Hi Guys. I don't know why this popped into my head earlier today, but now its got me wondering. Many years ago probably more than 10 years to be fair I remember Wigan being in all the papers for signing an eleven or twelve year old lad - there was a lot of press interest in it. Who was this lad and is he still playing etc?

wigan have done this for years. I was at school when Ricky Bibey signed for wigan aged 12 and that was 20 years ago.

It may have been Darryl Lacey, wigan signedd him from Blackbrook I think, he was about 12 or 13 and "the next Ellery Hanley". He didnt make it at wigan and was playing semi pro the last i heard of him, but I could be wrong.

That was the player I thought of.

www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 30304.html

www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 30304.html

The headline was 'DASHING DARYL" although I had Daryl Cardiss in my head rather than Lacey.

played against a keiron LAcey from there, he was a good player too

Yeah, remember this. Ridiculous signing.
My eldest lad is 12 and to predict which players will make it (to the highest level) at that age would be difficult at best - if not impossible.

It's all changed now due to the academy and scholarship systems.

I agree. Just as ridiculous as signing Andy Powell.....

I remember him turning up in a limo to the presentation evening around then, he was a few years older than me and had a beard, the sign of a good amatuer player

He went to Blackbrook in a limo?