By Dave Woods BBC Sport

Wakefield coach Peter Roe wants a return of the A team - not the cult 1980's American TV show, but the reserve grade rugby league that was scrapped before the start of this season.

Before this year most clubs ran a second team, as a back up to the senior squad.

But the Alliance sides were scrapped as being too costly and replaced with U17 and U19 grades.

But Roe is one of a growing number of coaches who believes the change around has done more harm than good.

Peter Roe wants to see the A team back

"I understand that the A teams were often a resting place for the 'has beens' and the 'never will bes' and the clubs were paying out a lot of money, but we haven't got the perfect solution," said Roe.

"We need to bring back a form of reserve grade football that doesn't restrict people for age.

"With the senior academy (U19s), you're only allowed to play three players up to the age of 20 -21.

"If you've got four or five players tipping 21, only three of those would be allowed to play on a regular basis and two have to miss out, that's a great pity."

The new system does not allow for players returning from injury to regain their fitness in reserve rugby, before stepping back into top-flight rugby league.

"Take Neil Law, for example," said Roe. "He'd been out for eight weeks and needed reserve grade games to get his match fitness back.

"But we weren't allowed that luxury before he had to go into a game against St Helens."