Realistic Crabtree aware that Giants need to deliver

It is well-documented that if the West Yorkshire club can prosper in their final half-dozen Super League fixtures they will oust long-time leaders Wigan Warriors at the top.

However, as they prepare to start that run-in with the visit of Castleford Tigers tomorrow, Crabtree is aware of a need for vast improvement.

Huddersfield’s hopes of a double were ruthlessly ended last Sunday when Warrington Wolves dumped them out of the Challenge Cup quarter-finals as Paul Anderson’s side delivered some error-strewn mediocrity.

“We’re obviously bitterly disappointed by what happened, very much so,” said Crabtree, speaking exclusively to the Yorkshire Post.

“Losing in those circumstances – just not actually performing – in such a big, high-expectancy game was a real let-down.

“As players all we want to do is get back out there and start putting things right. Everyone is looking forward to that and it’s not so much about just winning.

“We need to put in a real good performance too as what we dished up against Warrington was unacceptable.

“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it (the League Leaders Shield).

“Every rugby league player in our position would do in that position. But we know the bigger picture is we have to play well.

“You can talk all you want about winning six games in a row but if we play like we did against Warrington we’ve the potential to lose all six too.”

Huddersfield, normally so dominant down the middle, were strangled by the likes of experienced forwards Adrian Morley, Garreth Carvell and the excellent England prop Chris Hill.

The statistics showed that Huddersfield’s own front-row – Crabtree, Larne Patrick, Craig Kopczak and co – simply could not gain their usual momentum.

“Stats only tell some of the story,” he insisted. “If we’d have just held onto the ball better and didn’t drop it so much we’d have given ourselves a chance.

“I don’t think we’d have gone on to win but at least we’d have been there competing.

“Some balls may have got raked out and missed but there were still no excuses.

“We have to pick up pur own displays and especially against a side like Cas’ who, with Rangi Chase in there, we know we can’t take lightly.”

Crabtree is especially wary of his gifted England colleague, the mesmeric stand-off, who has been central in Castleford’s own renaissance under Daryl Powell.

“You just don’t know what to expect when you play against him,” he said of the ex-Man of Steel.

“And Cas’ do look like they are enjoying themselves more under Daryl Powell. They look more free-flowing and we saw what they did by winning at Wigan.

“We’ve seen some highlights of them this week and in some of them they looked like they were taking the ‘Mickey’ with some of the things they were pulling off.”

There will, however, be no enticing match-up between Crabtree and his former Huddersfield front-row partner Keith Mason.

The ex-Melbourne Storm prop has successfully argued in Leeds High Court this week that he had been unlawfully dismissed by Huddersfield last October.

Huddersfield will be made to pay around £167,000 in damages to Mason who was expecting to make his first return there in Castleford colours tomorrow.

Powell, though, has opted to leave the 31-year-old out given he missed much of their training while attending court.

Huddersfield may yet be further affected from a development that emerged from the case.

The RFL says it could re-open its investigation into allegations about their recruitment of Kopczak last season.

Their initial probe – which followed a complaint from Kopczak’s club Bradford Bulls – concluded Huddersfield had no case to answer. Bradford maintained the Wales captain had been approached illegally and he subsequently walked out on them on the eve of the penultimate match of last season.

At the suggestion of the RFL, Huddersfield paid Bradford £20,000 compensation.

However, as he gave evidence in the Mason case this week, Kopczak admitted he had agreed to join Huddersfield on August 8, a full month before he left his hometown club.

Meanwhile, England Knights winger Jermaine McGillvary has been left out of Huddersfield’s squad tomorrow paving the way for 20-year-old Ben Blackmore – signed from Castleford at the end of last season – to make his debut.

Anderson brings in cup-tied Kyle Wood for injured hooker Shaun Lunt and he could make further changes as well, while Powell is set to give a debut to centre Michael Channing, who has joined the Tigers on loan from London Broncos.

Props Ben Davies and Dan Fleming are set to take the places of Mason and the suspended Ryan Boyle.