Huddersfield Giants ready to seize moment in race to Old Trafford

From squad management to performance, the objective is to peak just in time for the play-offs.

Champion sides encounter bumps along the way but those bad days are quickly forgotten at the sight of the Super League trophy being held aloft.

The challenge for Huddersfield Giants is to ensure all their hard work during the 2022 regular season was not in vain.

Ian Watson's side were in the top six from the first round right through to the last, winning 17 of their 27 games along the way.

The Giants suffered a wobble or two and had to cope with the loss of influential players to injury, yet found a way to secure third spot and a play-off eliminator against Salford Red Devils at the John Smith's Stadium, where they have won 13 of their 14 matches this year.

With Theo Fages, Chris Hill and Ricky Leutele all fit and firing after spells on the sidelines, Huddersfield are ready to seize the moment.

"You look at our home form with the one loss to St Helens and the amount of players we've now got back available," said Watson.

"At one point during the season, we were losing quite a lot and struggling to name a squad week in, week out. We were naming people who were injured sometimes just to fill the 21.

"Now we're in a really good position. The medical team and S&C team have got them guys back to the condition they were in close to the start of the season.

"Hopefully that bodes really well."

As a group, this is a new experience for Huddersfield after ending the club's seven-year wait for another crack at the play-offs.

Watson's men can, however, draw on the experience of their run to the Challenge Cup final and have a number of players who know what it takes to reach a Grand Final.

Watson added: "What I've noticed is players who have been involved in big games like Chris Hill, Theo, Chris McQueen, Ricky Leutele and Tui (Lolohea), they've looked really sharp and full of energy in training.

"The reason they play is to play in these big games. They've been bouncing around training. They're very confident and know their roles really clearly.

"The players have had a belief throughout the year. We spoke at the start of the year about the play-offs being the minimum aim.

"We wanted to have a real tilt at the Challenge Cup which we did. We just came up short there.

"The play-offs are a completely different competition. Everything will raise from here in terms of physicality and intensity.

"The guys that have been there and done it know what to expect. Some of the guys that have not been there before will soon know what it's about when they get in there."

Aside from Jermaine McGillvary and Jack Cogger, Watson has had a fully-fit squad to select from.

"You always want those selection headaches as a coach," added Watson, who has confirmed Fages and Oliver Russell will start in the halves ahead of Will Pryce.

"There's been more than one or two this week with how the boys stepped up.

"We spoke to our middles last week and basically said there were a few positions available for this play-off game. I don't think anybody let themselves down last week. Then it comes down to a tough decision for myself to leave players out."

Today's play-off opener sees Watson come up against the club he led to the 2019 Grand Final.

After winning plaudits for their expansive style during the regular season, the expectation is that Salford will stick to their guns regardless of the magnitude of the game.

"Why not?" said Watson. "That's what has got them the success so far.

"I don't think they'll change much. They'll be fairly confident on the back of the recent run of results.

"Andy Ackers and Marc Sneyd were really unlucky not to be in the Dream Team. They've got a hell of a lot more than just Brodie Croft.”

A win over Salford would set up an away semi-final with Wigan Warriors in a repeat of the Challenge Cup final, a fact not lost on Watson.

"There's a real driving force behind us," he said.

"We know we just missed out in the Challenge Cup final and we don't want to feel like we did after that in terms of missing an opportunity.

"Chris Hill was a big loss that day. He's fully fit and raring to go now. He can lead from the front and use a little bit of that heartache as motivation in this game.

"Hopefully if we do our job, we meet Wigan and go into that one confident."