CHRIS HILL is keen to stand up and be counted at the business end of Huddersfield Giants’ season.
The veteran prop produced a vintage performance, including assisting the winning try for fellow 35-year-old Chris McQueen, last Thursday as Huddersfield beat Hull FC for a third straight success.
That run of form has kept the Giants in play-off contention despite struggling for much of the season so far.
“If we want to make a run, us experienced lads need to stand up,” said the former Warrington Wolves star.
“We’ve been trying to do it all year. There’s a lot of reasons why we’ve not been playing well. The effort on occasions has not been good enough and we know that.
“We’ve gone back to basics. We’re getting behind our kicking game with Rusty (Oliver Russell) in the halves and Jake (Connor at fullback) seems to have settled in a little bit more.
“Not having a pre-season, it’s hard to fit into a new team, a new squad, a new system, but (Connor) is an outstanding player. It’s taken him a bit of time but now we’ve got a settled spine, it makes a massive difference. Everyone knows what they’re doing and how they play.”
On his own piece of halfback skill, the deft handling that produced the match-winning moment against Hull, Hill said: “We work on it a lot in training.
“Sometimes I set it up during a game and it’s not there, you’ve just got to play what’s in front of you and that’s what I did.
“That’s what you train for and practise for. Without Chris McQueen hitting that line, we don’t score.”
Hill will turn 36 during England’s end-of-season Test series against Tonga at the end of this year, but he remains in coach Shaun Wane’s training group and is keen to add to his 38 international caps.
“Never say never. I get on really well with Waney,” said Hill, who signed a new contract earlier this year to play for Huddersfield until the end of 2025.
“I respect everything he does and has done. We’re really good friends. I’ll always put my hand up for him.”
Huddersfield have agreed a three-year contract extension with highly-rated forward Fenton Rogers, who is currently on loan at Bradford.
Meanwhile the Giants’ game at St Helens, which was postponed in February due to the hosts’ World Club Challenge involvement, will take place on Sunday week, August 13 (5pm).