Watching from afar: I'll try and answer your questions
What has NCR youth pathway looked like over the past 4 or 5 years? Didn't Marist have a decent young team last year and Havelock seem to be doing well on that front. Have NCR offered the better young players in the region the same opportunity? I have been critcical of the NCR local prem team before and it's make up of masters players rather then youth. For the past 25/30years the best player 99% of the time went to Ncr. So to say the players are not there...
When I arrived at the club 3 seasons ago the pathway was limited and if we're honest the Prems and Div 1 sides were in need of freshening up, we were fortunate at the time that past Rovers players such as the Gearey brothers, Heath Caldwell and Dean Johnson re-joined the club and we were able to use them as the base of the Prems rebuild, over the past 2 seasons we have seen these older players filter out of the Prems and down into Div 1 this has enabled us to promote more youth through to our Prems side, I am hopeful that next season Prems side will be the majority of our U19's, we also have to remember as a club we have a responsibility to provide football opportunities for all age and quality of players, the older guys help with fundraising and bar takings, a club full of youth players would financially struggle.
Stu are there every any conversations with HBU more Brett about which players he is thinking about bringing in or you are looking at bringing in? Obviously you would love for him to sign all your imports as likely easier to hold onto them. Do you go to HBU training sessions and watch to id players your wanting? I know it's hard as different opinions and styles of player but I can't help but feel that relationship needs to be stronger and work closer together. At the moment there doesn't seem to be any of that, which I can understand as they are not the same club.
Yes I have personally attended HB trainings and yes we have tried to sign HB players, last season we managed to capture Wes and Mac, we did try for a couple of others but they took up the option of moving to Wellington for the lifestyle, I thought we were onto a great thing when Bill went in as Brett's number 2, I thought this would enable both clubs to work closer together and help retain the best players locally, unfortunately Brett decided that he didn't want Bill in any capacity this season and he made it clear to Bill that he didn't want a strong Rovers influence through the squad, this is the primary reason that the relationship has broken down.
I think it would be great for NCR to get the licence, the have the strong history and seem to have the next generation of admin volunteers coming through likes of Geary, Stanger, Willsons all of who grew up at Park Island and understand the history. Appear to be in good financial position and if they haven't already they be far off paying the clubrooms off. Like them or hate them I think that would be best.
Talent pathway in the Bay... the best players need to training and playing with the best players as frequently as possible. Flag school stuff (dreaming) have a HB age group side of 15 16 17 year olds and a few older guys pllaying in Prem League without any attachment to a club. Schools wouldn't like it clubs would hopefully see it as a good thing.
I'm mixed on your view here, agree school football is not developing players and if anything for the few kids that could make it at a higher level it is holding them back, some of these kids are training and playing far to much and no one is getting the best out of them.
HB age group in the Prem league? Sorry can't agree with you here, kids playing and training with kids doesn't develop them, I think we have to be fair and realise that we are not going to produce 10 to 16 players capable of playing Central league every season, I think if each club can develop 3 or 4 then we are onto a good thing, the only way these kids will get better is if they are training with experienced adults, we have seen the development of Karan, kaeden Atkins, Zac Madsen, Ethan Ladd and a few others this season because they have been training with the Central League squad, I can guarantee you they would not have developed as quick if they stayed in a youth set up
Do you know that in the past 3 seasons with Rovers Brett Angel has not attended one training session, the Regional Development Manager has not attended one Central League training session, hasn't showed any interest in our youth players and what if anything Central Football or HB UTD could do to help us develop and or create a pathway for players, I know this whole thing has been looked at as Rovers having a crack but for me its about building relationships for the betterment of our young local players, unfortunately Brett for some reason doesn't want to work with us? Again take this in, the Central Federation Regional Development Manager has not attended one Central League training session, love or hate Rovers, we are the highest performing winter league team in the Federations and have the best opertunity of providing National League players into the HB set up, why wouldn't you want a relationship with us, cheers Stu