McGillvary fears for Giants and England future

CONCERNED Huddersfield Giants winger Jermaine McGillvary is not just worried about the club's Super League future but his England place, too.
Jermaine McGillvary.Jermaine McGillvary.
Jermaine McGillvary.

He is likely to miss Sunday’s opening Qualifiers game at Salford Red Devils due to an injury that could keep him sidelined for some time.

That is bad news for Huddersfield, who finished bottom and now face battling with the Championship’s elite for a top-flight place in 2017.

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But McGillvary, who has scored 20 tries in 24 games this season despite the West Yorkshire club’s plight, also realises his international spot is under threat.

Jermaine McGillvary.Jermaine McGillvary.
Jermaine McGillvary.

“It’s one of those where, with the team being so poor this season, are you going to get picked or not?” he admitted, having made his debut in the series-clinching third Test win over New Zealand last autumn. “I’ll always have dreams and hopes of being picked for the Four Nations but it is going to be tough.

“We were all in the meeting with new coach Wayne Bennett but you never say if you’ll be in the side or not especially with the season we’ve had.

“I’ll always try and hopefully get in there, get in the squad, push on from there and let them see what I can do but I know it’ll be tough.”

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McGillvary helped Huddersfield win the League Leaders’ Shield just three years ago but the Fartowners now face a completely different picture.

Jermaine McGillvary.Jermaine McGillvary.
Jermaine McGillvary.

On the threat of relegation, the 28-year-old admitted: “Of course we’re aware of it all.

People here have mates who were at Wakefield and playing in that Million Pound Game last year.

“At the end of the day, it’s our jobs on the line; people have mortgages to pay, bills and stuff like that.

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“It is scary stuff but we put ourselves in this situation by not being good enough during the regular season.

“It’s now time to kick on, show what we really are worth and what quality we have in our team,” he added.