JERMAINE MCGILLVARY will forever be remembered at Huddersfield Giants for the tremendous service he gave the West Yorkshire club.
After debuting in June 2010, McGillvary went on to register 209 tries in 313 appearances for the Giants over the course of 14 seasons, becoming a club legend in the process.
Of course, the 36-year-old ended his career with Wakefield Trinity in 2024, helping Daryl Powell’s side to promotion from the Championship.
But, before McGillvary had even made his debut for Huddersfield, there had been a time where he had wanted to leave the John Smith’s Stadium after failing to even register an appearance during the 2009 Super League season.
Now, speaking to the League Express podcast, McGillvary has revealed just what happened and why former Giants coach Nathan Brown deserves all the thanks for developing him.
“I grabbed Nathan Brown after training because I knew Salford and Castleford were interested in me,” McGillvary told the League Express podcast.
“I told him I was going to leave at the end of the 2009 season because I didn’t believe he would play me and was just using me as a squad number.
“I wanted a chance to show what I could do and he said that he had got big plans for me and that I would become one of his main players.
“I didn’t believe him at the time but if it wasn’t for NathanBrown, not just that time, but in developing me positionally and giving me the knowledge of the game, he is the number one.
“If he hadn’t had come at that time, I wouldn’t have made it.”
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