Official West Hartlepool RFC

Has Mikey Young got a gumshield in on that pic or has he just got massive teeth?

Good luck to Aaron and Michael, who are both talented lads destined for big things.

But one thing which puzzles me is that judging by Newcastle's statement about their young players out on loan, they seem to have almost a full side at Tynedale.

Which leads to the question: Where are Tynedale's own home-grown players?

Why do Tynedale need/receive two scrum halves from the Falcons? It seems to contradict their objective of giving the necessary game time to young players.

I think the reason Tynedale get so many Falcons is probably that John Fletcher's original club was Tynedale.:-):-)

Would hate to be a Tynedale supporter. Newcastle Falcons 2nd XV.

What is the provision for either Young or Myers getting some first team rugby with West if they're not getting selected for their "foster" clubs?

Well done to both players!

But i must ask the question as to why the higher ups at Newcastle send the lads for experiance at national 3 level when they now have a National 2 side (Blaydon) on the door step? Not saying Myers and Young should be thrown in at that level but it does seem logical to give older players the experiance at a National 2 which is closer to the standard where Newcastle are.

good luck to them but it is a big loss for you

No comments on Mikeys teeth?

We made any signings then, hope those lads go on to prove themselves and i have no doubt they will

WPA - It is a pleasure to be a Tynedale supporter - they play the best style of rugby of any of the NE clubs outside the premiership.

The Tynedale team isn't a Falcons 2nd XV - many of the Falcons lads loaned to Tynedale are actually Tynedale lads and so the article is slightly misleading in stating that the players are shipped out by the Falcons to local clubs.

Also some of the lads loaned to the club are not actually good enough to get in the Tynedale team at the present time. Out of the starting XV there would be about 6 - 7 Falcons players - of which 3 or so are Tynedale born and bred and a couple of others have actually been with us for 2-3 years. Others have been noticed by the Falcons whilst they have been playing for Tynedale whilst at Uni etc.

The loans are as much about getting the younger lads immersed into a club environment and helping them to mature into senior rugby as giving them games every week.

The press release could be construed that the players are forced on the clubs and threaten the development of the local players - actually when the balance is right (which it appears to be at Tynedale) it is mutually beneficial and enables clubs like ours to flourish as amateurs in what is an increasingly prfoessional sport outside of the premiership.

Rubbish.
14 of your squad are from Falcons and I'm sure all of them are already well versed in club environments and the amateur game. To suggest only Tynedale can provide this is arrogant nonsense.
What these lads want is to get paid for playing rugby and so have to do what Falcons tell them even if it means playing for Tynedale IIs.
Nothing wrong with that - just don't try and put up a spurious defence and don't be embarrassed about not benefiting from the fact that Fletcher is a Tynedale man.

Had a bad weekend WPA?

"14 of your squad are from Falcons and I'm sure all of them are already well versed in club environments and the amateur game. To suggest only Tynedale can provide this is arrogant nonsense."

You either misunderstood my post and/or are unwilling to accept another's point of view. The post certainly wasn't intended to be arrogant or to belittle players or other clubs. The comment about the club environment could apply to any club - from blaydon to billingham to west to rovers to gatehead to harrogate etc etc. Maybe it won't be an introduction to amateur club rugby, but it aids development to maintain a young player's contact with that side of the game rather than being isolated in an academy set up for years on end.

Of course Fletcher's ties with Tynedale is a factor - who denied that? I didn't suggest that Tynedale were the only club in the world who could provide a senior club environment - the only reference that was specific to tynedale was that I believe they play the best style of rugby in the area and that I don't hate supporting them - am I not entitled to that opinion? The club environment point was meant to be made in regard to all of the local clubs who receive players.

I am (very) heavily involved with tynedale and so I can comment on the make up of the match day squads and how many of the falcons loaned players will make the match day squad. Unless you are involved in the selection at tynedale I can't see how you can tell me that I am wrong.

