IAN WATSON has launched an impassioned defence of his time at Huddersfield Giants so far following criticism from a section of the Super League club’s supporters.
Watson, who took over the reins at the John Smith’s Stadium in 2021, has led the Giants to a Challenge Cup Final in 2022 as well as a third-place finish in the same year, but failed to take Huddersfield into the play-offs in 2023.
The Giants crashed out of the Challenge Cup this year at the semi-final stage following a 46-10 thrashing by Warrington Wolves but Watson has defended his record at the West Yorkshire club.
“I don’t see it (criticism) so it doesn’t really bother me,” Watson said.
“I’m not going to take advice from people who have never achieved anything and just want to have a pot shot at certain things.
“Somebody said to me the other day that we must have been wrong and when we came to this club they were playing in Grand Finals and Challenge Cup finals – we weren’t doing that and we definitely hadn’t played in two semi-finals in four years and got to finals.
“I can’t worry or try to prove other people wrong. Instead, it’s just about doing my job to the best of my ability and to give the players what they need going into games.
“If the club and group feel I’m the right person then I’m the right person for it so I’m not really worried about what anybody else says. I know what I do and what I’m about as a person.
“What I can’t control is what people are saying on the outside, but I know the effort that the boys are putting in and how hard they work on the inside – I’ve got no problem with the playing group here.”
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