Huddersfield Giants: Why Ian Watson is right man to deliver success - by the players who know him best

Dave Valentine, Jon Sharp and Nathan Brown all took Huddersfield as far as the Challenge Cup final but were unable to guide the club over the line.

Under a coach who lives and breathes rugby league, there is a sense this time could be different.

Watson revitalised Salford after serving his apprenticeship under Australian guru Tim Sheens, stunning the rugby league world by leading the unfancied Red Devils to the 2019 Super League Grand Final.

To prove that was no fluke, Watson took Salford to the Challenge Cup final the following year.

Watson’s stock was rising and there was a scramble for his services, Hull FC trying and failing to lure the 45-year-old across the country.

What was clear was that Watson felt he had hit a ceiling at Salford and wanted to take on a similar project with greater potential for growth.

Enter Huddersfield, a club meandering along before Watson accepted the challenge of turning the Giants into perennial contenders.

Watson immediately set about putting his stamp on the club – recruiting players he knew and trusted in the form of Luke Yates and Josh Jones – but only this year does he have a squad he can call his own after moving on the likes of Aidan Sezer and Kenny Edwards.

Theo Fages, Chris Hill and Tui Lolohea – another player Watson coached at Salford – were the kind of signings that take a club to the next level and that has proved to be the case at Huddersfield.

Supremely organised and committed with a sprinkling of stardust, Watson’s Giants are one win away from immortality.

Huddersfield’s run to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium final – where they will face Wigan Warriors today – began in humble surroundings at Barrow Raiders in March but can be traced back further to Watson’s formative years as a student of the game.

Watson only flirted with Super League during his playing career, much of which was spent as a part-timer.

But always eager to learn and increase his knowledge, he never wasted a minute.

Karl Harrison – Watson’s coach at Salford in 2002 – has not been surprised by his former pupil’s influence as a coach.

“Ian was a clever player who always asked a million questions,” Harrison told The Yorkshire Post.

“He was astute and had a smart rugby league brain. He was never gifted with pace so therefore had to understand how the game was played and how to play it for his coach.

“I could see the coach in him, just from the way he acted around the coaching staff. His attention to detail, for a player who wasn’t the most gifted, impressed me.

“He’s a really honest bloke and doesn’t mind upsetting people. He tells people the truth and not all coaches can do that.

“You see the players like him and have bought into his philosophies. He’s brought some different cattle in who he has coached before and is doing a super job at the Giants.”

Lolohea, Yates and Jones have all played instrumental roles on the road to the final, helping to carry out Watson’s game plan as his men on the ground.

Jones knows Watson as well as anybody in the Huddersfield squad having been brought back to rugby league by Salford in 2016.

The forward paints the picture of a man who is obsessed with the finer details of the sport.

“Out of the many coaches I’ve met over the years, he’s the biggest rugby league nerd,” said Jones.

“He studies rugby all the time and doesn’t sleep. I bet he does his wife’s head in all the time! He really loves his rugby league and studies and analyses everything.

“He’s a very good man manager. He knows how to handle certain players and when to shout at someone and when to put an arm around their shoulder.

“He’s ticking every box at the minute. I can’t speak highly enough of Watto.”

Watson has been keen to stress that he is only just getting started at Huddersfield, a sleeping giant in his eyes.

The one thing missing from Watson’s CV is silverware, something Jones is desperate to address.

“I always knew that Watto would transform any club,” said Jones, who was also coached by Watson on the 2019 Great Britain tour.

“His ideas and knowledge of the game is better than most coaches I’ve seen around.

“We got on really well at Salford and the club did some great things in 2019.

“This is fresh now and this is new. We didn’t win in 2019 but this weekend we want to win and we want to be competing regularly in these competitions and reach finals.

“He’s developing a really good culture within the club. I’ve got a personal relationship with him as well as a professional one but he’s doing some great things.

“I never had any doubt that he’d be successful and feel very lucky to be a part of it.

“Hopefully we can reward him by performing on Saturday.”

In the absence of Theo Fages, extra responsibility falls on the shoulders of Lolohea, a player reborn under Watson.

The Tonga international was rescued from a nightmare spell at Leeds Rhinos by Watson and with renewed belief, helped guide Salford to two finals in the space of 12 months.

Fast forward to the present and Lolohea is benefiting from the faith shown in him by Watson as a full-back.

“He’s the best coach I’ve had in my career,” said Lolohea.

“He’s so clever and has been a saviour for me. I can’t overstate how grateful I am to him.

“He knows me better than anyone in the game. We’ve got a great relationship on the field and off it too.”

When Watson walks out at Tottenham this afternoon, not far behind him will be trusty lieutenant Yates.

If anybody embodies Huddersfield’s collective competitive spirit and will to win, it is the tireless Australian forward.

While Watson is obsessed with completing high and not giving the opposition an inch, it is his human touch that makes players want to run through brick walls for him.

“He’s really smart,” said Huddersfield captain Yates. “I don’t think he sleeps because all he thinks about is footy.

“He’s a great technical coach as well as being a good man motivator.

“He’s the type of coach who wants to improve you and you want to play for him.

“Add all that into the mix and you’re going to be a good coach. All the lads want to play for him and win.”