young and talented players.
"By giving them greater opportunity at the top level it is likely to improve standards not only at a national level but also internationally.
"It is fantastic that in World Cup year so many of our top sides are built around young English talent.
"Not only are they getting the opportunity to play at the highest level but they're also benefiting from playing alongside and opposite some of the best overseas players in the world such as Trent Barrett and Matt King. This will not only aid their personal development but will further boost the national team."
According to the 2008 squad listings, defending champions Leeds Rhinos boast 19 players in their 24-man squad who are eligible to play for England in this year's World Cup.
Fifteen of these players are also classed as 'club-trained' having graduated from the Rhinos' Academy system.
It's a similar story at Knowsley Road where 21 members of the St Helens 27-man first-team squad are eligible for England, with 13 products of the Academy.
Warrington's 11 players in the Super League squad with a Warrington Academy background are Kevin Penny, Mark Gleeson, Paul Wood, Steve Pickersgill, Andy Bracek, Ben Harrison, Simon Grix, Chris Riley, Mike Cooper, Lee Mitchell and Matty Blythe.
* The record books show that last year was the most competitive season in the Super League era with many predicting that 2008 will be the tightest yet.
This, according to Wood, is down to a greater distribution of playing talent driven by the game's salary cap rules.
RFL figures show that in 2002 just three Super League clubs were spending the maximum allowed by the salary cap.
In 2008 this is likely to be eight, including Warrington, and by 2009 it is predicted that all clubs will be spending the maximum allowed under the salary cap.
Wood added: "The one word you can't use to describe engage Super League is predictable.
"Compared to other sports you can't predict the results that will happen each week and it's virtually impossible to guess the six teams who will make the end of season play-offs.
"New clubs are breaking into the top six and the gap between all 12 clubs is closing which is delivering great contests.
"As we move into a new era of Super League the excitement will move away from relegation and instead be focused on which sides can make the play-offs.
"Last year the top six wasn't decided until the final day and this season all 12 coaches have stated their play-off intentions."
And the increasingly competitive nature of engage Super League is leading to the competition growing in popularity.
The average weekly attendance has increased every year since 2001, and last year grew to over 10,000 for the first time.
In 2007 the aggregate attendance for a full round was broken twice and, not only were Leeds Rhinos crowned engage Super League champions but they also claimed the title as the best supported side in either code of rugby.
For the second consecutive season, the Grand Final at Old Trafford attracted a 70,000-plus crowd and the innovative Millenium Magic event in Cardiff, which will be repeated this May, also attracted nearly 60,000 supporters.
Viewing figures for live matches on Sky Sports also remain strong with more than one third of the broadcaster's regular TV audience coming from outside the traditional heartland of the sport. One in five viewers now live in London.
Wood said: "Across the board this is an extremely positive time to be involved in Rugby League and engage Super League.
"We strongly believe these positive trends will only be encouraged and boosted by the new licensing system.
"Just like the move to summer rugby in 1996 has made this sport more popular than ever, we believe licensing will take Rugby League to the next level and will improve playing talent, stadia, financial performance and levels of competition among others."