MATTY ENGLISH is ready for a Super League round-one watching brief as Huddersfield Giants plot another big season – this time with some silverware at the end of it.
Originally-scheduled opponents St Helens’ involvement in the World Club Challenge on Saturday means the Giants must wait until Warrington’s visit on Friday week, February 24, to start their campaign.
Homegrown prop English admits he can’t decide whether that’s a good or a bad thing, explaining: “On one hand, we’re all chomping at the bit to get going, and it will seem a bit strange seeing all the other clubs playing while we aren’t.
“On the other hand, we missed our pre-season game against Bradford due to the weather and with quite a few new faces, it’s given us an extra week of pre-season to work on things.
“Because we’ve known about it for quite a while, Watto (coach Ian Watson) has been able to factor it into our preparations.
“It also means we can have a good look at Warrington and how they are shaping up with their new players, and do that extra bit of analysis, but they can’t do the same with us.”
The 24-year-old says the squad additions, including exciting back Jake Connor, who has returned to Huddersfield after a spell at Hull, star centres Kevin Naiqama and Esan Marsters and former Canberra Raiders forward Harry Rushton, reflect owner Ken Davy’s commitment and ambition.
“I think it’s time that we repaid him by winning something,” said the former England Academy and Knights international, whose 22 appearances last season included both the Challenge Cup final defeat by Wigan and play-off eliminator loss at home to Salford.
“We got close in the Challenge Cup, and while it was agonising to lose out so narrowly, we have to learn from it and use it as motivation to go one better.
“Of course we want to get back the Challenge Cup Final and also make it to a Grand Final, and to do that, we need to maintain consistent form.
“I felt we dipped a little towards the end of the season and maybe that contributed to the performance against Salford, which was so disappointing. We let ourselves down.
“If we can make it to further big matches, and there’s no reason why not, especially with the squad we have in place now and the stability Watto has created, we need to make sure we remember what happened last year and avoid any repeat.”