Bulls can prosper as young talent adds excitement

As it starts its eighth season on Friday, Super League can no longer be regarded as an infant competition, but its health this year and its ultimate outcome could hinge on some of its youngest players.

From the viewpoint of what is best for the game in this country, we should all be seriously considering cheering for Leeds and Wigan, who, of the realistic candidates for success this year, have put the most faith in their kids.

"It's time for all the work that we've put into developing junior players to pay off," says the Leeds chief executive, Gary Hetherington. "We have won the Academy competition seven years on the trot. The difficult part is translating that to first-team level."

Following a controversial winter cull of senior players, the Rhinos will be giving an extended chance this year to Rob Burrow and Danny McGuire at half-back, plus the likes of Ryan Bailey and Richard Mathers, who were among the six Leeds players in the Academy international side who beat the Australian Schoolboys for the first time last November.

These are players earmarked by the Great Britain coach, David Waite, as among his next tranche of full internationals. "They're the nucleus of our team at Leeds for the next seven or eight years," says Hetherington.

Even with the experienced hands Leeds have brought in to guide them, it might be expecting too much for them to come good this season, but the better they perform, the stronger the British game will become.

Wigan's reliance on young talent this year is less a matter of choice than for Leeds. They have finally had to conform to their salary cap and that has meant a series of high-profile departures and no newcomers at the JJB Stadium.

That means that they need outstanding prospects like Sean O'Loughlin, Martin Aspinwall and Luke Robinson to continue to develop and for the next in line, like Gareth Hock – outstanding at loose forward against the young Australians – to make their contribution as well.

Their coach, Stuart Raper, is excited about the emerging talent at the club – and so he should be. "I believe they have what it takes to cut it in Super League," he says. Again, it would be a splendid thing for the health of the game here if he was to be proved resoundingly right.

Leeds and Wigan will not be the only ones putting extra reliance on young players this season. Of the two sides everyone expects to be battling for the title again, Bradford need Richard Moore and/or Rob Parker to step up to fill the hole left by the retirement of Brian McDermott, while St Helens hope that players signed for the future, like Ade Gardner and Jon Wilkin, will start to pay off.

Like Saints, Hull have brought in proven quality and experience, but have marvellous home-grown prospects in Kirk Yeaman and Graeme Horne – the younger brother of the already Test-class Richard Horne – while the London Broncos have their most youthful squad ever. Young British forwards like Tom Haughey, Mark Cox and Jamie Fielden will get their chance in what was once purely Australian territory.

Graham Steadman plans to give Tom Saxton – another to shine against the Aussie Schools – his head at full-back or wing for Castleford and a depleted Halifax will rely more heavily than ever on raw talent like Andrew Brocklehurst and Liam Finn as they try to regroup.

More than any other season, there is fresh, young promise everywhere in Super League VIII, with players like the giant Eorl Crabtree at Huddersfield, the equally imposing David Mills at Widnes and the tackle-bursting Gareth Ellis at Wakefield.

It will not be a team full of kids that wins it – and Bradford and Saints still look to have the best balance of youthful enthusiasm and seasoned know-how – but the new generation will have a big say in the eventual division of the prize-money.

That is how it should be and it is one reason why the new season is more eagerly awaited than most.