PRESSURE is mounting on Huddersfield coach Ian Watson following a seventh defeat in eight games.
A second-half fightback in Perpignan on Saturday from 22-0 down at the interval ended in a 22-18 loss to Catalans.
“Of course I feel the pressure, there’s pressure everywhere in this competition, we have it all of the time,” Watson said after the final hooter.
“We’ve had a lot of tight games but there’s no point making excuses, the facts say we have lost seven from eight and it’s not good enough.
“We showed in the second half the kind of resolve and commitment that is the real Huddersfield Giants but the silly mistakes and poor discipline killed us early on.”
First-half tries from Tom Davies, Théo Fages, Arthur Romano and Tom Johnstone left the visitors reeling, but second-half strikes from Harry Rushton, Ashton Golding and Luke Yates put the Giants back in the frame, although they couldn’t quite finish the job.
Watson read the riot act to his players at half-time at Stade Gilbert Brutus but will take a more considerate approach before the Giants’ next two fixtures, tricky away trips to Warrington and Leigh.
He added: “We’ll go into the international break and do it a bit differently this time, we’ll have certain days with the players in and also allow them some time off as well.
“If you look at Leigh’s performance on the back of travelling to Catalans, it takes a hell of a lot out of you when you are away from home for four days, so it’s only right to give some time back to the players and their families.
“But we will be training for sure and there are quite clearly lessons to be learned from that first half.
“The players responded really well and we were really close there at the end to a significant win.
“Our younger players in particular will be better for the experience and we will take this all into our training sessions.
“At the same time, we can talk about it and practise it but you’ve got to go out there and do it for the full 80 minutes.”
First published in League Express newspaper, Issue 3,436 (June 24, 2024)
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