THESE may be hugely uncertain times for the Bulls but, reassuringly, some things don’t change.

As the dust settles on the bombshell announcement that next year will be spent at Dewsbury not Odsal, the club’s determination to nurture their own talent remains undimmed.

In the week that Andrew Chalmers revealed the big move, the Bulls also unveiled their latest batch of scholars stepping up to sign pro deals.

Jaden Barraclough, Jayden Wright, Marcus Green, Sam Arundel, Nehemiah Mensah and Jacob Beety will all feature in Leigh Beattie’s under-18s next year.

It is the next stage on the production line that continues to run as smoothly as ever, whatever the politics swirling around the club.

“It doesn’t really matter to us what happens,” said Beattie, who succeeded John Bastian as head of youth development earlier in the season.

“We’re still training at Tong and will probably play our games at Dudley Hill to start with as we have done this year.

“We’ll just deal with it and get on with it. They are a good bunch who just come in and get stuck in to whatever we do.”

The plan for next year is to push the older ones in the under-19s to play in the reserves. The current 16 age group will step up to the under-18s.

“We’ll have two good squads and I’m looking forward to that,” added Beattie.

“The reserves is a good pathway and it’s what the comp needs. Rugby league has wasted too much talent.

“The reserves will fill that gap so these late developers will slot nicely into that and maybe kick on in first-team football, whether it’s at Bradford or somewhere else.

“There’s a few throughout the game who have been lost to it. But hopefully this will get them back on track and we’ll see some good rugby next year in the reserves.

“It will do the game good and our lads will embrace the challenge.”

The long-serving stalwart, who will continue coaching the academy side in next season's revamped structure, has been grateful for support from the likes of Andy Kelly at Huddersfield and Paul Medley as he settles into his new role.

“It’s all very tight-knit and we help each other. We’re all in it to develop kids for the game.

“We’re not overly staffed at the club but we don’t need to be because we work hard together. I love it.

“It’s not just the coaching, sometimes you’ve got to look after the lads off the field as well.

“It can be quite tough on them. Training can be demanding mentally and they want to go off and work and earn some money.

“You’ve got to deal with the workload, training and the playing. The younger ones have to deal with the exams, so we tend to give them the month off to concentrate on that.

“We don’t put any pressure on them. Our philosophy is that if you look after them off the field, they’ll play for you on it.”

It’s that opportunity to mould youngsters from boys to men, both as players and individuals, that has always appealed to Beattie. The club remain proud of their reputation within the game for bringing young players through and blooding them on the big stage.

Matty Storton’s progression in the Championship this season underlines John Kear’s commitment to giving the new breed their chance.

Beattie added: “John has really bought into our academy. The lads can see they get that shot in the first team.

“They know the pathway isn’t blocked by big massive signings. They know they’ve got a good chance of playing and that’s good for the club.

“Matty has fully deserved his chance. He’s a great player and there are plenty more coming through the system as well.

“The whole club ethos is to promote our youth. It’s the same with Andrew (Chalmers) and Russ (MacFarlane).

“We don’t always get the cream of the crop with the bigger clubs in the area. But we get some good feedback from parents, which is always nice to hear.

“There’s a lot of investment in the youth and planning for years ahead. We’ll just keep working hard to develop these kids to play in the first team – that’s our goal.

“It’s something I’m passionate about.

“It’s a pleasure sometimes to see you’ve been a part in their development and turning them into young men. It’s quite rewarding.”