Quote Bovrick="Bovrick"Fair enough mate, I didn't mean to jump in like that, but your post was helpful for the construction of my own, you aren't the only one who doesn't see Goulding as a long term prospect. So you're not alone, and I wasn't jumping on you personally, I know where you're coming from, just disagree with the end point.
Sadly I have no access to video evidence (highlights never show good defensive play sadly) but I'm pretty confident Goulding is one of the best positional centres in SL, in attack and defence. As to strike, I have to agree that he does lack strike. He isn't an Atkins, Watkins, Cudjoe or so on (though as noted these guys can struggle positionally in defence), he won't rip up other teams on his own. His assists will not come from individual breaks and putting his winger away when all the work is done. But those guys are damn rare, as we agree. If we could get Watkins I'd be over the moon. But Goulding doesn't butcher the opportunities he gets like the others are liable to, he's very consistent when it comes to putting away his winger. He's one of the best technical 'scooters' around for making a consistent 10m despite his lack of physical presence. Maybe they aren't the traits we all look for in a centre, but they work well in our team where we have a class winger who still needs some defensive guidance outside him, who will finish what he is given. The partnership worried me but proved me wrong.
I just don't trust Hughes defending out wide. Maybe I'm scapegoating but I just can't get the instances earlier in the year out of my head, of Marsh mugging him for example. He struggles for lateral speed I think, the quick guys seem to get him. But again, players improve (something we all seem to forget from time to time) so it may be the case that our future backline is Charnley-Gelling-Hughes-Thornley or something, but I will be happy if it turns out that way because they will have had to displace one of the better centres in the league to be there.'"
Cheers for this, now I understand you're a genuine poster who likes to discuss RL etc.
And I agree Goulding does has his strengths, by no means am I calling him cr@p or anything like that. I just feel in time we will have better centres at the club, I also believe the centres could already be here in the likes of Hughes, Gelling and Thornley, is it also easy to forget that Marsh is still a Wigan centre (personally I would have liked to have seen him given an opportunity on the wing).
I don't hold my head in my hands when Daz plays, I just think in what is developing into a very strong team in the backs/three-quarter line he is one person who I think is lacking compared to the others.
Sam-probably the best player in SL
Josh-IMO actually underrated, someone I'd like to see in a position where he has his hands on the ball more, regardless he's a top try scorer.
Daz (Will explain)
Carmont-Excellent, one of the best if not the best centre in SL, causes so many problems in attack, beats his man, knows how to find his winger, can make something from nothing and is defensively sound.
Pat-Big strong quality winger, can kick from anywhere, excellent positional play in def and attack, excellent under the high ball in attack and def etc.
Daz is solid, but I believe lacks position play in def and attack when the ball is in fast movement piling down his wing. I often feel Wigan now where their best attacking edge is as often they play to Camont as that's were there is more of a threat.
I'm not Daz bashing by any means, I just think there's other options.
