NATHAN BROWN is hoping some home truths will inject new life into the Huddersfield Giants’ stuttering Super League title challenge.
In what has turned into a nightmare May, Huddersfield have lost top spot after suffering three successive top-flight defeats.
After losing away to Catalan Dragons and at home to leaders Wigan Warriors, the Giants’ 2012 campaign hit a season’s low with the shock 38-34 Magic Weekend defeat to Salford City Reds in Manchester on Sunday.
It was a result – and performance – Galpharm chief Brown found hard to accept.
And he admitted he didn’t hold back when he was expressing his feelings to his players in the wake of the demoralising reverse.
“We had what was our toughest review for quite some time this week,” revealed Brown.
“Sometimes you have a loss you don’t want and, now we’ve had that and spoken as a group about it, it’ll hopefully be enough to start us sailing in the right direction again.
“The review showed there are a few small things that over time have crept into our game. That’s got to end, and end now.
“It highlighted the fact that if we don’t do things quite right we’re made to pay a heavy price for that.
“It’s important we get back to doing what we do best, and as soon as we do that then we know we’ll be challenging again.
“As I said, the review this week has been a really tough one, and I don’t think it’s one any of us want to see repeated again this season!”
Brown will obviously be hoping a fixture at bottom club Widnes on Sunday (3.00) will be ideal in his club’s bid to return go winning ways.
But with the Vikings having been very competitive on their artificial i-pitch surface, the Huddersfield head coach is taking nothing for granted.
“Widnes have secured their two wins this season at home and nearly beat Catalan the other week,” added Brown.
“So that proves that’s where they play their best football. They’re clearly not so flash away, but they’ve certainly been very solid at home and have taken some beating.
“A lot has been made of their i-pitch, which is a good, fast track, and it’s suggested that could be a factor in Widnes’s favour.
“But, to be honest, the pitch is the least of our concerns.
“The key for us is just to go out there and put in a good performance, which is what we all need to see at the moment.
“And it also doesn’t matter who the opposition is either.
“Over the last few weeks, we haven’t had a big enough group of players performing at a solid level.
“For us to be successful we can’t afford to be carrying too many players, and I’m afraid that’s been a big failing for us.
“Even though we suffered a bad loss last weekend and have been beaten in our last three Super League games, we should still go out there this weekend with some confidence.
“Before the Salford defeat we lost at Catalan in a game that could have gone either, beat London easily in the Challenge Cup and then were involved in an exciting game against Wigan, when they just proved a bit too good for us in the end.
“So we know we’re still not that far away, even though we’ve not been at our best.
“Getting back to winning ways this week would obviously do everyone a power of good.”
