Hudgell stresses youth’s importance to Hull KR

Hull KR chairman Neil Hudgell has stressed just how important youth development remains to his vision of the club being successful.

Rovers and neighbours Hull FC are to join forces in 2016 with a City of Hull Academy for the region’s young players.

Hudgell insists that the decision to combine academies makes sense in many ways, primarily financially.

“There was a huge outcry, wasn’t there, when we didn’t have any sustainable argument against it,” he told the Hull Daily Mail.

“We’ve always had separate academies but that’s not the answer to carry on and spend £250k a year. It’s a simple business, an economic decision, what are we getting out of it?

“We’ve had Super League players from our academy but how many have gone on to play 50, 100 games? Not very many.

“We’ve both had similar spends so we’re both looking at each other and diluted the amount we spend.

“Together, the whole idea is to improve the quality across the whole academy concept.

“It’s right that we have players coming through who are more consistent than what we have had over the last ten years.”

Hudgell also maintains there is now excuse for Rovers not having produced more consistent Super League stars over the last decade since they reached the game’s top tier.

“We’ve been 10 years here so in theory we should have had more come through. There’s a reason for that and that is the quality of the offering,” he said.

“Kids aren’t born bigger in Leeds or Wigan but when you see them play and see just how much more developed they are as athletes at 16 or 17.

“Leeds put a select side out to play New Zealand in a Test match at the end of last season and a lot of kids in that side looked ready, but we can’t replicate that.”