Larne Patrick returns to continue odyssey with Huddersfield Giants

Larne Patrick, the Castlefordian who spent last year on loan at Wigan Warriors, will wear the claret and gold once more in Super League this term and it is a prospect that excites head coach Paul Anderson.

He believes the 27-year-old has come of age following his spell away from the club, and returns not just a more-rounded player but person, too.

Prop/back-row Patrick was an integral part of Wigan’s squad, playing 29 times, scoring four tries and featuring in their Grand Final against Leeds Rhinos – having, ironically, helped knock Huddersfield out of the semi-finals.

Starting out in Bradford Bulls’ reserve grade as a centre, without ever playing in the first team, Patrick arrived at Huddersfield at the end of 2008 after 12 months in Australia with Manly side Narrabeen Sharks.

Converted to the pack, he soon showed his ability to ally that original three-quarter’s pace with his strength, to become a dangerous weapon off the bench and an explosive force. He had fully established himself by the time Giants won the League Leaders’ Shield in 2013.

However, for the needs of Anderson’s team, the fit just was not right ahead of last season and, therefore, Patrick was swapped with Jack Hughes, the Wigan second-row, for 2015.

Hughes did his bit, playing in all 32 games and impressing enough to earn a permanent deal with Warrington Wolves, but Patrick is now back and readied to continue his Giants odyssey.

He will play loose-forward, having been handed the Huddersfield No 13 jersey, and Anderson told The Yorkshire Post: “I was constantly in touch with Larne all the way through last year.

“We had many, many coffees seeing how he was travelling and how he was handling things.

“Larne had to learn some things and he may be the first to say, more than anything, he’s grown as a person from being away from here.

“Sometimes you need a change and I think he absolutely benefitted from being in a good environment like Wigan’s.

“He played in a Grand Final, played in the big games like the Saints derbies – they are tasty matches – and he’s been opened up to a whole different level of football with regards to intensity as well. He’s definitely bringing that back with him as well.

“I see him as a more mature person but he still has the same benefits he had as a player.”

Many people at the time did not really expect Patrick to return but – during the club’s season media launch at The Chinese Buffet in Huddersfield town centre yesterday – Anderson insisted otherwise.

“When Larne left, we were desperate for an edge back-rower who could play (big) time,” he maintained.

“Being brutally honest, I’d been chasing Jack Hughes for a good 12 months before and the deal worked out well for everyone; Larne went to a different environment and I got a back-row who could play 80 minutes.

“Ultimately, that did hurt us as we missed that dynamism Larne can give you around the middle.

“I thought we were one-paced a bit last year and understand that was down to the remit I wanted from pre-season training.

“I thought we needed to go old-school a little bit and mentally challenge people with some laborious things.

“We got the benefit in a way as we were very, very hard to beat but we want more pace this year.”

Giants captain Danny Brough insists his club must fight just to clinch a top-eight spot.

They have been regular top-four finishers in recent years coming third last season and top just three years ago.

However, Scotland stand-off Brough maintains 2016 is going to be tough and said: “We’re under no illusions; we’re pretty thin on troops this season up to now.

“So, we’ve just got to get two or three wins out of our first four games and our main goal is to secure a top-eight spot.

“That’s not me playing things down at all. All the teams have strengthened around us so we have to play some really good rugby and grind some wins out this to secure that top-eight spot.

“I don’t think there’s an easy game this year so every round for us is a Grand Final.

“If we don’t take it like that, we’ll end up fighting in that bottom four against the Championship top four; it’s closer than people think at the back end of the season so we need to start well.”

Though Rapira, Hinchcliffe and Patrick are on board for the campaign, which starts at St Helens on February 5, Huddersfield have witnessed Craig Kopczak, Shaun Lunt, Chris Bailey, Jodie Broughton, Jack Hughes and Anthony Mullally all depart from last season’s main squad.

Vice-captain Brett Ferres was also sold to champions Leeds Rhinos last week after allegations about the England second-row’s private life and injured prop Craig Huby is set to miss the opening six weeks of the campaign.