Tichtheid wrote:Friday Knight Lights wrote:Tichtheid wrote:Off the top of my head, I've probably missed some - Sutherland, Cosgrove, Rambo conversion, Berghan (young for a prop), Toolis x2, Ritchie, Bradbury, Sam H-C, various flyhalfs, Dean, Hoyland, Kinghorn - all brought on by Solly at a young age
I could say Turner, too. but he never really got a sustained shot at it.
Cosgrove - left, AToolis - left, SHC - left, various flyhalfs - jamesmatthew & left.
Dean, Kinghorn, Bradbury and Ritchie were all standout age grade players destined for the top.
He didn't do a good job at all.
Your premise was that Solomons didn't blood young players, I'd say that he did blood young players, whether or not they turned out to be any good or left the club is surely a different question?
Maybe but I'm not sure. The idea is they form the spine of the side and then move on when they've outgrown us not leave without much success.
For me the strategy should always be youth development first. That's the only way we can be competitive in this league.
Of course Solly played young players but his strategy was build a good team first. For me it's self defeating. It's hyperbole to say he didn't play young players but he should have trusted them.
It's not just his fault. Scott Johnson and Mark Dodson have questions to answer about it as well.