Ash Handley is another that could do with a bit of bulking up also slightly. Performed well so far but can't quite give us the same carries from our own line like Hall and Briscoe. If he can add that then Brisxoe really needs an injury free strong year.

Imo it is a mistake giving him the 1 shirt. He will now be judged as our starting fullback by fans and the media and as such has to play to the standard one.
If he was given a 25 shirt or something then he would be allowed a lot more leeway and we could bring him in and out of the team without problems.
But if he doesn't start a game at fullback now it will be seen as him being dropped.

They should have given it to Sutcliffe, because no matter if it is him or Golding playing 1, he will still be in the team at some position regardless.

Think this is the key thing, especially if we can go away to Saints and win first week. Momentum is a great thing in sport and the first 2/3 weeks of 2015 we didn't play overally well but we picked up wins and what followed was 10 wins from the opening 11 and ever improving performances. On the other foot last year of course getting out of the habit of losing was very tough with confidence extremely low and the losses started to get worst and worst.

The main goal for Golding's preseason is to ''Put weight on'' (horses mouth - see vid interview)

What do you mean by he tore it up 'apart from 2015'? Zak would be an even better player if he put some lean mass on. He was found out to a certain extent in the NRL where he was dominated in the tackle to a much greater degree than in Super League.

It's really not nonsense at all. This is what young professional athletes do in order to compete. Ashton himself recently said he needs to add lean mass.

Golding always looked young rather than small to me. I don't think he will have a problem growing in to his body.

Good luck to the lad, very young for a starting fullback and whilst he has always been highly thought of at leeds, this shows just how highly.

I agree. I wish it wasn't the case because I think the size of the players is a big factor behind the amount of injuries, but I agree it's necessary.
Having said that, Leeds are very careful as to when they get the young players to start "bulking up". They generally wait until they're over the age of 19.

Yep, it's definitely something that they've got to manage well, and I think Leeds do generally, Stevie Ward and Liam Sutcliffe being good recent examples despite both having serious injuries.

I don't want to derail a thread I started but where does this leave us for goal kicking. If Golding is to get a start at 1 surely Lilley, Sutcliffe or Aston have to play the 80?

Kallum Watkins kicker extraordinaire

Can't see Sutcliffe out of the 13 so it'll either be

1 - Golding - 6 - McGuire - 7 - Sutcliffe with Burrow on the bench

Or

1 - Sutcliffe - 6 - McGuire - 7 - Burrow
Whether he'd then put Golding on the bench who knows but I don't think just because he's got the 1 shirt it's a guarantee he'll be first choice when the season starts as I think part of the reason he got it is because Sutcliffe will be given either the 6 or 7 shirt in the near future.

I'd have thought with Golding in at 1, Sutcliffe is probably pencilled in in the halves next to a hopefully fit McGuire.

Does Aston kick goals? Obviously Lilley does but might not be first choice 17. Beyond that I suppose Watkins is the emergency option.

pretty sure the article I read about us signing Aston said he was a "prolific goal kicker" ? Maybe a dreamed it.

This is from the Rhinos website

The Sheffield-born scrum half has played 69 games for the Eagles in the Championship since making his debut back in 2013 as an 18-year-old. He has amassed an impressive 31 tries and was part of the Sheffield side which reached the Qualifiers in 2015. He is also a talented goal kicker having kicked 93 goals for the Eagles last season.

It's fair to say he can kick a goal.

Fair do's I'd only seen him play a couple of times in the middle 8s and always thought Brambani kicked goals when he was at Sheffield.

Still unlikely to start the season as first choice so I'd have thought Sutty is the front runner for goal kicking duties.

Yep agreed, which would point to Sutty n Mags in the halves, which is still a better option the Mags n Burrow imo.

If Aston can do the basics well, organise, give us Some direction and kick goals this could be a pretty shrewd move.