HUDDERSFIELD Giants hooker Bella Sykes is confident that her side will come good this year and finally pick up that elusive first Group One victory.
The Giants entered the top tier last season after beating Featherstone Rovers 24-22 in the 2021 Shield Final, but found the step up difficult, failing to win a game all year and scoring just 32 points across their eight games.
But with another year’s experience under their belts, and with the guidance of ex-England player Lori Halloran as head coach, 18-year-old Sykes believes the Giants will prove to be much more competitive throughout 2023.
“Obviously last year was hard to take but we’re pushing that to one side now and starting afresh,” Sykes told League Express.
“We have a new set up under Lori and have brought some new girls in, so we’re ready to go again.
“Lori has made us value the importance of backing our own ability. As a young side it can be easy to look at these big, established teams and be really daunted by it, but she has encouraged us to embrace or our process and our own journeys and go out there and put in a good performance against them.
“We did show some resilience last year and there were spells when we were in games, so we know we just need to stick to our structures.
“Last year we didn’t really have a game plan, it was a case of showing up and giving it all we had, but this year we have a bit more structure and we’re working closer with the men. We’re going to be going in to games fit and ready to go.
“If we can stick to the plans and come together and do our jobs, then the results will come. It may not be straight away, bit with the progress we’re making, we will get better.
“We know we earned the right to be in Super League by beating Featherstone a couple of years ago, so we’re not here to make up the numbers, we are here to push on, win games and challenge those bigger teams.”
Huddersfield’s Super League campaign gets underway when Leeds Rhinos visit Huddersfield YMCA on Sunday, April 16.
