I'm not suggesting he replaces Bluey but Huddersfield look a very well coached to me.

A cup final appearance will see them spending the full cap next year if they aren't already. Ken Davy's got a few bob so can't see resources being that limited at all.

Not for me thanks

Cant remember Smiths Hudds been so negative in their play as they do now under Brown.

Yet play a very negative brand of rugby as opposed to the fluent stye that is demanded on this board. Not labeling you with that BTW.

who cares?

3rd in the League and going to Wembley



SUCCESS!


entertaining rugby doesnt always lead to winnining rugby

One swallow does not make a summer

Or they were and I remember criticism of his signing.

That may be true but certainly cant remember coaches critizing their style of negative play under Smith as they have this year under Brown.

Ones negative style of play may be loosening ends that needed tightening

No im sorry read it 3 times, can i have it simple like

I have only seen Huddersfield a couple of times this season but they didn't look a negative team today. They took the game to Saints from the kick off and could have scored in the first few minutes from a good break. Their 1st try was a great planned move and they looked creative with the ball in hand. I have seen far more clueless displays from us at times this season.
They did make quite a lot of errors and may try to slow the play the ball down, but which team doesn't?

Thats my only gripe really with Bluey...(and I do think he should stay until the end of his contract 2010)... but at times we dont look "coached" in the sense of being more organised.

I am aware he seems to rely more on motivation and inspiration than on pure tactics at times but I am trusting that this is perhaps a ploy and he is working at us peaking at the right time....again.



The game can be too structured and rigid...both Noble and Potter have been guilty of this fault this weekend and have played to one of Stevos old edicts.,,,namely

Forward domination to establish momentum behind which the half backs secure an easy victory.

Trouble with this plan is when it fails they invariably have no plan B and if they do.... not enough time to develop it.

A number of observations:
I was all in favour of Smith's appointment at Leeds since Huddesfield under him played as a unit better than the the sum of their parts. If he could do that with them what maight he achieve with better players?
We know the answer.
Likewise Brown is doing the same. My acid test is which of their players would you want to improve the Rhinos? Not many in my view.
What is worrying IMO is that Brown was not considered good enough to continue ti be a head coach in the NRL but he comes over here & transforms a team of relative journeymen into potential CC winners.
What does that tell us about SL coaches.
Finally, I was very impressed with the Giants line speed for the entire game it speaks volumes for their conditioning & fitness.
I think it will be a very interesting CC final.

I don't see why Huddersfield are being labelled as negative.

the kick on the 1st tackle for Cudjoe's try was as daring and enterprising a piece of play as your likely to see and I doubt many other teams would do it.

Excellent spot regarding their defensive line speed Old feller. I commented about it after we beat them at Headingley. I suspect Smith will kick deep often and early at Wembley to try and negate it.

Huddersfield have a well balanced side/squad - they have big forwards that can dominate, they have a reasonable 7 who organises but they don't have a natural 6 neither Fulton nor Brown played as a link to Robinson. Brown had a very free role in the game and he was their x-factor - his break in the first half and the kick for the Cudjoe try - great stuff.

It would have been a massacre if Huddersfield could have kept hold of the ball on a regular basis - I bet Cudjoe wishes he could play against Wellens every week - he gave him 15 metres start in a 30 metre foot race and beat him easy.

Saints looked very sluggish yesterday - whether that was fatigue or arrogance not sure?

The set move for their first try yesterday was as good and well executed as any I have seen in a very long time. Clearly the input of coaching and practice on the training ground.

They've been my dark horse all season so it's hardly a shock (to me) that they have made a final.

I've been impressed by Nathan Brown's approach from the start of trying things that other teams wouldn't. Only the Huddersfield skill levels have let them down (and still do at times) but other parts of the game they have got down as acknowledged in the posts above.

I bet Meli wishes he could play against Cudjoe every week too. The lad couldn't tackle a three course meal.

Somebody in the HKR board room must have really bad dandruff and sit next to a table

Cudjoe is young and raw.

Meli is a seasoned sh*tto.

That's a fair call. We'd have struggled to beat them yesterday and it's not hard to imagine us looking as lost as saints did in the face of that defensive effort.

St Helens are really missing Cayless and Fa'asavalu from their prop rotation leaving Puletua and especially Graham carrying too much of the workload.

I agree Leeds would have struggled for the same reason.

Agreed, Paul Jackson & Keith Mason looked good, making good yards.
Did Graham play the full 80?
It seemed like he did, fantastic effort in that heat.

Congrats to Hudds, I thought they played well yesterday, Saints were poor and missed forwards but how would Hudds look with 2 props missing?

Huddersfield are having a very good season but I just wonder if the CC final is the be all and end all of their season now.

I would like to see them win it as the club has done some fantastic work in the last 10 years.