Have KR resolved recruitment issue?
OVER the last few decades, one key issue that Hull KR have struggled with is producing their own local talent who go on to become greats of the club.
Apart from the likes of Kris Welham and Liam Salter, and the recent emergence of Mikey Lewis, you have to go back to Jon Wilkin, who left in 2002 for a Rovers academy product who actually made a significant impact on the game.
When both Hull clubs merged in 2016, the identity of the Robins youth system was slowly fading away, but skip forward to 2022, and the club is heading in a totally different direction.
Rovers’ academy has been branded “Elite” by the RFL, with the club in talks to develop their facilities in line with the purchase of Craven Park.
Off the field progress is being made, on the field the side have recently recorded consecutive victories over powerhouses St Helens and Wigan.
The Robins’ under-18s currently sit seventh on the academy ladder but have come into a recent purple patch, which has seen them edge out St Helens 30-25 and record another big win last Saturday as they defeated Wigan 24-14.
Several prospects are catching the eye of the club’s supporters, including prop forwards Leo Tennison and Zach Fishwick, Harvey Horne, the son of former Rovers star Graeme, and dynamic second-rower AJ Chambers.
The development process is a slow burner in rugby league and is something that cannot be rushed.
However, the pathway for the academy boys is clear to see in the recent rise of older prospects like Nathan Cullen, Adam Rusling and Bailey Dawson, who are all benefiting from training with the first team and playing weekly at senior level.
The long-term aim is to see plenty of the current under-18s and reserve players involved in the first team for years to come, and with the ongoing discussions on improving the set-up off the field, it is an exciting time to be involved with the youth programme at Sewell Group Craven Park.