Whilst the move to FB for Tomkins helped him tear up SL, it wasn't the best move for his own development and for England.



He should be our 6 right now.



I'd argue that we lost this game around the ruck as Clark isn't a good defender and Ferres isn't a Hooker!

At junior level it makes little difference who they're playing against. It doesn't need to be the best vs the best there just needs to be an environment where kids are performing those basic skills both in training and on game day. That is down to the coaches who choose not to practice decision making, kicking, passing etc.



Encourage those skills to be taught in training and to be used on game day and you'll see youngsters getting into academies & scholarship teams with better half back skills than currently.



But then there are equally big problems beyond junior level.

Widdop just a good 6 in the NRL.......!!!



He was the 2nd highest ranked half back for the 2014 season in the NRL behind Thurston and came 4th overall in the Dally M standings. Its no coincidence that Storm struggled in 2014 without him failing no less than 4 times to find a quality replacment!

What we need is a quality dominent 7 with a good kicking game and the indroduction of two quality back rowers and we win more than we lose. Over all I think this has been a great 4 Nations comp that could of gone either way.

I can't agree, i think that at junior level one of the things that work is simply 'give it to the big lad' which is why we struggle to produce as many skilful players. I dont think that changes by not funnelling the talent.



Players will do what works. If thats just give it to the big lad thats what they will do, if its give it to the fast lad with the step, that is what they will do.



One of the problems we face in bringing through our best players is that often they find it too easy. Even at academy level some players absolutely rip it up.



Tomkins is probably the best example of that, Tomkins tore up academy RL but Noble was reluctant to give him a shot because there was still deficiencies in his game, largely it wasnt a problem because he was such a good runner of the ball that what he did 'worked' eventually when he made the step up those deficiencies became apparent and he moved to FB.



Kids arent going to be throwing in a few runaround or dummy plays when they can just run through a gap and no-one can catch them.



The short version: when kids are too good for those they are playing against and with they dont need to learn to go around them because they can just go through them.

Widdop is a good player, dont get me wrong.



But he isnt, in my opinion, on the level of Thurston, Cronk or Johnson. He isnt a difference maker like they are.

One of the strengths of the England team in this 4N was the speed and range of Clark-Smith who, between them, can move the ball 30 yards in two passes.



Neither Widdop nor Tomkins have that range. If someone else does, let's here about them taking Smith's slot.

It would be great if professional clubs could get together and form a proper national league, with teams at under 12's and up.



Even if they just played 10 games a season with a few training camps and played for their local teams the rest of the time, it would really benefit them to be playing against good opposition and receiving some proper coaching.



It needs the clubs to make a commitment and spend some money though.

The give it to the big lad happens because that's what coaches encourage both in training and on game day. At junior level the big lad will prosper regardless of who he faces.



Players will do what the coaches tell them and encourage them to do. If at every training session players practice the skills and are encouraged to use them on game day they'll use them. Its that attitude in coaches we have to change, not picking and choosing who are the best 10 year olds and funnelling them into some sort of performance based system at such a young age.





That will happen at every level. Some just find that environment fits them. The big problem is the step between academy and SL. The step between amateur and SL is only a problem because the right skills aren't taught at junior level.





Yeah but that's nothing to do with him not playing with or against good enough players when he was 10 years old. It's to do with the fact he went from playing against 17/18 year olds to playing against men at the elite level with no step in between. The lack of a 2nd team or feeder league like in Australia.





Yes they will. If you coach them properly they will. They're young kids, they do what they're told and encouraged to do.





Not if you tell them that to do something different. That's a coaches job. Otherwise no kid would EVER pass the ball if they didn't listen to their coaches. Because every kid wants to score.

So teach them the basic skills. Practice, practice and practice them. Have a plan for game day to use them. Simples. I can remember my primary school team doing runarounds, drop offs & tactical kicking despite having a powerful runner in the team. Why? Because the coach told us to.

The coach is the one in control of his team. If he can't control a bunch of 10/11 year olds he shouldn't be coaching.

Thurston and Cronk are in a class of their own.



Johnson is good but can disappear. See many games he's had for the Warriors and NZ versus Samoa.



When you consider the number of halfbacks playing the game in Australia it shows the problem of how many you have to develop before you get the real world class ones. They have lots of decent enough ones but apart from Cronk and Thurston none are much different to Widdop and Smith in ability.

At 12 to 13 the size gap widens if anything, your looking around 15 when the gap is drawn back in.



I believe they use or used the same size system in Oz, the drawback to it is if you have a big 11/12 year old playing against a kid 2/3 years older (not sure what limits they put on it) of the same height and weight but not maturity or muscular development.

Core skils ,movement skills and mental skills for all players are a must.



I currently coach at age U13 and am have taken part in the RFLs Embed The Pathway program, one of the aims of which is allowing all players to develop to their potential and not to rule out certain players at an early age. The relative age effect has a massive part on our game as the early developers dominate in our age bracket, yet theres kids with all the right attributes who do get overlooked.



I find the program and its content very helpful and its helped me develop as a coach and re-think certain aspects, im always open to learn but for everyone of me there's 2/3 old school who go down the win at all costs routes, were flat tracking teams is seen as a major achievement.

Spot on.