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?

Plenty saying GH has thrown Walker under the bus & is bullying etc just 2 points IF there-s lies in GH's statement why no denial or threat of libel from JW's side?
Second of all what about JW throwing Golding under the bus by mentioning his long term deal & with a tone as if this some way blocks his 1st team apps & development?
Ateotd IF Walker backed himself he could easily win that FB spot & keep it Golding would play anywhere for that shirt & is more versatile anyway.
I stick with my earlier pov both sides take some blame in this it's that straight forward.

What's clear in this mess is that he has taken some awful advice from his agent. You don't turn down a decent 3 yr deal at Leeds Rhinos as a 17yr old kid.

I do not know if you are a family member so I will not blame you for bringing him up with such a bad attitude.But the posters on here indirectly contribute to the players wages and so have every right to comment on the naive and badly advised demands of an ungrateful young player. They have also given great encouragement to Jack in his early appearances and he could well do to listen to some of the advice at this stage of his career.

Jack has shown with his statement that he is lacking in both character and good positive attitude which are both requirements needed to represent the great Leeds club. If he is not confident enough to fight for a shirt or indeed play in another position then it is better we found this out now as it could have cost a lot of wasted money and aggro further down the line.

As you seemed to type your post with your face I thought the response was at an appropriate level.

Its best he never plays for us again and leaves.

I'd say that's a fair assessment. Some on here and other social media have clearly spoken to Walker or his agent personally and are taking there version of the meetings as gospel. A sports agent who has an issue with Leeds and a 17 year kid......i think it's highly likely their version of the meetings they're telling people about isn't exactly spot on. Likewise the same with GH. If you spoke to both parties privately on the issue you'd get two very different versions and the likelihood is that somewhere in the middle is the reality.

What is most clear here is that it's dragged on too long. He can't keep going along with "I'm considering my options", he's had plenty of time and club do need to know where they stand with him and the makeup of their squad. If he were to stay what would that mean for Golding? Does he go to the wing? Does that mean letting Briscoe go or Handley? If Walker leaves Golding stay at FB and do we look at signing a proven winger to replace a disappointing Briscoe? What does it mean for Sutclife who is one of our FB options?

We've got a squad to sort out for 2018, we rightly can't wait around for one 17 year old who is dragging his feet decides what he's doing.

Just had a quick look through them, seems to be plenty of interest in Rugby Union accounts, especially Bath.

Whilst I'm biased enough to be quite pleased that a top prospect of a rival club is probably leaving, I'd rather he spent his career scoring tries against Wigan than I would see him playing for the other side.

Doubt he will, given what he's said about wanting to develop in a certain position, but there seems to be an unnatural level of interest for a 17 year old RL fan from Leeds.

ATEOD, Walker is 17.

He says he wants to play full back.

On the same day, we see Rob Burrow announcement retirement at the age of 34. Twice the age of Walker.

Walker could be part of the new Rhinos generation and could be the full back for many years if he stuck around.

I'm not sure if it's bad advice, money or something else that has turned his head but it's short sighted to want everything right now.

The club didnt say it. Walker did. [i“At the moment I still want to keep my options open on my future. Leeds have been great with me in every department and the fans are unbelievable and I’m enjoying playing for this great club. The offer I’ve received from the club is fantastic but it doesn’t come down to money, it’s the opportunity to play at fullback, a position I feel brings the best out in me. The club has a great young fullback in Ashton Golding who is only 2-years older than me and who recently signed a 4-year deal so I need to look at my future and make the right call on my career going forward.”[/i


Id also bring it back to the ridiculousness of rejecting the deal because he might play in the halves instead of being fullback, when a fullback with the skills of a half is hugely valuable. The very very worst case scenario here for Walker is that he spends the next 3 years at one of the 3 clubs in SL that actually develop talent, he gets first team time in big games in front of big crowds and develops better passing and kicking skills of a half which would make him a better fullback.

Anybody know who his Agent/Management actually is?!