HULL KR AND HULL FC ACADEMY MERGER

There are not many ways to get the fans of Hull Kingston Rovers and Hull FC to have the same point of view, but the decision announced last week that the clubs would be merging their Academy set ups from 2016 certainly did that.

Social media was awash with negativity and incredulity from both sets of fans with many voicing their concerns that this was the first step towards a complete merger of the clubs and others stating that they didn’t want the two clubs to have anything to do with each other at any level of the game.

The plan is for the two teams to run joint under 16s and under 19s Academy teams playing in neutral colours, blue and yellow, and with a name that is yet to be decided. The team will play out of Bishop Burton College.

The reasons for the merger, which has apparently been discussed between the two clubs for the last 3 years, differ depending on who you listen to.

Hull FC owner Adam Pearson clearly stated that the decision was made due to the increased costs of running Super League and Academy teams and also due to the lack of talent currently available.

"It is a case of a decline in the talent pool in Hull with less school kids playing the game. We've not got the number of talented players. The cost of running a Super League team and an Academy is high, sponsors are drifting away and we have a decline in talent.

"That decline in talent and the costs basis means this is a logical step and it's one we believe will help both clubs to produce Super League players.

"We will be the first, but we won't be the only clubs to merge their academies in the next few years."

On the other hand, Hull Kingston Rovers vice-chairman Rob Crossland openly discussed the merger with fans on Twitter and stated that ‘’Despite what people think - this is needed to compete not about cost’’

Crossland and Hull KR chairman Neil Hudgell have both insisted that a full merger will never happen with Hudgell, a lifelong Hull KR fan, insisting it would never happen ‘’on his watch’’.

Both sets of fans in the city would be ferociously opposed to even the thought of a merger between the two clubs and I firmly believe that this will never happen – I do recall that it was discussed at the start of Super League back in the mid-90’s when it was announced that there would be plans to merge a number of clubs together to make bigger and, supposedly, stronger clubs. Those mergers never materialised because club fans are tribal and the backlash against the proposals was evident for all to see.

The city of Hull supports two professional rugby league clubs fairly comfortably – obviously both clubs would like bigger attendances – and both have good Academy set ups. In fact Hull’s was recently rated ‘’excellent’’.

So why do the powers that be feel the need to merge the clubs at the younger age levels and is the reaction of the majority of fans just blinkered?

It’s clear from the reactions of the fans that the clubs did not consult the supporters because they knew exactly what the response would be and they must believe that they know what is best for their clubs – they are all experienced and successful businessmen after all and will not have made this decision overnight.

Lets look at the two main reasons that this decision will have come down to – cost and competitiveness.

Quite clearly running one Academy set up with costs split between the two clubs will save money – instead of 2 squads of 25 players at U16s and 2 squads of 25 players at U19s there will now be a reduction of 50% in the playing staff which will save money pretty quickly on basic equipment, training kits, playing kits, travel expenses, insurances, ground rent, medical expenses, competition fees, player payments and probably a whole host of sundry items that we don’t generally think about but soon mount up to a considerable sum of money.

It should also make it easier to raise money through sponsorship. An Elite Academy that promises, and hopefully, delivers results on the pitch and produces players that will then go on to represent their country at the highest level of the game professionally is a far more attractive proposition for either large local or multi-national companies to spend their marketing money on rather than two well run local Academies that are not producing the ELITE standard of player that both Hull clubs want and desperately need.

And this is basically the crux of the matter and THE main reason for the merger.

Although the Hull FC Academy is routinely rated as EXCELLENT and the Hull KR Academy has recently received a GOOD rating, the fact is that these ratings were not based on the quality of players that are making the transition from Academy star to acclaimed Rugby League international.

For a number of years now Hull FC have produced a stream of highly talented players through their Academy system that have become regular first team players – Steve McNamara, Richard Horne, Paul Cooke, Kirk Yeaman, Paul King and more recently Callum Lancaster, Jack Logan, Jason Abdull and  Ben Crooks amongst others Some have even made it onto the international stage and won Grand Finals and Challenge Cups but how many have or will become regular long term high quality international players who have or will make a major mark on the sport – who have or will become future legends of the club and international game?

Because of the fact that Hull KR where outside of Super League for it’s first 12 years, they were behind the times when it came to the running of their Academy when they made the step up to Super League in 2007.

They have made giant strides over the last few years and have started to produce good quality players, Kris Welham, Liam Salter, James Green, Jordan Cox, Frankie Mariano (let go for some reason) have all made it to Super League level and will be followed by Josh Guzdek, Matty Marsh, Macauley Hallett and Steven Holker but how many of them can you say will become an ELITE international rugby league player?

