Reserves competition must stay, insists Daryl Powell

Warrington coach Daryl Powell insists the Reserves competition must stay beyond this season otherwise the game would take a step backwards.

Reserve-grade rugby league was reintroduced in 2020 before being curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Reserves returned in February for the first time since the pandemic struck.

Some Reserve matches have been forced to be cancelled this season. And although there have been some blowout scores, including Wigan beating Castleford 100-0, Powell believes the concept of the Reserves must stay in 2023.

He said: “It probably needs tweaking a little bit. It is fantastic that its here and the way they’ve pieced it together is a good way.

“You mix between academy and reserves so it gives players a chance to play at different levels and particularly players stepping up and playing in the first team with senior players which I think has always been a really good thing.

“I don’t think they’ve quite got it right around the consistency of when games are taking place but ultimately it is here and I think we need to be consistent with it and give it a chance and then at the end of the season we need to get our heads together and make sure it is fit for purpose across the game and gives us exactly what we want from a player development model.

“It has to stay. The thing we do too much in our sport is jump about too much with player development models. It has to stay, reserves has to be there.

“There are always going to be situations where some teams are weaker than others but I don’t think you should throw it away because of one game.

“The games I’ve seen have been really good games and players are getting a lot out of it. Is it perfect? Probably not, but I don’t think we can get perfect. There’ll be players who need to go out to the Championship and League 1 because thats what is right for their development as players.

“It has to stay, 100%. If we were to get rid of it then it would take us back years I think.”

Daryl Powell on Riley Dean’s latest loan move

Warrington have loaned young half-back Riley Dean to Championship side Newcastle Thunder for the rest of the season.

The Ireland World Cup hopeful has made three first team appearances for the Wolves this season.

Powell said: “For Riley it is a different level. Reserves don’t play every week at the moment and it is all about getting him playing consistently.

“I had a good chat with him this morning about what I’d like to see from him so I think it would be good for him to play consistently. We can call him back which is important as well.

“He has stepped into our team and done some quality things. Is he ready to play Super League every week yet? Probably not but he has had a real good look at it this year. Going leading Newcastle’s attack will be great for him I think.”

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