WARRINGTON Wolves are to make overtures to the Rugby Football League to confirm arrangements for a new league next season.

The under 21s competition is set to start in 1999, as a replacement for the Alliance League, and Wolves coach Darryl Van de Velde wants the format settled sooner rather than later.

He says: "The under 21s will apparently be going ahead next year and we'll now move to get some players here.

"But we're not too sure what is happening with the Academy because that decision has not been made.

"It looked like the Academy was going to be under 18s next year but on Tuesday we had a memo saying it might stay at under 19s.

"It is crucial we know now because it all comes into our budgetory considerations for next season.

"And if the Super League games are going to increase to 30 then we need to make sure we get the quality of player here as support for the first team squad.

"Because players of 16 and 17 can't really come up to under 21s. They need another year or so at Academy level.

"So we need the RL to identify exactly what the competition is going to be and I will be making overtures to the RL to come up with the format."

From Warrington's current squad only Will Cowell and Lee Tyman will not be eligible for the Academy team next year if it stays at under 19s.

But it is expected that the likes of John Duffy, David Highton, Phil Finney, Paul Noone and Ben Simpson will make the step up anyway.

A minimum of eight out of the 17 match day players will have to be under 21 to play in the under 21 league next year. This will allow for full-time players not in the Super League team's first 17 to be able to play 80 minutes of football and keep match fit for when injuries occur in the top flight.

But this will be phased down to a minimum of 10 under 21 players in 2000.

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