I could start a new topic about 20 players to be honest, but I think our full back needs a mention.

For me, it's not neccessarily what he does with the ball, but more without it. He is organising, shouting instructions and most of all creating a great team spirit in defence. What he brings to our spirit is fantastic, it is what supporters want to see. It's visual and at one point tonight he threw his arms in the air to celebrate 3 of his team mates bundling an opponent in touch. We haven't had this before, I certainly can't remember if we have.

He has added a new dimension of organising and encouraging from the back. Keep it up RM, it's infectious.

I second this he has been fantastic, well done Richy

Apart from the peach of a pass he put out for the try I thought he didn't get involved enough. I still think he is a natural stand off.

He seems to be enjoying his time here as well, by the looks of things on Twitter. He might not be the safest fullback in the league, but the enthusiasm he brings to the team works wonders. We've missed having someone behind the team directing them around.

I do have to admit that sometimes I'm a bit worried of what he's going to do with the ball and if he's going to deal with it correctly. IIRC, he's thrown a few suspect passes out near his line.

strange time for this topic, i've been one of his biggest supporters but thought it was his worst game in a cas shirt tonight , but given the high standard he has set so far its not too much of a bad thing

Have you not had the pleasure of the Wigan fans slagging him off yet? When he played for us they had a thread on him at least weekly. Then again it was mostly in an effort to prove they got the better end of the Gleeson/Mathers £100k transfer, so little wonder they are now silent.

Yep, we've had the odd occasional poster. Mathers is sh*t, awful, can't catch for toffee, seen better full-backs etc etc.

lol he was dreadful at Wigan, but under Smith and here he has been johnny on the spot following play very well dealing with kicks into the ingoal, lending weight to keeping them up over the line and that was a peach of a pass to Dixon.

he is without a doubt one of , if not THE key factor of the teams togetherness this year. absolute quality. keep it up Richie

He'll average one serious blunder per game but despite that I can't yet see why Warrington let him go for Hodgson.

His enthusiasm is infectious

As many will remember i was very critical of the mathers signing, but as mentioned he does organise the defense which i have been impressed with and has some good games, the ball and all tackle of the hudds forward to prevent a certain try was as good as any i have seen. I'm still a bit nervous when he gets the ball, especially when passing but all in all i would say mathers has done what i asked him to do, prove me wrong.

Will he? I can't remember him making a significant blunder in a Cas game yet.

Clearly Wigan fans just have it in for him.

Always been like that has Richie, great to have someone like that in your side. Playing well aswell, he is very much like a captain, without the pressure of the captaincy. Glad he's enjoying himself at Cas aswell, good to see. He's a great lad if you see him outside the game aswell, stops and speaks and takes pictures with people if asked, and had a long chat with myself in White Rose.

Richie Mathers I think will become one of the most important signing over the next couple of years at Cas.

He leadership at the back is evident, where he is marshalling those around him.

This is one area in the past we have been lacking. another reason our defence has vastly improved.

Warrington wanted to keep Richie, he was well thought of by both the club and the supporters (in the main)

He's a rough diamond and a vastly underratted player, forget what Wigan say about him, they do manage to ruin a few players.

At the end of the day though Richie didn't want to play 2nd fiddle to Hodgson (who can blame him).

He has the occasional brain fart but who doesn't, remember Billy Slater making a boo boo or two and who wouldn't have him in their squad ?

The fact that Wigan didn't give him any real regular game time was probably partly to blame for his form there.

When he was coming through at Leeds I used to think he looked like a young John WOods, with the long kneck & the classy confidence. The confidence has obviously been knocked out of him but is slowly returning. The next SO when Chase moves on, a la Lockyer.

The last season he had at Leeds - just before he went to the NRL - I thought he was pushing for the best fullback in Superleague. Had a blinder of a game against Cas at Headingley when the Loiners battered us (again!).

If you'd have said then he'd be playing for Cas in a few seasons time I'd be calling the funny farm!