Josh Hodgson came through the Hull FC Academy system before joining Hull KR and progressing into the first team and becoming good enough to gain selection for the England Knights and then the full England squad for the Four Nations tournament in Australia and New Zealand last year – but don’t forget that he was selected because James Roby and Michael McIlorum were stood down from the tour because of injury – if one of them had been fit he may well still be waiting for his full England debut.

From what I can see the clubs want to produce homegrown ELITE players on a regular basis to enable them to challenge for the top honours in the game season after season so they do not have to rely as much on whether or not other British or overseas players will settle in well and, just as importantly, they won’t have to pay sometimes exhorbitant wages and transfer fees for players that are looking for a final pay day.

I know that this is not always the case and both clubs have made good signings from home and abroad over the last few years – but there have been a number who have not made the grade or settled into life in East Yorkshire and the fans have felt letdown.  

The fact is that homegrown players will be paid less than even an average player who has NRL experience and also the fans like nothing more than to see one of their own succeed – I remember only too well the Hull KR heyday of the 1980’s and a successful team that included a plethora of local players who are now legends of the club – Phil Lowe, Steve Hartley, Dave Hall, Steve Hubbard, John Millington, Ian Robinson and Mike Smith for example.

The merger of the two Academies means that the cream of the crop of young players coming through the local youth ranks should rise to the top and be subjected to more concentrated and high level coaching and training which, in theory, should lead to a better quality of player coming through the ranks – the old saying of less is more so to speak.

As the dust settles and you look beyond the hysteria of the vast majority of Hull FC and Hull KR fans who have condemned the move and organised the #notohullmerger hashtag on Twitter and a local meeting and petition which has got over 1600 signatures to fight against the merger you can understand some of the reasons why the two Hull clubs have come to this decision.

The clubs have decided that they now need to concentrate on the genuinely elite players and give them the very best opportunity to become the best of the best.

Yes, it does mean that a large number of players will be cast aside by their local clubs and may have to move to other professional or semi-professional clubs to further their careers – but it should also mean that the most elite players in the city will be training, playing and improving together rather than being held back by a pool of less talented players that they would generally have alongside them at their individual club Academy’s – it sounds harsh I know but it is also true.

It is difficult to admit but it is also true that less kids are playing rugby league in Hull, the number of amateur teams are dwindling at youth and open age level and I honestly don’t believe that there is currently enough talent to fill two Academy teams with players of a high enough standard – there will be some that will progress to the professional or semi-professional ranks but how many will go on to be GREAT players when they are subjected to a watered down system.

As the merger will not commence until 2016, the two clubs have ring fenced the players that have already been signed at u16 and u19 level and these will go on to represent the senior club for which they have signed if they are good enough – however, a very interesting question is how will each club pick players from the new merged academy.

The clubs have decided that a draft system will be used to select players for each club at the end of each season – how exactly this will work is yet to be made public but based on the NFL system in America the lowest placed team gets the first pick of the new players available. Will this be based on which team finished lowest in Super League – should either or both teams be playing in the top competition next year?

This is where I begin to see flaws in the plan.

In the days before Hull KR were in Super League, lots of player who were Hull KR fans – such as Richard and Graeme Horne and Paul Cooke – signed for Hull FC because Rovers were outside of Super League and they wanted to play at the highest level.

Now both clubs play at the top level, this year anyway, and there will be players, mark my words, who will not want to play for the team that selects them.

I know this will sound stupid to some people from outside of Hull or the game of rugby league but I know that my two sons who currently play rugby league would not want to sign for Hull FC and being totally honest I would really have to think long and hard before eventually coming to a sensible decision and seeing that they cannot waste an opportunity for a great career just because of the colour of the shirt they are playing in.

Obviously, the Hull rivalry goes deeper than just the colour of the shirt but what if a player refuses to sign for the club that has first choice in the draft system should they offer him a contract?

Surely, they must have the legal right to turn down that contract?

Then what if they get offered a contract by the other club and accept that contract even though it’s not as good as the one originally offered but it is made by the team they have supported all of their life – how will that work? – how will that affect the relationship between the two clubs at senior level? - put simply you cannot force any player to sign a contract with a club he does not want to play for – an unhappy player is not going to play to the best of his ability at any age level.

This is where the problems will arise – players will turn down contracts because they do not want to play for the team that selects them.

The clubs need to clarify how this draft system will work because I can see it becoming a major stumbling block to what is, in theory, a good idea with the right intentions.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the rugby league supporting people of Hull are vehemently opposed to the merger and have already said that they will not support the merged teams which is totally unfair on the players as this move is nothing to do with them.

This is a brave move by the two clubs and I can see the rationale behind the decision and the only way the fans will totally accept it is if they start to see ELITE players coming through and representing BOTH clubs so that they start competing at the top end of the game on a regular basis – that isn’t going to happen overnight and it could be at least 5 years before we see this merger of the Academy systems making any difference to the recruitment policies of either club.

Fans are both fickle and impatient – will we have the patience to see this merger through in the long term?