EVERYONE within the club was really disappointed when it was confirmed that Julian Bailey had fractured his cheekbone.

Bails has shown some great form this season and I know the lads were thoroughly enjoying playing alongside him.

So to hear he will be out for six to eight weeks has hit us hard, although obviously not as hard as the man himself!

My hope now is that he is able to remain positive during his time on the sidelines, and I look forward to seeing a refreshed Julian Bailey back in action a little further down the track.

I'm also looking forward to seeing a fit-again Brandon Costin returning to the Giants fold.

I've felt really sorry for him this season, because I know how desperate he is to get back out onto the field and help us continue to progress.

He's been going through one of those nightmare spells players sometimes suffer, whereby he gets over one injury and then almost immediately picks up another.

We saw with the way he kicked London Broncos to death down in the capital last month how effective he can be, and it'll be great to welcome him back.

He's probably about 85% fit right now, so hopefully it won't be too long before he's back.

It's a dream to coach the top players

I DON'T think anyone can doubt the ambition of Huddersfield Giants after we went out and signed Brad Drew for next season.

In my mind it's another very clear sign that this club isn't prepared to stand still.

This is a club that wants to continue to progress in Super League, and signing Brad is a way of ensuring that process continues.

There's no doubt he is a world-class quality player, who I know will do a magnificent job at either hooker or half-back.

I first came across Brad when I went over to Australia to study coaching methods at Penrith Panthers in 1998.

He was a player who stood out on the training pitch with his unquestionable skill and his superb attitude.

He almost immediately struck me as a player I knew I would love to coach.

To be honest, I never thought I would get the chance.

It was obvious this was one of the most talented players in his position in Australia, and that I was unlikely to be the coach of a club that would be fortunate enough to sign him.

Usually, it's never a pleasant experience admitting you were wrong. On this occasion, I'll make an exception.

I'll gladly admit that I never imagined I would be coaching someone like Brad.

In fact, I'm almost having to pinch myself to make sure it isn't a dream!

I'm already excited at the prospect of seeing him play for the Giants next season, because I know he will bring so much quality to the side.

For a start, he brings heaps and heaps of options for us.

As well as being an exceptional attacking talent, he can also be defensively destructive.

I also believe his experience will benefit the younger players around him, and there's no reason why the likes of Eorl Crabtree won't continue to get even better with Brad helping prompt the team.

There's no doubt the fact we managed to attract James Evans played a part in Brad's decision to join.

James was, of course, a close teammate of Brad's at Canberra Raiders before he decided to join us with immediate effect.

And if Brad manages to settle in to the Giants as quickly as James, I'll be highly delighted.

James has taken to this club like a duck to water, and he's already an integral part of our set-up.

That was reflected in the way he played on his debut at Salford at the weekend.

I had thought very long and hard about throwing him straight in against Wakefield the week before.

But instead, I thought I would give him more time to settle in and get used to the way we operate.

As far as I'm concerned, that decision was confirmed right with the way he played at The Willows.

Overall, his performance was outstanding and it was a credit to him that he was able to slot in as well as he did. A great start!