Huddersfield’s semi-final hero Erin Stott has said there is no reason why her side cannot end their debut season in Super League with a trophy.
Confidence is high within the Giants squad after a spectacular win over fellow newcomers Warrington Wolves in the semi-final came when Stott crossed the whitewash in the third period of golden point to send the West Yorkshire side into the Headingley final with a 30-26 victory.
In terms of experience, Featherstone Rovers far outweigh their opponents – they have been one of the leading names in the Women’s game since before Super League started, while the Giants only entered the Championship in their first season as a club in 2019.
Having finished fourth in the Championship that year, the Giants were elevated to Super League but had to wait over a year before making their debut in the competition as the Coronavirus pandemic took hold.
Few would have been expecting the Giants to be within touching distance of a trophy this year, but for Rugby Union convert Stott, the improvement the club have made throughout this year is deserving of success.
“To get a try anyway in a game makes you feel amazing, but knowing that that try has secured you a place in the final, and seeing how pleased it made everyone, it was so rewarding,” said 18-year-old Stott, who made her Giants debut a week after her 16th birthday.
“The team had worked hard to get Warrington on the back foot and put me in a position to score and as soon as I saw the open run I knew we were in the final.
“We knew going into the game that it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew we could beat them but that it would be a difficult game. But given that we dug in, kept going and got the win it does give us confidence going into the Featherstone game, which will be very different to the Warrington one.
“But if we approach it in the right way and with confidence, perform like we did in the second half against Warrington from the get go, not give up if we’re losing and trust each other out there then we could come away with the win.
“We’re a very young team and at the start of the season I don’t think we were expected to win any games. The nerves got the better of us to begin with and we didn’t know what to expect. We were always seen as the underdogs, but we’ve proved now that we’re here to compete and that we aren’t a team to be walked over so we deserve this place in the final.”
Huddersfield’s game against Featherstone is the first game of a double header being played at Emerald Headingley Stadium on Sunday, with the Super League Grand Final between League Leaders St Helens and reining champions Leeds Rhinos taking place afterwards.
The action gets underway at 12noon and any members and/or season ticket holder of the four teams involved can claim up to two free tickets, with only a £1 booking fee to pay for each ticket. Clubs will email eligible members with a promo code that can be redeemed at www.eticketing.co.uk/rugbyleague.
Women’s Super League Fixtures
Shield Final
Featherstone Rovers v Huddersfield Giants 12:00
Grand Final
St Helens v Leeds Rhinos 15:00 (TV)
Both at Emerald Headingley Stadium
