i have read this thread with great intrest. Do you really believe Reece Bailey could play at this level does he have the desire to want to train hard to be good enough to play at thei level. Sean Richards is a different story i believe he is without doubt the best local player Doncaster have produced for many years. What is he up to these days?

Sean Richards plays for Toll Bar U18's and also I believe he is with Hull KR reserves?

I m not as knowledgeable as many of the people contributing to this thread, but over the years I have heard of & met quite a few young Donny reserves that have gone to play for other clubs after the many different forms of Dons management have messed them about or that we have never had a consistent approach to youth development lasting more than 2 years.



Likewise it is quite depressing to go around Doncaster trying to promote the Dons and even after more than 50 years the majority of people you meet ask if we play at Armthorpe!

Quite agree with you, this must be a future priority of the current management through forming of an open partnership between the amateur clubs in Doncaster and the Dons management to offer a clear pathway for future local players.

its ok saying there a good squad of youngsters but how they going to develop theres no one there to bring them on no old heads and im sorry but dont tony will develop them and bring out the potential and lets say im wrong and 1 or 2 turn out to be greats then they will leave and where back to square 1!!

we will not be back to square on because we may get some money for them eg Gale to Harlequins.

Did we get any fee for Gale I thought he was on loan to the Dons?

Yes , we did , he signed for Dons before he went to London .

Gargoyle, yes there are good players in Donny but the standard of rugby played by most clubs is below the standard required to turn out as a pro,even at this level.I have recently joined the coaching staff along with a very good conditioner from Wigan and i can assure you that over the last three weeks the lads have trained their butts off three nights a week,as well as their own training.I can assure you that all the lads want to play here,with losing money most of the lads are worse off by the time you take away travel costs.Its time to face facts that the club has no money ,Tony is doing the best he can with the money available. Myself and the conditiner (who travels from Wigan ) are not being paid by the club,we are doing this to help out Tony and the club we all love. It is very easy for fans to call for the coach to be sacked,but the players also have a responsibility to play with pride and passion for the shirt.This is a very young side that has been brought together on a nothing budget,the spirit in the team is first class and i believe it is only a matter of time before we click.

Thanks for that insight chunkster . Keep up the good work .

When they do click.....which they will..... the first decent club we beat will have carte blanche to cherry pick our best players......and what will make them want to stop at Donny?

I really wish we could keep this side for the entire season and watch them develop into good players.....but we can't seem to keep anyone decent when we are always skint.

It's a catch 22 situation.

We can't keep a good crowd because we can't keep a good team.

It seems like ages since we had a settled side.



Still let's get a win against Blackpool or York first.

The players are registered with us.



If more fans donot back the club , we maynot have a club . Its not rocket science.



COYD