Huddersfield Giants and York Knights head into Saturday's Magic Weekend opener searching for the same thing: a clear identity.

While the focus from the outside remains on the foot of the Super League table, the respective coaches are concentrating on the foundations they hope will deliver long-term results.

Jim Lenihan believes Huddersfield are beginning to embrace his methods despite suffering a ninth successive defeat last weekend.

The competition's bottom side pushed Wakefield Trinity all the way before being denied by a last-gasp try.

"We're a club that's trying to find identity," said Lenihan.

"If we want to become a tougher football team, we've got to find some adversity to work through. We put ourselves in a good position to win the game and then lost at the very death. It's just another scar we'll get over.

"Whether we'd won that game by 20 points or lost it by 20 points, the direction is clear on what we're trying to achieve and where we're going.

"It would have been really lovely to win that game and it would be really lovely to win this weekend, but there are certain things we're chasing in our game to build what we want to build in the future."

Jim Lenihan, left, and Mark Applegarth pictured at Monday's media event in Leeds. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

placeholder image — Jim Lenihan, left, and Mark Applegarth pictured at Monday's media event in Leeds. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

York did get over the line last week, securing a much-needed win against Castleford Tigers to lift the mood ahead of the trip to Merseyside.

The victory created a four-point buffer over Huddersfield at the bottom and set up the chance for Mark Applegarth's side to claim back-to-back wins for the first time as a Super League club.

"I thought we showed some great heart and grit, especially that last 10 minutes," said Applegarth.

"Huddersfield were very unlucky in their game, too, so we know we're going to be up against it. I don't think there's much separating a lot of teams.

Paul McShane, left, and George Flanagan, right, will be central figures at Everton. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

"From our point of view, we just want to be consistent. We've been very much up and down in terms of performance.

"We're nowhere near where we want to be as a team yet in terms of the brand of rugby we're serving up. We need to get the DNA of what we want to be known for in top-level rugby league."