This is a guy we have dubbed Darth Hetherington.

Walker makes a point of stating that Golding is two years older than him and has recently signed a long term deal.
Two choices, Jack. 1) Compete with Ashton for the shirt. 2) Leave.
Well done Garry Hetherington

Precisely, and that's the thing that sports fans forget, it's a career for the player. Whether he's seen to have made the right or wrong choice, any vitriol is unnecessary. The circumstances are never quite as black and white as a press release either.

How many 17 year olds have made several first team appearances which have got the fans talking with a contract offer up in the air surrounding them with people constantly asking what's happening and if he's going to sign?

It's been one of the major talking points at the club for a few months now, which doesn't happen with other 17 year olds.

Well that's your opinion you are welcome to it.

Boy likes rugby, boy plays rugby, club see boy, club recruit boy, club develop boy, boy gets agent, agent touts boy, boy likes money, boy gets offered more money elsewhere, boy makes move based on money, boy is bad liar, boy sums up modern game.

correct.....
replace the word "Boy" with "Iestyn Harris" and you're bang on....

Hardaker is having another meltdown on twitter. When the going gets tough, jump ship. I'm so glad he's out of our club.

The chances are that if he'd stayed it would have been golding moved onto the wing and then possibly elsewhere and walker would have been number 1.

I trust the club, they've got more of these right than wrong over the years. Some people are so inclined to criticise the club at every opportunity.

He's a 17 year old pipsqueek with a handful of appearences, he gets guarantees over nothing. If our senior players can't talk him round then he's lost, nothing GH can do. He'll go to a club that give him a bigger contract and promise him the world.

Good luck to him.

Having read Jack's statement a few times it is slightly different to how you worded it ...he wants the opportunity to play at full back as he feels playing in that position brings best out of his style..no mention that he is seeking development...he then brings Ashton Golding into the argument which is wrong and maybe ill advised...Golding has the shirt he wants.. he has to look at what will be best for him...nothing wrong with that but a) as mentioned earlier look at BJB wanted same role ..did not get it at Salford or Wakey... b) you mention Morgan Smith had only one match off bench. .so there are no guarantees that will happen which ever club he chooses.

I note from his wording ,he is still keeping all options open implying he could still stay at Leeds..but if he has doubt, in my view would not be right..As others have said fight for the jersey. I would also add that with an increase in games nothing wrong with 2 FBS..rotate then less risk of injury..

You look at players like Kev, JP they sacrificed everything to bring success for the club they love...only player I seen with that attitude recently is Jordan Lilley ..Walker said it not about money ..great then show the Rhinos spirit and fight for place. We need to build for next year..if he still choosing which sounds like he is ..how can club recruit further players .

I agree, if players aren't committed, they need to go. In the long run its good because it will allow us to ultimately reward players like golding (who is no slouch I might add) who have the "ill play anywhere" attitude. This reinforcement of those type of behaviours will allow us to maintain the strong and stable culture we have had for the last 15 years.

Sacrificing that for as of yet unfulfilled potential may have yielded short term gain on the field but it would be the first bits of rot that eat away at the club long term.

All a bit of a funny situation. His Twitter favourites have been interesting over the recent weeks.

Personally I think he looks like a better prospect than Golding but at 17 it's a big ask to play week in week out if not pretty much impossible. Over the next two seasons he could get close to 30 games under his belt of he sticks around.

I have no doubt errors have been made on both sides. Painting either as all good/all bad is patently ridiculous.

I do tend to believe GH when he says that Walker has asked for assurances no other player has sought or been given. Walker's own quotes suggest that its fullback or bust. Regardless of ability, at 17 he should fully expect to have to spend time in other positions even if full back ends up being his natural spot. He also wouldn't be the first kid to find that second season syndrome hits hard. All it could take is one game where he drops a bomb or two and his confidence could drop, at least for a while.

I wonder as well whether GH's views have hardened. I keep hearing mention of the kids who have left to much wailing of teeth on here but have done nothing. GH seemingly broke his own rules WRT Cameron Smith. Whilst I fully expect to hear plenty of reasons why he hasn't yet looked anything other than a plodder at open age (some pretty rational ones), so far nobody can say that paying him overs is currently looking like the wisest decision ever. That was the very last case of a similar nature, so it must affect the way GH views Walker.

Hardaker the full back who started out playing on the wing in order to break into the first team is telling Walker he has made the right decision if he wants to play full back. I wonder if he would give the same advice to young full backs at Cas coming through.

I also think it's sad the club announced this on the day of burrows retirement. It's taken over the talking points some what

And a year at centre including a GF winners ring and try at centre. Or Ablett who always wanted to play 2nd row but often filled in at centre. Or Watkins who did a bit at wing. Or Sinfield who played 2nd row early days and then many years at loose so we could go with McGuire and Burrow in the halves. Or Hall who doesn't want to play centre but has filled in there recently.

Thing is, Walker will probably still be in his teens when both Leeds and Warrington have new coaches and you don't know if they'll want to play him at FB or at elsewhere.

Always plenty of vitriol aimed at GH on these boards,short memories or what?We have just enjoyed a period of unmitigated success and in our "transition "period we are 2nd in the league and in a CC semi!any of this down to GH?
If Walker is not 100% commited to the club,bye.with the exception of a move to Wigan or the NRL do not see how he can better himself talk of Salford and Leigh interest,really?

It will be interesting to see where he ends up. If he goes to somewhere like Leigh all the talk of wanting personal improvement will ring rather hollow.

Well thing is they can promise him the earth when it comes to negotiations cant they? Doesn't mean that they will follow through on any of it like but still.

He'll be more exposed at a club like Salford or Leigh than he would be at Leeds but then again that could be the making of him.

At 17 he doesn't know $h!t. He should have bitten the clubs hands off for that contract and spent 3 years learning. Good luck to him at another club, he'll need it with the number of brain cells he's rocking.

Im sorry but what the hell has jack walkers rugby career got to do with us, its up to jack what he does not this forum ,if he wants to go else were then good luck to him its his decision .the abuse the lads got off this forum is terrible .how would you feel if jack walker told you dont go to that job dont go to this job ,you would tell him wete to go wouldnt you .its his buisiness what he does not our's.so think before you slate him and if he's goin for more money good luck to him its a short career .end of the day we all move jobs for better pay dont we ..any decision is jacks decision and you must accept that not SLATE him.

Talking of brain cells ....brill come back for an adult

He's a 17 year old pipsqueek. He wants guarantees no other player has received, of course he will cop flack, and rightly so. Fans who pay money to go to games contribute to his wages so it is their business and they have the right to comment, negative or otherwise.

He can take it, after all he's 'big man on campus' isn't he?