This is going to be no holds barred BRIERLEY

return to the top flight, but head coach Rick Stone is hoping the return will help bring the very best out of his half-back.

“I’m sure he’d be a little bit disappointed with some of his form over the past couple of weeks, if I’m being honest,” said Stone.

“So I’m sure he’ll be looking for a big game against his former club tonight to help kick-start his year.

“Ryan is a very, very talented player, although he’s far from the finished article.

“Overall, I think he needs to improve his out-and-out involvement in the game.

“Everyone expects Ryan to score a couple of tries each game, and he’s not done that yet.

“For me, it’s important he does his job defensively, makes sure he has the presence to get the ball if he needs it, acts as a good foil to Danny Brough and contributes to our kicking game.

“It would be great to see Ryan at his best tonight.

“Having said that, it’s up to everyone to play to their best and make sure we get back to winning ways, because last week was so disappointing.” Paul Clough (main picture) is enjoying life at the Giants following his move from Bradford Bulls over the winter, and is confident his new club will soon be back on the right Super League track, starting with a win at Leigh tonight, when Ryan Brierley (below) will be keen to impress against his former club LEEDS coach Brian McDermott says he has no issues with chief executive Gary Hetherington’s pledge to make changes if the club’s fortunes do not pick up in the next month.

Hetherington reacted to the Rhinos’ record 66-10 Super League defeat at Castleford last Thursday by sending an open letter to fans hinting that the next four fixtures, starting with the visit of Catalans Dragons to Headingley tonight and a trip to the Giants on March 24, will have a crucial bearing on the club’s future.

The Leeds boss stood steadfastly by McDermott throughout their turbulent season in 2016 when they finished outside the top eight and were forced to battle against relegation from Super League, but he told fans that “we are not stubborn enough to believe no change is always the best option”.

Hetherington appeared to suggest that McDermott has four matches to save his job but the coach told a news conference at Headingley that he was in full agreement with the letter.

“Something needed to be said after such an ugly day,” McDermott said. “It was a club letter and I’m keen to stress that Gary rang me up and cleared that letter with me.

“The decisions that we make will be made as a group. We need to stand up to be counted and bear the brunt of last Thursday. I’m cool with what he said, I’ve no dramas with anything that was said.”

McDermott added: “I think what the club are saying is we aren’t going to change after just one game, we’re not going to do it because we’ve had a really ugly day at the office.

“Those days at Cas are never down to one thing. They are usually a combination of a few things and the biggest factor was that Cas were white hot, although we shouldn’t be conceding 66 points.

“Friday is a big game, the next three or four big. We want to be in position in the league where we’re challenging at the top.”

McDermott admitted it had been a difficult week after the 12-try mauling by the Tigers.

“It was that bad a day, we just needed to play the day after, so it’s been a really long, tough week for all of us,” he said.

“You have got to go through a process and the process this week has been a tough one because the footage we’ve been looking at has not been particularly good footage.

“There is an element of a psychological battle this week but the players have never shirked that responsibility.”