They say that the recruitment process never stops, and that has most certainly been the case at Huddersfield this year.
Following the departure of Brett Ferres and retirement of Luke Robinson at the start of 2016, the Giants have been trying to bulk up their squad ever since. Ryan Brierley and Sebastine Ikahihifo have both been signed while Jordan Tansey, Gene Ormsby and Jamie Foster have also been brought in, although they have now departed after short-term deals.
Despite the urgency to recruit for this season, Paul Anderson has also been identifying targets for 2017 too, and inevitably there will be some movement eventually.
Here is our report on what Huddersfield fans can expect from their club ahead of 2017.
Where do they need to strengthen?
It’s difficult to really pinpoint one specific position. On paper the Giants have a very strong squad packed with young players that the club are keen to develop. The likes of Oliver Roberts, Nathan Mason and Sam Wood have all signed new deals after impressing this season, and their youthfulness is balanced out by the experience of Eorl Crabtree and Craig Huby.
It would appear that there won’t be many departing the Giants at the end of the season, so it could well be a case of one in, one out in 2017, but only time will tell.
One position they might potentially be keen to focus on is hooker. Ryan Hinchcliffe, Kyle Wood and Kruise Leeming have all played there this season, but with Wood filling in at halfback and Hinchcliffe spending as much time at loose-forward, there might be a desire to bring in a more specialised number nine.
Reported targets
Huddersfield have been linked with two Bradford players in recent weeks.
Dale Ferguson was part of the Giants team that won the League Leaders’ Shield in 2013, and it would appear he is set for another stint with the club starting from next year.
Meanwhile, Huddersfield is the latest club that Lee Gaskell has been linked with, after previous reports suggested both Leigh and Hull FC are interested in his services. The link to Gaskell is a peculiar one, given they already have Danny Brough, Jamie Ellis, Kyle Wood and Ryan Brierley who can play in the halves.
Who do they need to keep?
Brough has been linked with a move away from Huddersfield all year, with Hull FC the club predominantly linked with the Scotland international. Given his undoubted talents, you’d have to think Paul Anderson would be keen to keep him.
One man who could leave is Scott Grix, who is out of contract at the end of the season. With Brierley and young Jared Simpson at the club, it would appear the Giants are going down a different route at fullback in the future. Larne Patrick is also expected to depart.
