INTERVIEW | BRIAN NOBLE

Head coach Brian Noble, who is sponsored by Paints and Lacquers, reflects on pre-season training and looks ahead to Sunday's fixture with Keighley Cougars...

Reflecting on the early stages of pre-season…

I think the surprising thing for me and what our fans should be excited about, is the fact that you stand out if you're not putting in the effort in practice. The competition within the group is big, and the willingness, the self-willingness, to do well within the group is outstanding. Now we've got to transfer that into making sure that everybody is ready to play their particular part, and then them understanding simply what it is we all expect of each other, but I have to say, it's a pleasure to stand amongst them in some of the practices at the moment, because you’re very rarely having to reiterate things twice and thrice.

On the potential within the squad…

I think they understand when they’re looking at presentations, when Lee Greenwood is at the front speaking or when I'm at the front speaking, that we've got a chance to do some really, really good things, and if we get a group of people that are prepared to improve every week and we do the tough stuff and the effort stuff which they're doing at the moment, then we're giving ourselves chance and that's all it gives you. It just gives you a chance that sometimes you can go through career as a player, and you don't take those opportunities, and you don't take those chances, you get to the end of it and you think I wish it had done X or Y and I don't want any of this group to be like that with the potential that we have, but it's only potential. You know, potentials like anything else. You have to develop that and improve upon that to get the best out of everybody. I think the players know that, they think they can be a good team. As I said, we haven't done anything yet. We think we can be a good team, so if we work hard enough, and it won't be as smooth a ride as people think because there's always ups and downs and there's always negatives in and around somewhere. We have to protect ourselves from all of them and understand where we can get to.

On the side before self mentality…

It's like any walk of life, work is easier if you're with a group of people that you want to be with and want to work with, whatever the challenges are. So you have to try and cobble that together and we have a lot of superstars in our team that are well thought of within the game of rugby league and have done some magnificent things, but it doesn't mean a thing if they don't buy into what we're trying to achieve. I'm confident that have, but when you get put under the microscope through the season and the furnace is on and people are asking you difficult questions, that's when we'll be tested. That's when our resolve will be tested, that's when our mission will be tested but I have to say that the early signs are really very good. 

On what to expect from a fierce Bradford vs Keighley rivalry…

We haven't done any contact in our phase one, other than some little bits on the field. That’s always a shock to the players when it comes around and somebody tries to belt you into next week. Keighley and Bradford is an emotionally strong fixture for everybody and I don't doubt that the start will be like that. We've got some new players as well, where we'll be wanting to see some combinations. 

On which players could miss out… 

There will be five or six players missing who I would think the competitors for a starting jumper. Tom Holmes and Jordan Lilley won't be in the mix, Guy Armitage won't be in the mix he has a small injury, not a major one. I probably won't play Michael Lawrence and James Donaldson, because we'll need them through the season, when we're throwing, when we're hitting each other with baseball bats, so we have to be selective with what we're doing, what we don't do. There might be one or two others but everybody else in the main should feature.  

His message to the players this Sunday…

We haven't picked a starting 13 yet. We haven't picked the 20 people that might feature in around that yet. So if you're prepared to play well enough you put yourself in the mix. Myself and Greeny have an idea of who we think is going to feature more but what we've got at the moment, if we don't get injuries, is the ability to change the team around to be, not just different, but impactive. It's the first chance for somebody to make a name for themselves. I can only reinforce the fact that you know that I'm a big fan of the Peposhi’s of this world and what he brings to a squad and what he brings to a team. I'm clearly looking for people to put in and cause pressure on people who are expected to be playing, nobody here has the expectancy of playing in this team.  

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