Dobby wrote:The week after at home Tim Smith let in 3 tries, Goulding was made the scapegoat by Noble and Tim Smith lovers on RLfans and was dropped and barely got the chance again.
I remember that and he certainly was the scape goat. Highlighted Noble's failing as a coach to a tee.
However there is a question mark over him at centre because if he is a natural why didn't he win a place over JT last season who definitely wasn't a natural in that position?
Dobby wrote:The week after at home Tim Smith let in 3 tries, Goulding was made the scapegoat by Noble and Tim Smith lovers on RLfans and was dropped and barely got the chance again.
I remember that and he certainly was the scape goat. Highlighted Noble's failing as a coach to a tee.
However there is a question mark over him at centre because if he is a natural why didn't he win a place over JT last season who definitely wasn't a natural in that position?
I think its more to the fact that he started the season off as the starting winger and by the time he lost his place the Tomkins experiment was already in full swing. Maguire seemed to really like Joel there and seemed to see something in him that many of us did not. I sometimes wondered how much of his perseveance was Maguires reluctance to admit that he was wrong and that Joel wasnt a centre but I guess we will never know. Goulding also had an awful lot of injuries last season and needed an operation for a good part of it and there were many matches when he wasnt really fit to be picked. If anyone knows Goulding at Wigan though it is Wane, who was the academy coach when Goulding was younger. Wane always picked Goulding as centre for the u21 even when Goulding was only 16/17 and still a u18s player.
Dobby wrote:
I think its more to the fact that he started the season off as the starting winger and by the time he lost his place the Tomkins experiment was already in full swing. Maguire seemed to really like Joel there and seemed to see something in him that many of us did not. I sometimes wondered how much of his perseveance was Maguires reluctance to admit that he was wrong and that Joel wasnt a centre but I guess we will never know. Goulding also had an awful lot of injuries last season and needed an operation for a good part of it and there were many matches when he wasnt really fit to be picked. If anyone knows Goulding at Wigan though it is Wane, who was the academy coach when Goulding was younger. Wane always picked Goulding as centre for the u21 even when Goulding was only 16/17 and still a u18s player.
If there is a silver lining to Joel leaving it is we won't have that experiment carrying on! (I still wish he had stayed and gone back to the 2nd row where he was brilliant IMO but I digress...).
I wondered about Gouldings injury myself and I know he delayed the operation at the end of the season in case he was required. Hopefully he will get a new lease of life but he is going to be under a lot of scrutiny if he gets the shirt because every man and his dog is calling out for IL to sign a good NRL centre as if Goulding does not exist.
I think where he might struggle where he probably didn't when he was 16/17 is in dealing with big centres. He is only 84kg which is a mere 1kg heavier than myself and I ain't big enough to stop some of these lads even if I was young enough!
Trouble is with reed he comes with the standard NRL markup, but i dont believe he's that good to warrent it. He a very good player, but i think if are going to pay through the nose for a player they need to be world class, im not sure reed falls into that bracket, i cant see what he offers that Welham for example doesnt?.
People say gouldings natural position is centre but i just dont see it myself, that said i know the people saying this like coaches etc know far more about rugby than i do.
I just feel that JC and DG would get mullered defensively by better teams we struggled down that flank since we lost Gleeson a seasoned out and out centre.
Yes we do need to blend in some youth but id like to see a seasoned centre here, i will be very very shocked if georgey can last all season without injury or in good form. So we need another older calm head around the place IMO someone who's ply'd their trade for a good while in what is a very specialist position.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure
Robswarriors wrote:You can't just throw them in, I would have a mix in he 1st team but we need an experienced scum half? Sam obst is a free agent
I daresay Saints said that about Gaskell and Lomax; Powell is quite experienced now, played 7 internationally (academy) very successfully and Mellor has gained experience on loan.
The experience comes from Finch at 6/7, from Tommy at 9, Lockers at 13.
and was dropped and barely got the chance again.