Yes 14 falcons players are in the tynedale club squad, but not all of them are good enough to get in the 1st team, hence the tynedale match day squad does not contain 14 falcons players. In addition some of the players affiliated to the falcons were tynedale players (coming through the local schools and then colts) set up before they got involved in the falcons and so are effectively staying with their local club. Which part of that don't you understand?

There are other factors at play such as the involvement of our head coach who is based in cumbria and involved in cumbrian rugby - as a result some up and coming cumbrian players are introduced to the falcons via tynedale and then continue to play for tynedale thereafter - our fly half being a prime example - this season will be his 4th at tynedale having joined from Aspatria and he played premiership rugby last year for the falcons.

It may be advisable to think about a post and its intentions before you shoot off at the mouth - my comments were more about the loans to any of the clubs rather than Tynedale specifically. Not all of the players are told where to go - they do actually have some say - at Tynedale we have lost players over the summer who are affiliated to the falcons - to other local and non local clubs - because they wanted to leave. There are other players that we would have liked to have brought to the club, but they have opted for Mowden or Blaydon instead. Other players have had offers to play at a higher level in Scotland, but have opted to stay.

If you don't want to take my word for it ask Mark Laycock if there is a player choice in where they play.

As for the bit about players just wanting to be paid and going where they are told I think you do a total disservice to the players involved and the guidance they are given by their parents.

It seems that you just want to shout at someone about something for some reason. The discussion board is surely that - a 'discussion' board. If other posters are greeted with their comments being branded as rubbish how will you stimulate discussion? - especially when your comments are based on what you have read in a press release and not based on knowledge of the club concerned.

I hope that this post is viewed in the balanced way which it is (hopefully) presented and look forward to some balanced responses.

My response was long because I wanted to clarify the original message I posted and try to get to the root of your hostility towards the loan system or at least provide some further information which may have enabled you to make a more informed decision on the situation.

Do you feel that West are getting a raw deal from this system? You seem to be very much against the whole thing as though it is some sort of conspiracy. Why is this nepotism when the players can choose where they play?

I haven't heard any complaints from anyone at the club - as I mentioned out of the 14 players there are only 4 who haven't been involved with the club previously. Local lads doing well in a team that is doing well without breaking the bank - to me that sounds like a good deal all round.

Remember how many local lads were in the West team under Mike Brewer? A lot of New Zealanders with a New Zealand coach - is that not also nepotism? This seems to be a case of glass houses. Don't get me wrong I was very proud of north east rugby (and still am) when West were in the premiership and I was saddened by the fortunes since then, and would have rather seen them make a long term success of it than the Falcons, but it wasn't to be. Maybe it was the recruitment policy of the club at the time that caused it.

Tynedale are taking their recruitment decisions seriously and the loan arrangement helps us hopefully achieve our goals - if it backfires it backfires and we will learn from it.

If you read other messages elsewhere on the site you will see I just want the best for Young and Myers. I would be delighted if both of them were getting regular National League games as it would obviously bring them on.

But I asked what is the provision for them coming back to West if they are not getting first team rugby at Tynedale or Mowden? No answer from anywhere but I think it would be better playing first team for West than second team for Tynedale against West Stags.

I can't disagree with that, but only time will tell how many 1st team games Mikey Young will get - there are aspects of the loan that the Falcons do control and they have a squad rotation policy in the academy. We also have the current 4th choice 9 (Mikey being 5th choice) at Tynedale and it may be that their academy rotation dictates who plays 9 when.

Although Mikey won't start the season as 1st choice at Tynedale that isn't to say that he won't force his way in - and if he does surely the loan will have been a success for all concerned.

After the last email I think WPA has finally squeezed out the point he was trying to establish from some-one who is "heavily involved". All looks a bit murky to me. Dictatorship springs to mind.

Best wishes to Mikey and Aaron and good luck for the future.

Find it difficult to comprehend how Tynedale can claim to flourish as AMATEURS when they have 14 of the Falcons acadamy on loan to them, don't imagine they are playing just for the love of the game.