Huddersfield Giants signing James Cunningham feels "guilty" after Toronto Wolfpack exit

ENGLAND Knights hooker James Cunningham has joined Huddersfield Giants - but admits feeling “guilty” leaving behind Toronto Wolfpack team-mates who are still out on a limb after the Canadian club’s demise.
James Cunningham in action for Toronto Wolfpack earlier this season (Chris Mangnall/SWpix.com)James Cunningham in action for Toronto Wolfpack earlier this season (Chris Mangnall/SWpix.com)
James Cunningham in action for Toronto Wolfpack earlier this season (Chris Mangnall/SWpix.com)

Hull-born Cunningham, who excelled with London Broncos in Super League last term, has signed a two-year deal with the Fartowners following Toronto’s failure to convince Super League they should be re-admitted in 2021.

Numerous Wolfpack players have moved on since it was announced in July that they would not be able to fulfil their fixtures this term due to Covid and its financial implications.

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Cunningham joined Toronto after they earned promotion at the end of last year - London passed them on the way down - but plenty of his former colleagues are still seeking new clubs after Super League last week voted to keep them out next season.

“When [Huddersfield] first expressed an interest it felt nice,” he said.

“It’s a good club and I’m really happy, but I also kind of feel bad that I’ve got a new team when a lot of my team-mates haven’t.

“I’ve felt guilty that I’m sorted and the rest are in limbo.

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“I’ve been down (at Giants) a couple of weeks and the facilities are second to none.

“We’ve got a really good squad with exciting youngsters.

“By keeping hold of them we can start pushing for the play-offs. I just want to get in there and play behind some of the big lads.”

Huddersfield finished seventh this season just missing out on the top six and remain on stand-by in case any of this week’s play-off contenders are sidelined by Covid.

Cunningham is essentially a replacement for Knights colleague Kruise Leeming, the hooker who moved to Leeds Rhinos last autumn.

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He will offer strong competition to first-choice hooker Adam O’Brien but also proved useful cover in the halves for Aidan Sezer and Lee Gaskell.

Giants managing rirector, Richard Thewlis said: “It feels appropriate now to get this news out formally after a degree of speculation for quite some time. “James agreed to join the club some time back having obtained permission to do so from the Wolfpack but we’d agreed to keep the matter confidential for a couple of reasons.

"Firstly, to assist the Wolfpack in finding new owners as a perceived exit of players would have - back then - been poor publicity and made a difficult process in attracting new owners even more so.

“Secondly because James is owed considerable monies by the club which he had hoped would have been honoured by any new owner.

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"James will start pre-season with us in mid-December and fits the criteria for us of being a hungry, young, talented rugby league hooker who has already got experience at England Knights level and Betfred Super League."

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