There is always the question looming for the junior coach; do I emphasize core skill development or do I try and make the side a winning combination? I believe that both can be achieved, though it must be primarily through a core skill focus. This will create higher skilled individual players and in time provide a successful formula. Too often junior sides look to pass to the biggest, strongest player and let them do the rest. Whilst this may win a competition, it will ultimately be the downfall of that side. This paper looks at this issue along with coaching implications to ensure that junior sides core skill development is the primary focus and how this can be transferred more efficiently and quickly.