Very good mark, but this forum isnt =#0000FF<removed> Farcebook



good point about the halves if rangi & shifty get crocked, be a miracle if sherwin goes through the season without injury



We havent got a stop gap half back between the two above and brierley if T.M doesnt think he's ready.

Id have a look in the lower leagues for one as money appears tight.

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- Bonzo

Money is always tight at Cas - I am having a rosy tinted spec's day!

Brierly will never be ready if we don't try!

I watched Brierly on Boxing Day and he will not be ready this year, He only played 15 mins against there 20's and looked lacking of ideas and his physical strength was very lacking, although his first two kicks caused problems

I concur, looks way too sleight to be handling SL atm, if we have a crisis at half back, get somebody in who can do the job and has experience of SL. Throwing Brierly in against the likes of Leeds or Saints will imo hinder his progress rather than enhance it. Use him sparingly against the 'lesser' teams and, hopefully, easy cup games, there is no big rush, he is a young lad with plenty of time to 'beef' up and get game time under his belt.

Ryan McGoldric's best position is 13 imo,he needs a liscence to roam and cause havoc and where better than there

It'll need a big change in his game to make that stick, I don't think he's a loose personally.
Our game is more geared up to play three back rowers as opposed to a 'proper' loose forward, so unless Goldy wants 30-35 tackles and no misses per game and to start running some hard yakker in, it's not for him - just like steady couldn't decide what to do with Mellor so pushed him into the back row for a few games with mediocre results.
He's either start at centre, or on the bench for me as I said before.

well said!

I had thought McGoldrick was brought over here to play in the centres ? At times as a full back he has looked a bit dodgy. Put him in the centres and Owen at full back.

=#8000FFTrouble is he can't tackle so loose forward is no good and there's a certain JOE WESTERMAN who already plays there and is 4 times the player McGoldrick ever will be, it's about time people realise McGoldrick isn't good enough to make the starting 13 and he would be lucky to make the bench if Matterson had at least half a brain.

It's a sign of the times when we have signed a bloke on a four year contract and he doesn't have a position. His name is probably first on the team sheet, but not in a position. Other players are then picked to suit fitting him in - somewhere.

What are his strengths and weaknesses ?

For me, a bench player. This year we will have pretty much zero impact players on the bench. Jackson, Higgins, Clayton etc are not gonna come on and change a game. He may do.

Certainly on the bench for me. RM is one of those rare players who always changes a game when he comes on the pitch - either for better or for worse

He's also a rare utility player, which will also help when we've got such a small squad

I agree the bench should be an option for mcgoldrick,bringing him on after 20-25 mins to exploit gaps in opposition defense's
might work, thing is still where would he play when he came on?..rest hudson,rangi to hooker? the back row?

id still like to see him have a run in the centre's

Mcgoldrick is a stand off imo,and he's a very talented player without doubt.
He may have to play elsewhere though to accommodate the rest of your squad

I think that statement renders any opinions you have on players on other threads obsolete.

I disagree - he's not consistent enough nor does he have the kicking game to be a regular stand off. He's much more a utility player who is dangerous when slotting into the attacking line i.e. from loose or fullback.

Agree completely, you are entitled to your opinion but I doubt very much even Ryan himself would refer to himself as a very talented stand-off.
If you want to see the best of him - forget the recent past and go back to what made him a code switch target and what made us have to fight off and Aus club twice to sign and retain him originally - a talented centre.

Exactly, his best position is fullback, whether he is our best fullback is another matter.

I guess it depends on what's happening in the game, if nothing much he could come into the back row. But he can also cover full back, stand off and centre in case of injuries, and if we had a winger injured Richie could move in there putting RM to full back.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully though his lack of having a position he is first choice for will inspire him to perform more when he gets a shot on the field though

=#8000FFThat just shows how bad he really is, a full back should be able to tackle, catch and organise the line in front of him - McGoldrick does none of these.

Of course he can tackle, maybe not as well as some but he saved a few tries with his tackling, whats more he he has got alot better under the highball than he was, far better than plat ever was for instance, he dropped a few high balls but so did, wellens, webb, greenshields, hodgeson etc.

There are two styles of fullbacks those who are solid reliable players good under the highball, and those who are good at chiming into the line and acting like an extra halfback. Mcgoldrick falls into the latter catagory, he had a mare when played at hb last season but at the start of the season he did a very good job for us at fb, which seems to have become forgotten as its become 'fashionable' to bash mcgoldrick.

Play Owen at FB. He is better defensively, makes more yards on kick returns, has lots of pace and the potential to mature into an outstanding player. Moreover, Richie sees this as his position and he wants to play there. If we seriously want to keep him at the club in the future, I think we need to be playing him at FB and showing him that is where we see him fitting into the team for the future.

McGoldrick should be given a chance at centre, as so many have said, that's where he made his name. Personally, for his defensive work alone I would be keen to keep Evans in the first team, but let the two of them compete for the spot (as the other centre is most definately taken!).

I think the point will be moot at the start of the season anyway, with dixon out we will need owen on one of the wings.

I wonder if someone like Jordan Thompson will get a run out if Dixon is injured?

Does anyone know when Dixon is due back??

I feel he will be a big miss for the team, as he was one of our best performers last year.

That would be unfortunate because I feel he's wasted there. He comes into his own at the back and he is the best fullback that we have.


Why not? It's about time he was given a shot.