Fartown played well and bossed the game. We'd won the battle and taken control in the first half convincingly and looked really fit, strong, organised and well prepared to say its our first hit out in pre season. We looked solid in defence and direct and aggressive in attack. Until we made wholesale changes in the second half we could have and should of had more points. With Wild, Drew, Mason etc to still come in to the team it looks like another good season for us again!!!!
Don't rule out another top 3 finish at least!!!!

Up the Giants!!!!

Was a very poor performance by Cas. We barely completed any sets and those that did usually end in bad kicks straight down both Hodgsons' throats.

Huddersfield were excellent in defence and really ripped our left wing to shreds. Nothing really to report other than it was disappointingly bad and a LOT to work on for Leeds.

Ganson looked pretty good.

=#8000FFApart from missing just about everything and ignoring the new leg lifting rule, yes.

Agadoo's 1984 No2 hit was never sung which was a damn shame

I didnt make tonights game but remember ranting on here last year after we lost pre season to the Giants. I said we were a shambles and the players looked desperately unfit. We went on to have our best season for a decade.

Not dissing peoples views but dont get carried away, its still a pre season game. Its also the same team that won in Perpignan a week ago.

Its a long season and pre season often means little. We were awful pre season and went great, I remember Huddersfield romping in pre season, then losing 8 straight games once the season started.

Dont panic people!!!!!

I think I remember your post Cheshire, you talked about conditioning and how other teams seem to be far 'bigger' than us. I replied in agreement.

I also didn't make tonights game, but the comments here make grim reading. Huddersfield last season were a fit, well built, fast team. Will be interesting to see if our blokes have put any bulk on in the off season.

With all the problems Huddersfield have had, I was expecting better tonight, it's the performance that matters and not neccessarily the result. Doesn't sound like we got either, not good for the folk that paid the £12.

=#8000FFDifference is last year it was a month before the season, this years it's a week before.

Could be just a bit sore if he just come back.

The Giants team!!!!

By my reckoning you will do Leeds and will be all over the forums crowing how good you are

It would be sod's law but I really can't see it. Leeds look stronger then ever IMO and morale around the club seems at a chronic low, weaker days await.

It was very poor. What do we do in training, There seem to be no plan, no moves and no go forward at all. Some of the players we have are just overpaid and not good enough.

Everytime i watch mcgoldrick, he makes my blood boil. I honestly can't see what good he is for the team. He can't defend, can't catch, knocks on alot and Usually gives silly passes away. Wainwright did get one try but wants shooting for missing one earlier. Hudson looks very unfit and Clayton and Jackson couldn't bust a paper bag.

I Think we need some fresh Faces on the field to give the others a kick up the backside. What is the point of having 3 kids on the bench and one got 2 mins, another lad got 8 mins and the other lad didnt get on. After all its a friendly so why not see what the young lads can do.

Thing is CT it wasn't the same team as last week.
Last night we had chase/sherwin/owen/westerman/ferres none of these played last week. So imo that makes it evenmore worrying.

A couple of queries from last night...

1) Did Richard Wright do last nights team talk??

2) Is McGoldric and Clayton, Mattersons love childs??

WHY WHY WHY WHY PLAY =#0040FF<language removed> GOLDY AT FULL BACK



Just about everybody is saying owen will be wearing the england number 1 shirt but matterson plays him on the wing!!!!!!!



Phil Clarke's one to watch - Richard Owen
My really big tip for 2010. If you could buy shares in him I'd get as many as I could. He's still only 19 but has played over 60 first team games and was moved into the full-back position mid-way through 2009.

He has the important attribute of a modern sportsman - speed. If my feelings are right, he'll be wearing the number one for England in the Four Nations Down Under in November.

=#0040FF[url=http://viewtopic.php?f=16&t=116171&start=08. If you feel it necessary to attempt to evade the swear filter, then it is necessary to reword your post. Children do use this forum and the level of profanity must be kept to a minimum.[/url - Bonzo

The biggest positive I could see is that we're much better conditioned than we were this time last year which may (and I emphasise 'may') help us to hit the ground running - we don't exactly have an easy start.

Other than that I was disappointed with our performance. We let in some soft tries through sloppy defence and looked clueless in attack, which actually doesn't sound a lot different to last season. There don't seem to have been any improvements in discipline either which is a lesson we should've learned from last year.

The team selection was slightly confusing too. Our defence is much more organised with Richard Owen at fullback because McGoldrick simply doesn't ensure the gaps in the line are covered when he's there; plus Owen's a better tackler and is wasted out on the wing.

I still think we should go quite well this season, and the warm weather and away pitches will help us. I think we may struggle at home thought - our pack doesn't seem able to boss the game enough for us to dominate on the small pitch.

I couldnt make last night but the posts make worrying reading.

Why Matterson persists with Mcgoldrick at full back is beyond me. If Mcgoldrick was young & english would he still be getting
all these opportunities?.

We seem to be making the same plays in attack as last year,i cant work out if the players are ignoring the coach's game plans or T.M is keeping it basic because of the limitations of the players.

The conditioner at the club needs a boot up the backside.

By the posts about last night we still look short of fitness,and some still sound out of shape. Is the conditioner qualified?
If he is and knows his stuff are the players listening to him?.

I mean you could by a mens health magazine from a newsagent and it has advice on bulking up,losing fat and good diet!!!

Most of last nights team are only just back from operations so have not been training fully with the conditioner.

Poor performance last night. Huddersfield beat Cas in every department. Their forwards made more yards, they were a heck of a lot quicker around the ruck, and Robinson ran the show for them.

But was one game and it was a pre-season game. The postive out of the game was that the club now know exactly where they are at and that a lot of hard work is required.

I think showing for the heads of Matterson and McGoldrick is a little early.

It seems to happen every year though, regardless of our performances; and always by people who can't answer the question "So who would you realistically replace them with then?"

=#8000FFThornton & Owen both FAR better then Matterson & McGoldrick.

Yeah, but two weeks before the season even starts? Is this some sort of record?


As a sidenote, from 25 years in journalism I know that purple ink is a big sign that says "IGNORE THIS CORRESPONDENCE. IT'S FROM A LOON"