Ian Watson admits that the build-up to Huddersfield Giants’ biggest game in years could be compromised by the illness that has swept their camp.
However, he is confident that his side has the character to overcome any obstacles, having done exactly that last week to beat Wakefield Trinity in Super League.
Focus has turned to their Challenge Cup semi-final – the club’s first in a decade – on Saturday at Elland Road, as Huddersfield aim to go one step closer to lifting the famous trophy for the first time since 1953.
Hull KR will stand in their way but there could be internal challenges to overcome as well, with the squad heavily impacted by flu last week.
Although he hopes the club is over the worst of it, Watson says he won’t be taking any chances and pushing players too hard physically this week if they are not ready for it.
“Ideally you want a really good week of training leading into it,” said Watson of the upcoming semi-final.
“We need to see what the fallout of this (flu) is. It might be that we’re not pushing anyone to any limits in training, it might just be training to make everyone feel good and ready for the semi-final more than anything else.”
The fact that they overcame those issues to beat Wakefield last week gives Watson hope they can manage.
“Hopefully we’ll put a performance in like that this week,” he said.
“We showed that hunger and desire and a never-say-die attitude.”
That win also corrected a tricky Easter period in which the Giants only collected one Super League point from a possible six.
Watson admitted another defeat, and a poor performance, would have been a difficult context in which to enter this huge week.
“I’m a big believer that you’ve got to go into a semi-final with some kind of form, be playing to your processes and be playing confidently. We were outstanding with that,” he added.
Huddersfield will be boosted on Saturday by the return of Tui Lolohea and Chris Hill, two of their outstanding players in the opening months of the season, after serving one-match bans.
However, Jack Cogger is ruled out of the semi-final after receiving a three-match ban, extended from two after the club appealed in the hope of making him available to face Hull KR and were unsuccessful.
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