Don't know why people keep trying to shove sutcliffe into loose forward, he is a stand off, and especially nowadays when the loose is an out an out extra prop/forward. Lilley and sutcliffe will be halves in a few years and unless Hardaker ventures to the NRL in next 2-3 years Golding will have to move elsewhere.

If the loose is now an out and out extra prop where does that leave Ward and Cam Smith then?

I hope we don't lose Golding: the club does also seem to have that opinion also. They are doing their best to keep him content.

Salford!

Can't see why we would want him, a downgrade on what we already have

Totally disagree, he has blistering speed, the speed of a young Mags, something that cannot be coached. Personally at the same age Brierley has a better passing and kicking game than McGuire did.

And I love Danny Mags. Mags memorabilia owner.

He is a player we should 100% take a punt on.

In a month Brierley will be 24.

By the time Mcguire was 24, he had won a grand finals, played in 2, won an LLS, a WCC, played in challenge cup final, for GB, had 6 years of SL experience and appeared in 2 SL dream teams.

Ryan Brierley has yet to play an SL game.

The game has also changed significantly since then. Players are becoming established in first teams at a much later stage and age than they were. In fact IIRC the NRL are bringing in (or seriously considering it) a minimum age for NRL players.

You're unlikely to get players with that kind of experience at that age again due to the physicality of the game.

I also don't think comparing Brierley to a 24 year old McGuire is the best option. Its more helpful to compare him to who the other contenders for a half back place at Leeds are. In this case Sutcliffe, Lilley and possibly Golding.

Against them he stacks up pretty well and also being a few years older may be a help rather than a hindrance. Especially as the retirement age for players has shot up in recent years due to Leeds top notch conditioning and physio teams. You could easily get 10 years out of a 24 year old Brierley.

For me it's who partners Sutcliffe and that all depends on what the plan is with Golding & Lilley. Lilley especially looks good to me but then obviously the coaching staff know much much more and it will depend on their view of those players potential progression.

If they don't think there's a place for them, it'd be a shame but I'd be happy with us signing Brierley as a halfback.
If they're happy with Lilley and/or Golding then I've seen enough of them to suggest they're not unworthy of a shot so I'd be happy with that too.

Seeing as we're making predictions, if there are no vacancies in the back line there's no reason Golding can't develop into the Burrow role - an impact player at half and hooker. Something for Nantwich to think about...

are they becoming established at a much later stage? Most top players are still making their debuts at 18/19 and becoming regulars before 21.
Really? that really doesnt seem to be true, Kallum Watkins is 24, has 7 years of SL experience, has 2 LLS, 2 GFs (would be more but for injury) 2 challenge cups, a WCC and England caps. Zak Hardaker is 24 (and wont be 25 until the end of the year) he has 3 GFs, an LLS, 2 CCs, a WCC and is Man of Steel.

Tom Briscoe made his hull debut at 18, Ryan Hall at 19, Burrow, McGuire, JJB all 18, Sinfield and Watkins 16, Stevie Ward is 22 and by the time he turns 23 will have 5 years of SL experience behind him, Ash Handley played at 18, as did Baldwinson. Jimmy Keinhorst was an RU player and he still made his SL debut 3 years before Brierley would.

and those three will all have more SL experience than Brierley, all played in SL at 18. For the champions. An age at which Brierley couldnt even get some garbage time at Cas.

Brierley has achieved nothing in his career that should put him ahead of either Golding, or Lilley, or even the next cohort to come through.

Even the notorious late starter JP was playing for England in a world cup at 22, Kyle Amor was an SL player at 23, Hell Danny Brough had won a challenge cup at 22.

The idea that we can pick up a lower league player at 25 (which he will be next year) and he will become a top SL half for a decade is unheard of.

I think Golding needs to go out on loan somewhere and play HB and see how he goes before people start pencilling him in as a starting HB for a top 4 team.

The same does not hold true for half backs. They require more composure and more experience than a second rower for example who can just "do lots of work".

I don't know why you're so against Brierley just because he's 23. I'd suggest that Brierley's 90 odd games against men stack up well against the handful of games Lilley and Golding have had. Especially Golding who has played at full back during his few games and not at half back.

I can understand if you don't think he's good enough and that Golding and/or Lilley will end up better than him at halfback. That's a subjective opinion and one that personally I honestly can't decide.
But to say somehow Golding and Lilley's few SL games put them (and even a hypothetical academy player who has yet to debut) "ahead" of him is rather silly.

As for his age, if Leeds were to sign him Brierley would be the 4th (out of 24) youngest first choice half back in SL. Behind only Williams, Miller & Sutcliffe.
It would also make Leeds halves the youngest in the league by a mile. At an average (2016 ages) age of just 22.
The next youngest half back pairing being Wigan at 25 with Smith & Williams.
The average across the league is 28.
Ironically, even this year with McGuire & Sutcliffe we'll be below average.

As I said, I'm not particularly advocating one player over another, it depends how Lilley/Golding's development goes, but to write Brierley off because he's 24 is a bit silly given he's got what most academy coaches would love to give their halves, lots of games against adults in a decent team in a decent competition.
See Chris Hill.

I'd say that's a reasonable summary of any potential signing of Brierly.........does look however that you've angered "The Chief Guardian of Acceptable Opinions"

the same does hold true for halves. We have 5 halves at the club. Lilley Golding McGuire Sutcliffe and Burrow. All had played SL before their 19th birthday. Of those older than 20, all were regulars by twenty

Brierley has zero SL experience. He has played 90 odd games at semi pro level largely against semi pro players.

it is rather silly to think a player who has never played SL is ahead of one who had

and how many of those other 20 are 3 or 4 years in to their pro careers? Brierley is 24 in a couple of months, he will be 25 by next season when he would move to Leeds. He would then be playing his first year of SL gaining his first pro experience. He is way behind his cohort, he is way behind younger cohorts. For him to step up at 25 would be unheard of. For him to do it for a top 4 team would be unbelievable

Chris Hill may have been 24 when he moved to wire but he still had a year of SL under his belt.

Brierley has been out of academy level for 6 years and will have been 7 by the time he supposedly moves to Leeds. And every other half in the league has lots of games against adults in a better team in a better competition by his age because they had stepped up to first grade.

If this isn't such a crazy idea give me an example of a half who plays his first pro game at 25 and goes on to have a successful career? Give me an example of a half playing now who by 23 hadn't played 2 or 3 years of regular SL rugby?