Forget top eight, we want top four, says Huddersfield Giants boss

They have still yet to confirm a top-eight berth, something they hope to achieve by beating Leigh Centurions in their penultimate regular round on Friday night.

Huddersfield are six points adrift of fourth-placed Hull FC ahead of the Super 8s so reaching the semi-finals would be a remarkable achievement.

But Australian Stone – who yesterday marked the first anniversary of his appointment at the West Yorkshire club – insisted: “You’d be surprised.

“There is still a bit of change by the time the normal competition is finished as there’s seven games left and there’s 14 more points on offer.

“We want to be in the top-eight and keep moving in the right direction. We can’t just be comfortable.

“There’s a little bit of water to go under the bridge yet in the competition but the first port of call is to get top-eight and then we’ll reassess where we’re at after that.”

Stone confirmed on-loan Leigh half-back Martyn Ridyard won’t be able to play against his parent club but prop Sebastine Ikahihifo is fit again after missing the 40-0 win over Widnes Vikings with concussion.

Second-row Dale Ferguson could also return and there is an outside chance Jordan Turner will be available, too.

Salford Red Devils’ Junior Sa’u will miss Friday’s game at Castleford Tigers after taking an early guilty plea for a high tackle on Leeds Rhinos’ Kallum Watkins and receiving a one-game ban.

Organisers of the 2021 World Cup here hope to double the 450,000 aggregate crowd from the successful staging of the 2013 tournament by England and Wales.

Furthermore, the number of venues for 2021 will be increased from the initial plan of 12 to 14, all with a minimum capacity of 12,000, and 80 per cent of matches will held in the game’s traditional northern heartland, it was announced.