Richard Hercock: Positive news on the injury front boosts Giants’ play-off hopes

But that’s what has happened. Whatever the result when Leeds Rhinos visit Huddersfield on Sunday afternoon, the fact is that the Giants will finish in the top-four and be the highest-placed county team after the regular season.

After 27 matches, Nathan Brown’s side have proved to have the most consistency over the last six months and deserve high praise.

Looking back on Super League seasons gone by, the likes of Bradford Bulls, Rhinos and Hull FC have been the clubs setting the benchmark in the White Rose county.

But Giants coach Brown, aided by his excellent No 2 Paul Anderson, has been behind an evolution at Huddersfield which has seen them improve year-on-year.

When they reached the Carnegie Challenge Cup final in 2009, some thought it might be just a flash in the pan, particularly after their season faded away having lost to Warrington Wolves at Wembley.

Club captain Kevin Brown admits they just “ran out of gas” as injuries piled up, finishing third but suffering a shock play-off exit to Catalan Dragons.

Last season they looked good heading into the play-offs but fell short in the semi-finals against Keiron Cunningham-inspired St Helens.

This season the play-offs await again and the Giants are finally shaking off some nasty injuries which have plagued their season.

One thing they will have to remedy – and quickly though – is their travel sickness. Wigan Warriors are the only team to have beaten Huddersfield on their own patch this season, but in contrast the Giants have lost their last seven away games.

Not many neutrals will back Huddersfield in the play-offs – and that is just the way Kevin Brown and his team like it, embracing the underdogs tag – but on their day they are a match for anyone.

In Kevin Brown, Danny Brough and Luke Robinson they have a creative fulcrum that I love to watch.

Brown’s deft handling, allied to the kicking game of Brough and the tigerish qualities of Robinson, makes the Giants tick.

The problem has been getting them all fit at the same time this season, but they are now and that can only be good news for Giants fans.

With the likes of Jermaine McGillvary, Michael Lawrence and Leroy Cudjoe providing the cutting thrust in the backs, Huddersfield are my dark horses for the play-offs.

However, I would not bet too much money on many Yorkshire-based players being included in this season’s Engage Super League Dream Team when it is announced next week.

Last year’s team was drawn from just five clubs, Wigan boasting four names, with Warrington and St Helens each providing three, Leeds two and Hull KR one.

Warrington and Wigan have been the outstanding teams this season and the honour of finishing top of Super League has gone down to the wire ahead of tonight’s final round of games.

I expect them to dominate the Dream Team for 2011, too, but Yorkshire will have four teams contesting this season’s play-offs – Huddersfield, Leeds, Hull FC and either Hull KR or Castleford – who will all have high hopes of reaching Old Trafford in October.

2010 Super League Dream Team

Paul Wellens (St Helens); Pat Richards (Wigan), Matt King (Warrington), Keith Senior (Leeds), Ryan Hall (Leeds); Sam Tomkins (Wigan), Michael Dobson (Hull KR); James Graham (St Helens), James Roby (St Helens), Adrian Morley (Warrington), Ben Westwood (Warrington), Joel Tomkins (Wigan), Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan).