Friday Knight Lights wrote:
The problem with the super6 is the guys you'll play will be academy lads and the semi pros (recently dropped by the academies or really love the game and can handle the work commitments). That isn't going to be good enough to then play professional prop. The standard is definitely higher than the old Premiership but nowhere near championship levels. Super 6 teams were getting absolutely banjoed by Falcons A. It'll take a number of years, it is our best hope but it's a long way off being a good enough conveyer belt. A long long way off.
The solution is to give them Pro14 or challenge cup minutes. The young guys are not quality professionals yet. And I can guarantee you they never will be unless they are given experience. The reason every other position aside from prop is played younger is because scrum penalties/lineout. The problem only gets fixed with gametime now. Not gametime in 3 years when the super6 might be a quality rugby league or we've sent them to Old Glory. Now!
sorry, what you are proposing is not going to work. Its part of why we are where we are. Each pro side will have about 4 props either side plus academy players. Academy players cannot be played unless really exceptional for their own safety, most seasons there will not be an exceptional academy prop. Same everywhere. So how many of those 4 props either side are youngsters? At the most risky, 2. And of those its likely at least one won't make it. Say one does. what happens the following season? Do you release a senior prop to make way for another kid? Its a bottleneck and enough kids are not going to be able to get enough game time, and no-one thinks a revolving door for senior props is a great idea.
Both pro teams and Scotland need more depth, the only way to get that is more players playing at a better level. Ans the only ways to get that is either super 6 or keep going as we are and cross fingers. Writing it off after half a season is daft
Yes, it might take a few seasons, but it is a strategy not short term elastoplast. We need to give it time and support. It is a sensible way to go. Its obvious if it fails we will be back to where we are now, hand to mouth, a development bottleneck, lacking depth and going outside Scotland every time we have an injury, never mind for first picks