In the past I've been all for the youth development at Cas. We've brought some good youngsters into the team in the past couple of years and admittedly, right or wrong, let some go elsewhere (Lunt, Gledhill, Watts, Boyle). However, with all the spin the club was giving at the start of the year (Davies, Thompson, Brierly etc) I was expecting to see some exciting fresh blood in a Cas shirt this season. I can't help but feel let down.



The current injury situation seems like the ideal time to be bringing in the youngsters, but instead, we seem to have gone for loan options (Ainscough over Thomson, Cooper over Davies). Now don't get me wrong, I am happy with the loan signings, they are decent players, but it makes me wonder why we have signed them when we have youth on the sidelines.



Presumably, these players are not ready in the eyes of the coach, which begs the question; why are they in the squad? I know they will develop by training with the first team, but I'm starting to wonder if some of these younger players are being put in the squad for nothing else but to tick a franchise box. Are they going to get a run out? Are they even good enough? Or is it just a case of saying "We have [ix[/i number of academy players in our first team squad and they have been in the starting 17[i y [/inumber of times (regardless of if they step foot on the pitch)".



You can scream cynic and conspiracy theorist all you want, but after my initial optimism at the start of the year, I am really starting to question the decisions of Matterson when it comes to youth development.

i think it's niaive to think they are in the squad for any other reason than to pad out the numbers and tick a few franchise boxes....oh and they're cheap. cas have no money to contribute to the squad!

I'd rather have Ainscough in our starting 17 then Thompson. No pleasing people sometimes.

Cas fans always like a good moan.

So would I.



The point I was trying to make was...why are we being told we have exciting youngsters coming through and then they don't play? It seems like it is a load of tripe being fed to the RFL to tick a franchise box, which in turn makes a mockery of the whole system. I am pretty sure, if this is what is happening, that Cas aren't the only club making their youth potential out to be more than it is.

Anyone know how long Matterson has left on his contract ?

I ask this because the bloke seems to have no youth policy and with certain players over the years no man management skills.Also some of his positional choices baffle me.

Matterson must be doing certain things right i am over the moon with the teams effort this year, but he has many faults.

End-2011.

Had a good game on Saturday imo

who

Davies, ( the one I highlighted in bold)

He had a really good defensive sting when he first came on.



ps [url=http://www.castigers.com/video-player/157Davies on Tigers TV[/url (registration required) Includes the idea of steady development of players from Steve Gill

I'm glad Davies got a decent run out. I only watched the extended highlights on Sky and didn't see much of him. Probably just how it had been cut.

nothing wrong with being a big head IF you have the talent to back it up..



and it seems this kid does