HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS coach Ian Watson is working hard to find a quick fix to ensure his side’s dip in form doesn’t dent their play-off bid.
Watson’s hopes of a seventh straight Super League success were crushed 26-18 at Castleford Tigers on Friday night.
Huddersfield trailed by 20 points before late tries by Chris McQueen and Will Pryce when Castleford were down on numbers after a yellow card for Paul McShane (Kenny Edwards was also sinbinned in the final minute).
“We clawed it back a little and those late points could come in handy at the end of the season in terms of points difference,” said Watson, who handed a debut to Toby King after the loan swap deal that took his fellow centre Jake Wardle the other way to Warrington Wolves.
“Toby was pretty solid. I just wish we could have hit him with a little more ball, but really, we weren’t at the races.
“We didn’t play anything like we’ve done for most of the year, and I think we have come back from the (international) break a little soft, mentally and defensively.
“We managed to win at Hull KR, but we weren’t great, and now we’ve seen what happens when you turn up and don’t want to defend.
“And we lacked composure. We weren’t patient enough; we chased the edges too much and we put the ball to the floor too often.
“But it’s better to get a lesson at this stage of the season than closer to the end – as long as we take it on board.”
Huddersfield face Watson’s old club Salford Red Devils at the Magic Weekend on Sunday and he added: “We know how to fix things up and that’s by getting onto the training field and doing all the right things with our processes.”
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