No reason for Jon Golding to move, insists coach
Sep 25 2010 by Matthew Leslie, The Journal
IF he’s happy then there’s no reason for him to move on, says Newcastle Falcons head coach Alan Tait of star prop Jon Golding.
Tait’s statement comes on the back of comments made by former England international Jason Leonard which appeared to advise Golding to consider his options if he wants to catch the eye of national team manager Martin Johnson.
While recognising Golding to be a “great talent”, World Cup winner Leonard said that “because Newcastle aren’t as strong as some of the other clubs in the Premiership, he’s not getting the same publicity”, in comparison to others vying for England front-row spots.
Leonard went on to claim that “there are a few clubs in the Premiership that are just meandering along – like Newcastle – where they’ll pull off some wins, but will lose a lot as well.
“They put in a toothless performance against Sale on the opening day of the season and I’m not sure we’ll see the best of him there.”
However, Tait has calmly responded, insisting that Jon himself will decide on which path he should take.
He said: “This game brings out a lot of opinions and Jason is fully entitled to his.
“What I would say is that if any player, let alone Jon, is happy here and playing well, then why look elsewhere.
“Fortunately for us, and more importantly Jon, he is happy playing for Newcastle at the present and for the foreseeable future.
“If he wasn’t enjoying his time here I would probably give the same advice as Jason but that’s not the case.
“He’s happy and playing alongside some very good front-rowers such as Tim Ryan who has done well in filling Carl Hayman’s boots.”
Tait will be without talismanic skipper James Hudson for this evening’s visit of London Irish at Kingston Park (kick-off 5.15pm).
However, Rob Vickers takes the captain’s armband and Tait has every confidence the hooker will be able to step up from deputy to general.
He added: “I believe Rob is ideal to step into this role.
“He’s an outstanding player, he was our Player of the Year last season and his team-mates respect him. Rob’s not daunted by the prospect of captaincy at all – in fact he’s thriving on it and I’m sure he’ll acquit himself well.”
Of today’s clash, Tait has urged both players and fans not to get downbeat should the team get off to a slow start.
He continued: “Obviously we are intending to get off to a good start, get a lead and build on it. But it doesn’t always work out that way and if we should fall behind we’ll have to get on with it and retrieve the situation. It is not like we’ve done it before because not so long ago, we trailed Wasps 17-3 and hit back with 26 unanswered points.”
Meanwhile, Tait’s opposite at London Irish, Toby Booth, has urged his team not to lose their cool and allow Falcons ace Jimmy Gopperth to kick the Kingston Park side to victory.
Four second-half penalties from the Kiwi earned Newcastle a 12-all draw in the corresponding fixture last time around and Booth is in no mood for a repeat show. He said: “Jimmy Gopperth is a good goal kicker and he will have the advantage of being at home and knowing what he can and can’t kick.
“So the key is not to give away penalties in the first place against a team like Newcastle, who often kick their way to victory.”
