Foster back from wilderness to rebuild career with Giants

The goal-kicking winger/full-back has been given a month to prove his worth to head coach Paul Anderson after a frustrating spell in the wilderness.

Having shot to fame with home-town St Helens in 2010, playing in a Grand Final against Wigan that year and Leeds Rhinos the following season, Foster was rated one of the brightest talents in Super League.

However, after a couple of ineffective campaigns, he was eventually moved on to Bradford Bulls where he played for two years but suffered relegation at the end of 2014.

Since then, Foster has been stuck in a rut following a failed move to rugby union but, having trained with injury-hit Huddersfield for the first time on Monday, maintains he can rediscover his best.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, the 25-year-old said: “This is a massive opportunity for me.

“I can’t wait to get going now especially having been in training with the boys on Monday. It’s almost like I’ve never been away.

“I’m back in the right sport and I’m going to take this chance with both hands.

“I’m straight in on the left edge (wing) Friday night and, personally, coming from St Helens and having regularly played in that derby with Wigan, it can’t get any better as a first match.”

His last game of any sort was for part-timers Hull RUFC against Otley in National Two North last February.

He recalled: “The idea was I was going to sign for London Irish in the Premiership but I went to Doncaster Knights for six months first and out to their feeder club Hull to play a game and just learn the rules more than anything.

“But I just did not take to the game whatsoever. I knew that just from that one match. I completely couldn’t grasp it, didn’t enjoy, didn’t understand it.

“I’ve been playing rugby league since I was six, had signed pro’ when I left school and I knew I’d gone to rugby union for the wrong reasons.

“People had told me at the time it made sense to go play it – that’s where the money was and everything was good about it – but it’s not all about that and I do think people move for the sake of it.

“I had no interest in the sport and now it’s great to be back in league with Giants.”

Foster added: “I put all my eggs in one basket when I left Bradford. The only conversations I had were about rugby union and I got too far down the road to do anything else. I didn’t even try to have a look around at league clubs as I had it set in my head I was going to try union.

“When it didn’t work out, the Super League season had already started and there wasn’t much going but I want to get back to that form I had back in 2011 at Saints.I was just coming onto the scene then and was up for ‘Super League Young Player of the Year’ and I feel as fresh now as I did then.”

Foster scored 25 tries that season and 151 goals but suffered a form slump the following year and ended up on loan at Hull FC.

Huddersfield have been in desperate need for numbers following Friday’s opening game of the season, a 30-16 defeat at Foster’s former club Saints.

They lost full-back Scott Grix and captain Danny Brough to injuries that night, having already been without Craig Huby, Joe Wardle, Luke Robinson, Jared Simpson and Kyle Wood.

Grix will miss the Wigan game due to a dislocated shoulder which should see winger Aaron Murphy switch to full-back, Brough is a major doubt due to a dead leg and former England hooker Robinson yesterday announced his shock decision to retire due to a serious hip problem.

Foster is not concerned about his own lack of match fitness or training in a professional environment and insisted: “I’m feeling good.

“I’ve always kept myself fit and ticking over and now it’s just a case of getting this week’s training under my belt. I’ve got a lot to get done for Friday but I’ll be ready. The idea is to come in for a month and hopefully do enough to secure a full-time deal.

“If I put myself in (Anderson’s) Baloo’s shoes I can understand why I’m on trial – I’ve not been around for a while – and it’s a matter of me proving myself.”

Castleford hooker Adam Milner has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2018 season.

Milner, 24, who has made over 100 appearances since making his debut in 2010, was out of contract at the end of the season and said: “I’m so happy. I really see the club going places over the next couple of years and I want to be part of that.”