THE final game of the season is always a highly emotional one.

And I already know Sunday's home game against Salford will be no exception.

We all know this will be the last played by this particular group together.

As soon as the final hooter sounds at 4.30, some players will be moving on or retiring.

That's when the emotion will really kick-in.

Over the past year I have seen this group of players grow closer together.

From day one, they have worked hard for each other, put their bodies on the line and all put in their best effort for one another.

I really am proud to have been their head coach.

But times change and people move on, and that's what is happening to this Giants squad.

I'm sure all the fans will be keen to say their farewells to the players who will be departing, the latest of which will be club captain Darren Fleary.

I can't speak highly enough about Darren, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him personally for the support he has given me throughout the year.

As well as being a player who always gives 100%, he has also been a fantastic captain and a shining light for me.

To be honest, I couldn't have asked for a better captain in my first year as a head coach.

When Darren speaks, people listen, because he has the full respect of everyone at the club.

There's no doubt he will be a hard man to replace, but I have no doubt that we'll find the right replacement to make sure we continue our improvement up the Super League ladder.

The foundations are already in place to carry on the good work, and I think the experiences of this season will make us even more determined to do well in 2005.

It's safe to say we're all bitterly disappointed not to have made the top six, particularly as we were up there for 23 rounds and it wasn't until last Friday night at Wakefield on the penultimate week of the season that our fate was sealed.

So to miss out has proved a fairly painful experience, and one we don't want to repeat again.

In a sense that has taken some of the gloss off what we have achieved this season, because we have achieved a hell of a lot.

But until we've played Salford on Sunday, the full inquest into our season will not get under way.

A full-scale review of our season will take place next week when no stone will be left unturned.

It's a process that will take several days and the aim is to improve on what we've done to make sure we are even better prepared for Super League X.

But I'm determined we begin that review on the back of a top-quality performance against Salford on Sunday.

A win will ensure we finish in seventh spot and give us a lift ahead of the season's end.

But for the coaching staff, that doesn't mean an end to the work.

It is just the beginning.

Harsh sin-binning proves so crucial

OVERALL, I was pleased with our performance in last Friday's Super League game at Wakefield.

It was obviously disappointing to lose the game 21-20, and I don't believe any criticism can be levelled at my players.

I honestly felt we deserved something from that game.

Unfortunately, however, we were put under considerable pressure by several refereeing decisions.

The most crucial was the sin-binning of Julian Bailey, which I believe was a very tough call.

While he was resting on the sidelines for 10 minutes, Wakefield scored two tries to put them right back in the game at 12-12.

Bails was, of course, then placed on report for an alleged spear tackle in the second half, and subsequently became our latest player to be cleared.

I wasn't surprised the RFL disciplinary panel ruled he had no case to answer, but I have to admit to feeling a little concerned over two of their decisions over the past few weeks.

In that time, two Super League players have appeared in front of the disciplinary committee for attacking the head of an opponent.

On both occasions their `victim' could easily have picked up an injury that required major surgery.

But, amazingly, neither player picked up a ban, even though they were found guilty of their offences.

Instead, the duo were handed fines, which to players on such good money is hardly the greatest deterrent.