Funk-Doc:
So is signing the likes of Baily and Hill not pathway blockers like when we signed Ruan, or is it different rules ??
It is to a degree. However for Hull, Gardiner and Laidlaw have both been given multiple chances and enough has been seen of them to see they're not good enough to kick Hull on to where they want to be, therefore a hole needs to be plugged.Likewise Jebson has played a few games now, along with Kirby. Both don't quite look ready yet, so we have signed second rowers to fill the gaps until they are. But rest assured they will get their chances again next year when Cartwright/Batchelor get injured.
Martin, Barron, Moy all took their chances and are now regular first team players.
Rovers barely pick up any injuries so you can argue there is never any need to play an academy player, and that is fair enough. However putting an academy player into an already stacked team is arguably the best way to introduce them as they have a lot more protection around them. Hull where for ed into last season, and seeing now how Martin, Barron, Moy have stood up to the challenge then it has set them up for a brilliant future, wether it came about the right way or not.
The difference with somebody like Ryan is that Rovers have just gone out and signed him before even given a player a chance. Hull have shown they are willing to give the youth a shot and if you're good enough you will stick in the first team. Rovers just dont even want to give them a shot, hence signing Ryan, Brown, Doro, Richardson, etc.
That's how I see it and you may very well disagree.
