OTT - How about giving him a chance first.

This is his third season mate. Have you ever said after a game "wow Goulding was amazing today" because i havn't.

He had 4 starts in 2007 and 21 in 2008. How has he had 3 seasons?

He had a few decent games towards the back end of last year but never got a run in the team. He was made the scapegoat of the mullering by Saints at Knowesley road and never really got a chance after that IMO - as I said earlier it was due to injuries not just Nobby not selecting him.

Him losing the weight will be to his benefit as he gained nothing from having the bulk IMO and lost his pace as a result which is his biggest weapon.

I personally think he is too small which is his downfall but I think the fans who are saying he should be out the door are being utterly ridiculous as it is the same fans that are moaning about the fact we do not give youth a chance.

You cant beat the sheer irony of that can you really

Agreed, we've got too many average players such as Goulding, Bailey, Smith, Roberts... get rid of them, sign quality and let the good youngsters such as Tomkins (both), Ainscough and Farrell have a go.

Bailey I will agree with.

Goulding, like others have said he has not had a proper run in the first team. We have let too many decent players go under the same circumstances and they have gone on to be solid superleague players.

Smith was most people's MOM on Friday and Amos has only played two games for us since having hand surgery.

Exactly, with respect a 'solid SL player' is fine for Huddersfield or Warrington (:wink:) but we need more than solid if we want to win anything.

Not really - any team needs a mix of solid SL players and top class players - if you look at Saints and Leeds they both have their share of what could be classed as solid players. No team can sign, afford and keep a team full of world class players.

Wigan's problems over the last few years have been too many average or below players and not enough solid/world class players.

Smith isn't an average player and Roberts has played two games:roll: It's quite feasible to imagine if either became eligible for GB they would both be snapped up in an instant.

So if they are already better than most English players who is it you suggest we should sign? Shall we swap one Aussie for another then? But last time I checked Smith is a former Daily M young player of the year and Roberts try scoring record in the NRL is 2nd to hardly anyone? They are the type of players people have been calling for us to sign for ages now but when the come we label them as average?

You'll struggle 2 find better players in the NRL unless you get the real cream like Inglis etc which will never happen. The next band down are players of the calibres of Smith and Roberts.

I'm sorry also but i'd rather keep Goulding than sign an average 27 year old Aussie who is a little better at the moment but won't get any better and doesn't offer anything long term. Goulding will get better, his wages won’t sore and we could do far, far worse (e.g Keving Brown) put him next to a quality centre like Gidley and we easily have a centre partnership that is good enough to win SL imo.

Not many players of Gouldings age have got the better of Hape, Senior & Yeaman when they’ve played against them.

I would go further and say too many so called world class players on world class wages meaning the cake was cut to thin for the rest of squad.

You need a team of solid players, backed up with a sprinkling of youth and a couple of star names. Leeds and Saints have this and are the two most successful teams in the country at the moment. We have a youth system as good as Leeds and better than Saints imo. The big difference is they bring their young players through and mould a team around them while we go for the easy option of big name players.

It has not worked for years so why do we still think it will? Even Huddersfield have cottened on to the fact about having good young talent (mostly ex Wigan) and blending them with other more established players.