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

Perhaps he's intimating that Walker could stay and fight for the shirt like a professional should.

No, im saying that as of right now, When Walker is 21, we dont have a fullback signed up. If Walker is good enough, over the next 4 years, whilst he is learning and developing, he can take the No.1 shirt.

Walkers argument rests on three points,
1) That Goldings contract blocks his progression for a significant portion of his career. It doesnt. When Goldings Contract expires Walker will still be a young fullback. Walker will be 21 when Goldings contract expires. At 21 Sam Tomkins wore the number 6 and Zak Hardaker no. 4.
2) That having another fullback on the books means Walker wont get the first team games, which is ludicrous because no side worth playing for are going to go into a season with a 17/18/19/20 year old fullback and no decent. competent cover.
3) that playing in other positions will be a negative to his development as a fullback, which is also ludicrous when we consider the overlap of skills, the transferable skills, between half and fullback, not to mention the value of a fullback able to operate as a third pivot.

Bet your wife hates you.......talking sense and all that.

I would say 4 years out of 15 is a big chunk of your career

Leeds had Golding who else was the cover and don't say Sutcliffe? There has to be reason Leeds have given Golding a five year contract and the number 1 shirt and that cannot be ignored. As I have said the club would be serious egg on their face if they suddenly said Walker your now our FB - also that would be grossly unfair on Golding.

I would agree with the last point - maybe he just doesn't want to be shoe horned into a position that suits the club and not him?

Lets not forget that realistically Leeds will have planned for Hardaker being the No1. This idea that Leeds have invested everything in Golding being the Fullback for the next decade simply isnt true. Goldings promotion to the No1 shirt was in a response to Hardaker being Hardaker and Goldings performances, and again lets not forget that Golding had already played on the wing and in the halves.

And Leeds have never been shy to move on when a youngster stakes a claim. Brent Webb was moved on for Hardaker, Senior went when Watkins was ready, Donald went when BJB was ready, Smith was moved in to the centres when Hall took his place,

What were Leeds meant to do with the number 1 shirt? Keep it vacant because there's a promising 17 year old in the academy. Poor excuse to blame not signing on that.

Didn't Golding play 6 and Walker 1 against Wigan, or did I miss that? I wouldn't be that surprised if Golding rather than Walker ends up in the halves if both stay anyway.

If Walker plays well enough at full back, I would have thought he'd take over the spot. What is a bit odd is at 17 assuming a particular position is where you'll end up. Apart from wingers and out and out halfbacks, most players will move around a bit before settling on their best position. Even then as they develop that will also change over time.

No not at all - If Hardaker had behaved himself then neither of them would have had a sniff at the FB shirt.

The point is Leeds have given Golding the No 1 shirt and a 5 year contract, that would suggest - rightly or wrongly - that the preferred option at FB for Leeds is Golding. If you think Golding is a pretty good player then you must conclude that options in that position are limited.

I have said before Walker looks like a natural centre to me but there you go.

They think he's a good player and see his future at Leeds, currently holding the number 1 though is no guarantee he'll keep it or play elsewhere. Hardaker was given the number 4 shirt only to get the number 1 shirt a year later. I reckon Moon will keep the 4 shirt next year but will play in the halves again, at least at the start of the season. Leeds never changed Sinfield and Burrow's shirt numbers even though Sinfield hardly played loose in his last 5 years and likewise Burrow was mostly hooker.

The shirt number is not the issue - Sinfield played the same role in controlling the game from 2003.

If Golding is the club's view of what the FB will look like - not a bad option let's be honest - then for Walker that suggests his first team opportunities in that position will be limited.

I get where everyone is coming from but I think there is one thing that needs to be considered.

Supporters are passionate about the club and expect the players to be the same. To a player this is a job - end of. Why do so many supporters expect players to be more loyal to the club than they are to their employers - its so myopic?

Supporters give the club a work status that isn't justified and cannot understand why players don't have the same opinion.

In the real world what would you do if the opportunities to progress your career with your current employer didn't match your expectations? You would go and find another job and seldom ever think the firm you left.

