THERE was a time when no one thought Jermaine McGillvary would ever leave Huddersfield Giants.
After being with the Super League club for 16 years and having made over 300 appearances, however, the former England international left the John Smith’s Stadium.
It was a surprising moment for all concerned, especially given McGillvary’s service and loyalty to the Giants when he could have jumped ship for other opportunities.
In fact, the exit was even more surprising for the man himself.
Speaking on the League Express podcast, the 36-year-old – who ended his career with Wakefield Trinity in the Championship in 2024 – has recalled his messy exit.
“They knew they wanted rid of me as some point maybe around May, June or July but no one would communicate with me,” McGillvary told the League Express podcast.
“I would grab the coach and ask him ‘what’s happening?’ and he would say things like ‘we might be re-signing, maybe’.
“But then it got to presentation evening and the welfare manager approached me and told me that they were going to put it out that I was retiring and I was like ‘what do you mean?’
“He said ‘you’re leaving aren’t you?’ and I said ‘no!’ So I rang the coach and he said he was still undecided and that he would ring the CEO and see what’s happening.
“So he has rang the CEO and he has rang me back saying that they were going down a different route two weeks before the end of the season.
“I said ‘why the hell didn’t you tell me this in May, June or July or any time that I have asked you?’
“Bearing in mind every team was all spent up and that I wasn’t prepared to get my body battered for a small amount of money, especially in the later stages of my career.
“I said that I wouldn’t be going to the presentation evening, I wasn’t going to turn up. It was disrespectful to me. Anyway, Huddersfield did a big celebration thing of my career but I wasn’t there.”
McGillvary professes that he understands the reasoning behind the decision, but that all he wanted was honesty earlier on in the year.
“I understood the logic, I was 35 and that they wanted to go in a different direction, but tell me that in May!
“I could have been a back-up player at a Wigan or a Leeds but they had signed players already. They did me over and I’d been there a long time – just be honest.
“Since that day, until the other day when I met up with the chairman, no one had spoken a word to me and if anyone says they have done then they are a liar.
“That was rubbish and a few things went on behind the scenes which I won’t discuss but it was upsetting. I’m not an emotional guy but it left me feeling down.
“I had seen it happen to players before but I spent longer there than I had done at school so maybe I was a bit naive.
“It’s a bit sad and it broke the relationships that will probably never heal now – on my part anyway.”
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