Flip your last paragraph around, thats your take on the people in charge

Well Golding of course is currently the preferred choice as he has earned the No1 shirt with his performances last year in an understrength and out of form team which he followed up this year with reliable solid displays until his injury. This season Walker has shown his own skills to great effect in a much more confident team who are playing well.

But a handful of promising displays is not enough to command the first team fullback spot now and if Walker does not like the idea of having to compete with other talent to earn the shirt then he is showing a character flaw which is just as well to have been exposed now.

As you say Gale was unlikley to replace Sinfield, McGuire or Burrow because in those days he simply was not in their class. He has developed his game to his and his coaches great credit but has only become one of the best players in SL in recent times and in part due to the dearth of talent at halfback.

What surprises me about Walker is that he is rejecting the chance to play as a 6 where he could be a huge success. There is such a shortage of class in the halves that someone with his ability could rapidly become an international at a young age.

Leeds have given Golding a 5 year contract - that would suggest the club see Golding as the long term option at FB. That is all Walker has said - he sees FB as his best position - and the club have nailed their colours to the mast in Golding. The club would have serious egg on their face if they replaced Golding with Walker - it simply will not happen. So Walker is doing the right thing for him because the coach has shown how stubborn he is and that has/will affect the opportunities afforded to young players.

With regards to Gale - he could have developed quicker if he had ever got the chance - it was never going to happen and that can happen to young players.

I actually see Walker as a very classy centre but there you go.

Another thread taken over by Laurel and Hardy I see!

Gale will be exposed for the mediocre half back he really is when/if he gets to play against some decent opposition in the World Cup.

Hoping for an improvement from last autumns series, but he is in the top 2 HB options available to England

The only reasons I could see Leeds releasing the statement is to inform supporters that they had tried their best to retain a big talent or to act as a tactic to push Walker into signing a contract for Leeds.

I have nothing against Golding: he tries really hard and he is good defensively and I would be willing to give him this season and next season to prove himself but until he improves his attack then he is just an average SL player.

Walker is 17, by the time Golding's contract expires he will still only be 21.

These are the words said by Leeds Rhinos. [i“We offered Jack a full-time contract two months ago when he completed his studies at Leeds City College. We revisited it again last week because the lack of a commitment from Jack was becoming an issue within the squad and also affecting our planning for the future.

“This is obviously disappointing for us and unusual too as I cannot think of any other player to turn down a promotion to the Rhinos first-team squad from our Academy during my time at the club. Several of our senior players have spoken with Jack and I have personally met with him, his girlfriend and family to discuss the matter.”

“However, Jack has made it clear that he wishes to only be considered for one position and has requested assurances that are never given to any player, irrespective of age and ability”, [/i Gary Heatherington

[i“As a club we have a proud record for over 20 years of developing and rewarding our young talented players.

“So much of our club is built on the foundation nurtured through our academy. We recently announced that two such players, Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow, will bring down the curtain on their Rhinos careers after 15 glorious years. The nature of our sport has meant that some players have also left the club during that period to seek better terms for themselves at other clubs whether that is a starting position or financial reward. Clearly on each occasion that has been disappointing but has enabled us to reward those who want to take the club forward and be successful at the Rhinos.”[/i Brian McDermott.

Your hypothetical statement is pretty much a paraphrasing of what the club actually said. I can't see a meaningful difference between what the club said and what you think they should have said.

Don't we tend use ex pats or players with an England heritage playing in Australia rather than anyone plying their trade in Super League these days?

Are you suggesting he waits 4 years so that potentially an opportunity might arise - seriously?

McDermott's press conference pre-Wigan was impressive IMO. Tellingly, he said when he became coach GH said to him don't worry about trying to bring academy players through in equal numbers across positions- don't worry if you get 5 half backs - just sign good players. It was a pretty clear message to walker/Golding that they will find a spot if they are good enough. It's not Golding v walker. At moment I reckon Liam Sutcliffe is a better FB shout.

As many others have said golding's defence has been good but in attack he seems to be still adjusting to the pace of super league. He has shown class in the past at international level, I remember James Graham raving about him v Aussies.

It's in there. Getting that first try might just get him going.

Some of the talk on here is disrespectful to Ash Golding
IMO Ash Golding has still got plenty of improvement to come in his game, especially in attack so lets not write the guy off yet guys

I would love Walker to stay at the club and I'm sure that if he did that there would be a place for both just as there always has been for players competing for similar positions like Sinny, Magsy and Burrow

We also had Webb and Zak in the same side together despite both being out and out FB's

not the point, if he was good enough he would soon claim the spot, i find i hard to believe you and gotcha are leeds fans, do the decent thing like william and foxtrot oscar