Thursday 25 September 2014 13:27, UK
Darrell Goulding admits his Wigan Warriors career could already be over, claiming he would need a “miracle” to feature in their final run-in.
Wigan play in the Super League semi-finals next Friday with a place in the Old Trafford Grand Final at stake, but having only just returned to full training Goulding admits his chances of featuring are slim.
It’s a bit strange, knowing I’m leaving this year, but Wigan have been great with me to make sure I’m right for pre-season with Hull KR.
The 26-year-old, who has signed for Hull KR for the 2015 campaign, has been sidelined after a knee operation cut his season short.
Dan Sarginson and Anthony Gelling are the men in possession and Goulding is resigned to the fact there is little possibility of adding to the 174 appearances for his hometown club.
“This week is the first time I have run in weeks, since my operation,” he told Wigan Today. “I would have loved to have finished my time here on a high, with a Grand Final, but it’s not to be.
“It’d need a miracle to play again now. Even if there was an injury or suspension, I still think it’d be a risk to put me in, having not played so long.
“It’s a bit strange, knowing I’m leaving this year, but Wigan have been great with me to make sure I’m right for pre-season with Hull KR.”
Goulding is currently in his 10th season with the Warriors and featured in both their Super League Grand Final and Tetley’s Challenge Cup triumphs last year.
While it is with a heavy heart Goulding departs his hometown club, the centre believes the club’s midfield is in good hands with Sarginson and Gelling.
“They’re both doing a brilliant job,” he said. “They give the team so much in the yardage they make and what they bring to the team.
“They can be frustrating at times, but they’re still both young and the mistakes will iron out. Once they get experience they’ll be challenging as the best centre partnership in Super League.”
