Momentum vital as Giants look to pick up silverware

A day out at Wembley in the Challenge Cup final and third only to Leeds Rhinos and St Helens in the final Super League table may be acceptable to most clubs. But Huddersfield Giants star Eorl Crabtree believes there is more to come from last season's surprise package.

While 2009 may have passed all expectations of Giants supporters, a winter of reflection has left Huddersfield's players wondering what might have been and a trophy cabinet still bare.

Despite a stunning semi-final display to end St Helens' dominance in the Challenge Cup, the Giants froze on the big stage of Wembley losing out to Warrington, before running out of steam in the end-of-season play-offs.

Now the Giants are determined to go one better this season, where an exciting crop of youngsters will be another year wiser and new signings like Lee Gilmour and World Cup winner David Fa'alogo coming in to add extra quality.

"We have got to maintain the momentum, and we need a better year in 2010," said Crabtree, who is in his testimonial year after surpassing 10 years at the Galpharm Stadium.

"I know we did well last year, third in Super League as well as reaching the Challenge Cup final, but we are very disappointed as well.

"We lost some games that we should never have lost and it was down to us playing bad.

"The Challenge Cup final was like that, and again we lost that. It's about time we won something. All the boys are looking forward to this season to try and make amends.

"Lee Gilmour and Dave Fa'alogo coming in, they look like really good signings and we have got a lot of young lads as well."

Huddersfield have been criticised in previous years for their poor youth set-up, but with players like Michael Lawrence and Leroy Cudjoe already first-team regulars, and several other teenagers knocking on coach Nathan Brown's door for selection, that is no longer the case.

"They have all come through the junior ranks and the future looks good," added Crabtree, who will travel to Whitehaven on Sunday with the rest of the Giants squad for a pre-season friendly.

"Our squad is absolutely massive and that's vital during the season because as soon as you get some injuries, you need people that have trained with us all year to step in.

"The current crop of youngsters coming through is a different class, if truth be told. I think it's down to having a little bit of success, which attracts players and then you can develop the youth team because you're not looking for that quick fix.

"The players coming through are fantastic, Michael Lawrence is going to be great while Leroy Cudjoe is already showing what he can do in the first team."

The season is yet to kick-off – Huddersfield will host Bradford Bulls in their first Super League match on Friday, February 5 – but already Crabtree has suffered disappointment after his testimonial match against Halifax fell victim to the heavy snow last weekend.

"I was absolutely devastated, because initially we thought we would be able to re-arrange it within the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible and we are hoping to play it next year if that's allowed by the RFL. Hopefully, due to the extreme circumstances, it will be.

"There's a lot of history for me there personally, as my grandad used to play for Halifax, all my family are from there and I used to follow them as my dad's a Halifax supporter. It was just such a massive shame, everyone had been building up for it.

"I used to go quite a lot to Thrum Hall, it used to be freezing up there even in the height of summer."

Other activities included in Crabtree's testimonial year include the usual dates on the calendar like sportsman's dinner, ladies' night and golf days.

"My time at Huddersfield has just flown by," said the 27-year-old, who has signed a long-term contract until 2015.

"I signed when I was 17, but I was a safety steward at the stadium when I was 16 and started playing in the Academy then, so it's actually been longer than 10 years.

"I can still remember making my debut for Huddersfield against Halifax 10 years ago in the Infirmary Cup and now the same fixture is my testimonial match.

"There have been plenty of high points, but low points as well. Personally, any of the Challenge Cup finals, getting promoted to Super League was huge, but even though it's not in a Huddersfield shirt, it's probably a few months ago representing England against Australia when we did so well at Huddersfield.

"Getting relegated is a strange one for me, because it was a low point, but it was also one of the best things that ever happened to me. It's a selfish way to look at it, but I only played four or five times in the year that we got relegated, I was only 18. That year I think mine was the only wage to go up, because I was that young and they wanted me to go full-time. The following season I scored 25 tries, played every game at centre, and it was the most enjoyable year, I probably got more out of it than any other season."

Full details of all Crabtree's testimonial events can be found at www.eorlcrabtree.co.uk