Promoting players too early, resulting in injury problems?

[Bayern]

I wonder is there anything to be said for holding off on promoting academy players at 18/19?

Chris Farrell(22) and Stuart Olding(22) both had significant injury problems after debuting for Ulster at 18.
Luke Marshall(24) looks a shadow of the player he was when he first emerged as a 19 year old.
Peter Nelson(22) & Rory Scholes(22) debuted at 19/20 and haven't really pushed on yet to compete for the fullback position, mostly because neither was physically ready when they debuted.

Meanwhile Craig Gilroy(24) and Paddy Jackson(23) have progressed well after debuting at 19.
Stuart McCloskey(23) debuted at 21, mostly due to his late emergence as a potential professional.

Should players like Sam Arnold/Jacob Stockdale, both 18, be rushed into the senior setup when they are not physically mature?
Darren Cave(28) didn't debut for Ulster until he was 20 and he has managed to stay quite healthy throughout his career.

Do the players need another year or two to become more robust and develop a little further before being launched at the pro level?

I think it's an interesting discussion.

[shamalicious]

I'm not sure if it's to do with age so much as the physicality of the modern game and conditioning. Our more experienced players have had their fair share of long layoffs and serious injuries (AAT, Rory, Dan, 1F, Paddy Wallace to name a few).

[Russ]

George North

[Bayern]

George North

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

[Bayern]

I'm not sure if it's to do with age so much as the physicality of the modern game and conditioning. Our more experienced players have had their fair share of long layoffs and serious injuries (AAT, Rory, Dan, 1F, Paddy Wallace to name a few).

All would have made their debuts relatively early though, just don't think it's very smart to expose young players to the physicality of pro rugby when they are not physically mature and still growing.

[Russ]

George North

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

I think you have totally misread what I wrote

North is a man beset by injuries
Introduced too soon, huge expectations, became a massive draw, signed for a big money club who were always going to overplay him
Always having to turn out for national team

Man is fecked

[Cap'n Grumpy]

George North

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

I think you have totally misread what I wrote

North is a man beset by injuries
Introduced too soon, huge expectations, became a massive draw, signed for a big money club who were always going to overplay him
Always having to turn out for national team

Man is fecked

Your problem Russ is that you DIDN'T write all of that. All you wrote was "George North"

At least when the Bard wrote "brevity is the soul of wit", he wasn't so brief as to leave the meaning unclear.

Brevity may also be the soul of the half-wit .........

...... WOT?

.... you mean this ISN'T "Have a go at Russ day"?

[Russ]

George North

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

I think you have totally misread what I wrote

North is a man beset by injuries
Introduced too soon, huge expectations, became a massive draw, signed for a big money club who were always going to overplay him
Always having to turn out for national team

Man is fecked

Your problem Russ is that you DIDN'T write all of that. All you wrote was "George North"

At least when the Bard wrote "brevity is the soul of wit", he wasn't so brief as to leave the meaning unclear.

Brevity may also be the soul of the half-wit .........

...... WOT?

.... you mean this ISN'T "Have a go at Russ day"?

The spoken word is my weapon. Not the written

[Bayern]

George North

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

I think you have totally misread what I wrote

North is a man beset by injuries
Introduced too soon, huge expectations, became a massive draw, signed for a big money club who were always going to overplay him
Always having to turn out for national team

Man is fecked

yeah i thought you were going the other way with that.

[Russ]

George North

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

I think you have totally misread what I wrote

North is a man beset by injuries
Introduced too soon, huge expectations, became a massive draw, signed for a big money club who were always going to overplay him
Always having to turn out for national team

Man is fecked

yeah i thought you were going the other way with that.

I kept my options open

[ColinM]

George North

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

I think you have totally misread what I wrote

North is a man beset by injuries
Introduced too soon, huge expectations, became a massive draw, signed for a big money club who were always going to overplay him
Always having to turn out for national team

Man is fecked

Your problem Russ is that you DIDN'T write all of that. All you wrote was "George North"

At least when the Bard wrote "brevity is the soul of wit", he wasn't so brief as to leave the meaning unclear.

Brevity may also be the soul of the half-wit .........

...... WOT?

.... you mean this ISN'T "Have a go at Russ day"?

The spoken word is my weapon. Not the written

So is a written word forum the best place to put 15,000 of your musings?

Russ out

[Cap'n Grumpy]

The spoken word is my weapon. Not the written

So is a written word forum the best place to put 15,000 of your musings?

Russ out

He speaks the words to himself as he types them.

[Russ]

Is a physical freak and an exception. Pointing towards George and saying that's how every young player should be handled isn't very good player development.

I think you have totally misread what I wrote

North is a man beset by injuries
Introduced too soon, huge expectations, became a massive draw, signed for a big money club who were always going to overplay him
Always having to turn out for national team

Man is fecked

Your problem Russ is that you DIDN'T write all of that. All you wrote was "George North"

At least when the Bard wrote "brevity is the soul of wit", he wasn't so brief as to leave the meaning unclear.

Brevity may also be the soul of the half-wit .........

...... WOT?

.... you mean this ISN'T "Have a go at Russ day"?

The spoken word is my weapon. Not the written

So is a written word forum the best place to put 15,000 of your musings?

Russ out

I thought I was on a lot more. Posts must have been deleted

Can we get away from russ hating and debating which games in the Midlands to go and see?

[rocky]

This whole thread is rubbish.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

This whole thread is rubbish.

Even your post?

If your post is rubbish, does that mean the thread isn't?

But then if the thread isn't, neither is your post ......