I hope Walker stays because he is the most talented youngster to come through the academy since Watkins but I can also rid myself of the Leeds Rhinos bias and see from the other side.

as someone who's self employed I agree to a certain extent. whilst not being mercenary you go where the best opportunities lie. I rate golding , always have, but I think walker could be an exceptional talent and I really hope he stays. golding
golding at 6? he doesn't have the passing game for a full back let alone half back. but i'd let him have Briscoes spot. bulk up a little and I think he'd be great. it would give him time to learn the game in a less pressured role too

This is how I feel regarding Golding. There's no doubt he will be a decent super league player. But for me I'm unconvinced he has was it takes to be a top full back. And I've always thought that about him, nothing to do with walker. My opinion wavered slightly at the start of this season when he had a few good games defensively, but to me he looks lightweight and little slower than other attacking fullbacks. Maybe this is just me. He never breaks the line, has no passing or kicking game, not even scored a try this year.
And certainly haven't seen anything whatsoever to suggest he'll make a half, and don't know why so many people keep suggesting this.

BUT I know he's young and would love to be proved wrong.

I think something you can't fault with Golding is his attitude. I too would give him briscoe's shirt and tell him to bulk up a bit. Give him chance to learn and grow as a SL player.

I'm sure he will make a success of himself, I personal just don't see it at full back

If the shirt number isn't an issue then stop bringing it up because you're the one highlighting it.

If Wigan had a space at FB you could understand with how they play youngsters, if Hardaker was leaving Cas and they had a spot you could understand with how they're performing. But the clubs we're hearing about are Warrington and Leigh.....do you really think it's showing ambition to go to either of those?

Thing is his ambitions are to be a starting FB, that could very well happen, Leeds are just not making him any promises. If other clubs are making promises to play him only at FB then they're making him a promise they surely can't be certain they keep.

Like mentioned previously you said McDermott wouldn't stand for such a thing, do you honestly think Tony Smith will have a 17 year old telling him he'll only play one position and he'd be fine with that? He'd have to be lying to Walker to promise him that.

I think Leeds fans understood BJB leaving as he lost his first team spot. Walker hasn't even given it a go to cement a first team spot against another FB that most think he could displace.....certainly better chance than displacing Ratchford at Warrington.

I rate Walker as a player.....so far. If all that he's saying is true and not the words of his agent, I'd say that his attitude isn't good. Not being willing to fight for a shirt, seems to lack a bit of fibre. In a tough sport.....that's weak. His words suggest he's only willing to be at a club that will give him the 1 spot regardless of other factors.

His attitude stinks. He's a 17 year old pipsqueek, to be making proclamations about where you see your best position and what opportunities you'll have is madness.

Early 20's when you've actually played first team week in week out for a season or more in the position and gained experience but now your path is blocked? Sure, I think everyone gets that.

Furthermore, it seems playing different positions can be a useful part of a young players development, it allows them to gain instincts and understanding of the game from different angles, that they may not otherwise get.

If walker isn't humble or open minded enough to take on new ideas does he have the mentality to become a top player?

I'd say that's a bit harsh on Walker Flex. Whilst none of us were party to the discussions between the club and Walker, all we can say for sure is that Walker is worried by the long contract offered to Golding and the impact it might have on his ability to play full back.

We don't know how strongly this was really put, but the club's reaction suggests that Walker or his agent went a bit too far in pushing the fullback issue.

What might make all this a bit different is if GH/BM have told him they see him as a halfback rather than fullback and intend to play him there and not at fullback. That's different from them saying that he'd have to fight for his place at full back. But given in the latest game he played fullback and Golding 6, that would seem a bit unlikely

As for Golding, this is all hugely unfair on him. If he doesn't star every game this year people will compare him unfavourably to Walker. That will happen next year as well if Walker leaves, and yet Golding's a tyro too.

Re Golding as a player, he could pass as a junior from what I saw. Why he isn't now I have no idea. Then again Hardaker barely did either at Leeds and look at him now.

That was the point I made some weeks ago now.
The amount of "supporters" having a go at Hardaker for not being able to pass the ball or join the attacking line are probably the same ones saying the same about Golding now.
Golding like Hardaker worked hard on his defence.
Hardaker now is being coached to use his attacking flair something he had at Fev in his early days.
Maybe if Golding played for Cas he could do the same.
I like Walker and think he has bags of potential.
For me he needs to stay at Leeds for a couple more seasons.
However I do think GH was wrong to comment on a private discussion with Walker even if it was to pacify some of the fans.

And Walker and his agent were wrong to let these private discussions leak out. The club deserve more respect than for stories to be spread around the fan base making them out to be the bad guys (AGAIN)

Probably some lessons to be learned from both sides.
Agents however will do all they can to put their clients in the public eye and tout their services.
I can see why Leeds felt they did what they did but for me it still doesn`t make it right imo.