Huddersfield Giants forward Alex Mellor is certain Huddersfield will make the play-offs this year.
The Giants’ form at the backend of last season under new head coach Simon Woolford is what gives Mellor the confidence to stick his neck out.
Woolford has now had a full pre-season to work with his side and has recruited a number of NRL stars, including Fiji’s iconic winger Akuila Uate and Canterbury halfback Matt Frawley.
Despite that, the Giants have gone relatively under the radar in the lead-up to the season.
However, the 24-year-old is adamant the Giants will shock everyone.
“We will be a top five team, I’m absolutely sure of it. With the players we’ve got and the squad we’ve got, all we’ve got to do is play to our potential and we’ll nail it,” said Mellor.
“It’s up to us how far we go. We’ve got a different attitude this year, a bit of a killer attitude.
“I want to win a Grand Final. If you don’t set that as the standard then what’s the point in turning out? I like that we’re still underdogs, people still underestimate us and hopefully we can creep up from behind people and give them a scare.”
Mellor has been allocated the number 12 squad number next year following an excellent individual end to last season.
The former Bradford youngster ended the year as Huddersfield’s third highest try-scorer, earning him the starting jersey this time around, but despite that, he insists the hard work only starts now.
“It means a lot to me,” he said.
“I think secretly squad numbers mean a lot to players, they just don’t like to admit it.
“But I’m really happy with getting that number. I started the year injured and I couldn’t find any form, I couldn’t get in the team. Then I got a chance against Widnes when Chris Thorman took over and I didn’t look back from there. I worked hard and at the back end of the season I was really proud.
“But just because you’ve got a starting number doesn’t mean you’re going to play round 1. I’ve got to prove I justify that jersey.
“The good thing is that my standards are high now. I’ve had a good pre-season and we have a good squad here, so together we can push on even further.”