This is not a negative but a genuine opinion of whre I think we are.

Last nights match summed up our season from outstanding in places to diabolical in places. We gave them a start..nearly caught them up.... gave them another start and again nearly caught them up.... NB complained about Ganson so we expected lots of wrestling amd PTB interference Leeds did we didn't hence we were on the back foot a lot.... Bentham was never gonna penalise this after NB's outburst we were destroyed at times around the PTB area again so in reality his outburst favoured Leeds.

We had to work hard for our tries, we gifted leeds three of theirs with shocking tackling ok we 'blew' a try to go 18-16 in front and then fell apart to 12-34 good fightback but to a degree it hid all the inadequecies shown in the other 55 minutes, we had 25 good minutes in all.

Much as it 'galls' me to say so the best team won, they had leadership, worked together, played the referee to perfection and 'backed up' how many breaks did we make when no one was there? OK some 'lucky' calls but forward passes at speed over a short distance are not easy to pick up in real time (much easier on the slomo) and when they broke they were quick and backed up with players either side of the ball carrier. We didn't very often.

They hung on in those last five minutes where our record is to capitulate.

We are not a bad side, but we have no leader, our enforcer didn't play and our defence has gone backwards. NB's take is we will learn lessons... surely we learnt them in the last 22 minutes against Saints when the Grand Final beckoned last year.

NB said the cup was our 'best shot' but we failed to get our best team and a decent performance on the field at 'Cas' and lost.

NB said we would show our best at the end of the season 0-47 and a home defeat to Leeds which was disguised by a late comeback could not be our best!

None of the signings we have made appear to improve our team, so who has sanctioned them Brown or Thewlis?

Then to beggar belief we are rumoured to offer Raleigh, Kirmond and Wood for Aron Murphy and an also ran !

We need a strike centre a stand off and a nasty evil prop. Doof is a brill 2nd row as he showed last night but if Griffin goes we need a marqué signing at prop.... Griffin again for me was poor his three shoot out of the line tackle attempts were to be kind 'rubbish.' Where will he fit at Leeds? he was at best 6th best prop on show last night !!!!

I'm sorry to have to say this but all the 'Aussie' posters appear right NB can build a team but not get them to finish off the job !!

I will await the next few weeks with interest but the signs are other teams around us have strengthened Hull and Saints to name two so the time has come for NB to put up or shut up and we need to sort out our squad for next year 'sharpish' or risk going backwards!

spot on

Agree with all of that - we definitely lack a true leader on the field and stand off is an issue for us (especially against Leeds). We never seem to get a proper go forward attitude - not enough mongrel - and attack options have been poor over the second half of the season.

We have been OK to good - but this lack of the right attitude has cost us dearly in the PO games as well as at Cas in the cup and other awful results such as Cru and Wakey away.

Tbf last nights errors were down to the players and not tactics. Knockonathon last night at times.

For me I think the real weakness is at no.6 - we badly need a class stand off half. And another quality prop. Here's hoping.

At the start of the season lots of folk(not just those in C&G but others on the media etc) were touting brough and brown as the next England half back pairing- brown started off well- I wonder if a combination of over training and too much pressure with the captaincy along with the injuries has had an effect on brown.

Fantastic opening post and agree word for word 100%.

I have been saying for a longtime that K Brown is not a stand off and I stick by that 100% we have slot of work to do to even make the top 8 next season

I think brown is a good stand off. If anything we are have been over reliant in second half on him, as the forwards have been going backwards for whatever reasons ( tiredness ?)
when was the last time we had a break down the middle with an overload to someone/ grix?
Tinkering was one of our problems this year, and I think with robbo/Lunt, brown , brough, grix we should look for stability over the next few years, plus our back line looks quick, young and hudds based.
The forwards is where we need work.
Happy to stay with Nathan again, as we are work in progress, don't see a new coach bringing in a magical quick fix. That's not realistic.

What I DO think though is that they should make a confirmed decision to hand the reins over to baloo when Nathan moves on- and let the players know at the start of the season- (not necessarily anyone else!) this will stop the mid season wobble when nb is linked to all the aus jobs going, as the lads will feel they have a large amount of continuity.

Good point jools.
Would help stability for all concerned

What is all this negativity being spouted about Kev?
He is a very clever player, finds the holes and either goes through himself or puts someone through. His tactical kicking is as good as anyones, he executes the plays and is not afraid of running through tacklers, and his defence is second to none, how many times has he brought an attacker down in the last line of defence?
No, the lad will do for me, and might I suggest a few of his detractors actually look at what he does.
He is highly rated by people who know far more about the game than any posters on this Forum.
So please get off his back, unless you are some sort of sadistic sod who delights in slagging off a player under the pretext of critique which would not be voiced had they not the anonymity afforded by this type of media.

When we were winning everyone was saying how good he was. When the pack struggled and we started losing some now start criticising him.

He is a good player, and in a better performing team will be a good stand off.


Two of our worst players in the last two games ( look at the error stats were Robinson and Faiumu) are we going to start slkagging them off as well.

Get some perspective people.

If we are going to win anything a good standoff won't be good enough, Kev Brown is a good player but as I said even when we were winning he isn't a stand off and not in the same class as the likes of Rangi Chase, Benji Marshall ect

I agree. I've nothing against KB at all but he's not a naturally gifted 6 that a team needs to win trophies. Trying hard won't cut it. And many fans have had these reservations even when the team was going well. Fartown needs a trophy now or we will stagnate.

Also, if the club was happy with Kev at 6 then why spend all that time & effort trying to recruit Todd Carney? Because he's a recognised natural no. 6 that's why.

Could Brown work at 13?