Kevin Brown discusses his time with Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants ahead of Thursday's game between the two sides

The retired England international started his playing career with Wigan Warriors, before making the move to Huddersfield.

Brown expects improvements from both sides this year, and is already seeing the impact Matty Peet is having with his boyhood club.

He said: “Last year was disappointing, with the brand of rugby they played they didn’t look close as a group.

“They had a lot of good players but sometimes the cohesion wasn’t there and they relied too heavily on Jackson Hastings.

“The players now look like they’ve come out of their shell. Kai Pearce-Paul could be anything this year, Jake Bibby looks good, while Cade Cust and Jai Field look fantastic.

“They look close as a group, I think that’s easy to spot. I’ve been around that club a little bit, and they are doing things well.

“Matty Peet has galvanised the group. They still have a little way to go before they are challenging at the top but they’ve taken massive strides forward.”

“The culture in which that has been brought in is fantastic, and I do have a soft spot for them, but I also have a lot of mates at Huddersfield, so as long as they all come away safe and it’s a good spectacle, then I’ll be happy.”

One of the familiar faces for Brown at Huddersfield is his former coach Ian Watson.

“I was disappointed with what they produced last year, if I am honest,” Brown added.

“With the team they assembled, I didn’t think they had really improved. In terms of this year they look like they’ve got a lot of depth.

“I think it will take time. Ian Watson is a man who is very structured in his approach.

“If they buy into what he wants then they will have a fantastic year.”

Brown grew up living in between Wigan and St Helens, but always supported the side in cherry and white.

“It’s half Saints, half Wigan, and wherever you went you couldn’t get away from it, for either good or bad.” he explained.

“A lot of my mates supported Wigan, so I was on the terraces at Central Park with them.

“There was always good banter, and that’s what made it extra special.

“My son is flirting with both at the moment and doesn’t know who to support.”

Brown has plenty of highlights from his time playing for his boyhood club, but his debut in 2003 is something that sticks out the most, as an unforgettable derby day.

“It’s all fond memories, playing there for four or five years was brilliant,” he said.

“The best moment was playing Saints on my debut. I’ve played over 450 games and that is in the top couple.

“If we had played them 1000 times that was probably the only one we would’ve won. They had a team full of internationals and five or six of us were making our debuts, so we went into it with nothing to lose.

“There was some pressure, because you don’t know what to expect. You think they are superheroes when you haven’t played at that level, but I just realised everyone was the same.

“It was an amazing day, especially doing it with my mates who I had been in the academy with, because usually you’re alongside senior players.

“We had all been thrown in at the deep end in front of a capacity crowd. The party after was just as good.

“It gave me extra motivation to get back there the week after because it was such a good experience. If you were writing a script for your debut that would’ve been it. I still have a smile on my face whenever I think about it.”

Brown notes it was hard for him to leave Wigan, but eventually settled in at Huddersfield, where he spent nearly seven seasons.

“At the time I was devastated and absolutely gutted,” he explained.

“I wanted to spend my whole career there but I wasn’t playing good enough to stay in the team.

“I went in too early and I wasn’t developing, so if I had been taken out and given a chance to learn it would’ve been different.

“I was shattered when Brian Noble told me I was leaving. I thought going to Huddersfield was a disaster but it was the best thing for me.

“I ended up captaining the side and ended up learning how to play the game. I was coached by one of the best in Super League in Nathan Brown.

“We went to finals and we were in the playoffs, so at the time we were one of the top teams, and it was really positive.

“I’ve had a lot of setbacks and people telling me that I’ve not been good enough. I’ve had to scrap for everything, there’s always been some negative against me.

“I think that ultimately made me the player I was and why I had such longevity in my career.

“It’s not always plain sailing but if you can use it in a positive way to benefit you. It made me much better.

“The first time I came up against Wigan was really strange, because they were really struggling and could’ve been relegated.

“I scored and it was sort of bittersweet because I was still a fan, but they scored at the end to just creep home to save their season.”

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