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Adam Joins Elite For Academy Showpiece

Adam Coulson, one of the many stars of the Academy side this season, is one of only five first division youngsters selected for the West v East Academy clash next week at the Auto Quest Stadium, Widnes.

Twelve players from Wigan and eight from St Helens are in the party, along with three from Leigh, two from Warrington, and one each from Barrow and Salford.

Adam has caught the eye of the selectors during the Academy side's successful season which saw them finish as runners-up in division one.

"He's in elite company and I'm very pleased for him," said Workington Academy manager Keith Singleton.

"He's a big lad with pace and strength from full-back, which I think is his best position.

"He's not a kicker but is at his best from broken field play, a Paul Wellens type who makes ground with the ball in hand."

Coulson's confidence suffered on his only first-team appearance last year, a baptism of fire at Leigh when an under-strength Town were beaten 70-0.

"He's won back his confidence and you can see the difference," Singleton added. "He's recovered his thirst for the game, and this selection will help further. It's a confidence game, after all."

Hull have eight players in the Yorkshire squad with six from Bradford, five from Huddersfield and three Leeds Rhinos.

The game will be a curtain-raiser to the Super League v NFP U-21 match in which Carl Sice and Owen Williamson will play. This match will be a trial for the forthcoming England U-21 tour to South Africa.

APC meets at last

Report by Mike McCallig. Compiled from various unofficial sources.

The long awaited meeting of the Association of Premiership Clubs finally happened on Friday at Dewsbury. The decisions were made which will mould next season's rugby league action.

The APC will be recommending to the Strategic Planning Committee that the 2001 - 2002 season is played as one division with the addition of a National League Cup competition.

It is believed the NFP decided to continue with an unsplit division after news that Super League would not be cut down to 10 teams next year following Super League agreeing to continue with 12 teams in Season 2002 and 2003 which is the remaining period of the current main broadcast contract.

APC delegates debated the possibility of splitting into a two division system but opted to remain with the existing Premiership format with 19 teams competing over 28 games though teams will not play everyone twice. They also agreed to the addition of a new mid-season Cup competition.

It has been reported that the APC members supported the principle of restructuring the competitions but, without the reduction in Super League membership, they felt that splitting the 19-team competition would not be viable.

Featherstone Rovers Director Richard Evans, a member of the Strategic Planning Football Focus Group, has been mandated to take the APC's recommendation to the Committee's meeting on Tuesday, the day before a key meeting of the Rugby League Council in Leeds.

The new season is set to start in December and finish next September to bring it in line with Super League and unify the game as a summer sport. The NFP season will be split mid-season by the new National League Cup competition.

The proposal to introduce a National League Cup was recommended because the APC felt that it was important to have another competition available besides the league and Challenge Cup tournaments to clubs outside the Tetley's Super League.

It is also believed that all clubs will abandon their Alliance teams in favour of an extended Academy system, which will permit a limited number of under 21's, running alongside an under 16's team. This demise of 31 Alliance teams will result in a large influx of quality younger players from Super League clubs searching for clubs, most likely within the NFP.