'Sour taste': Jermaine McGillvary expresses disappointment over manner of Huddersfield Giants exit

The 35-year-old, who has scored 209 tries in 311 games for his hometown club since 2010, was told he would not be offered a new contract just hours before Huddersfield made the news public at their presentation night on Monday.

McGillvary feels he deserved better than to learn he was not being retained in a phone call with Giants head coach Ian Watson.

"I’m still getting my head around it," said McGillvary.

“I’m gutted. It’s my hometown club. I live here and will still live here. I grew up here as a player and became the player I was here.

"It has left a bit of a sour taste how it’s ended but it’s rugby and it is what it is, I suppose. It’s just disappointing that it’s ended this way.

“I was expecting either to get a deal or to be sat down somewhere in an office and thanked for my time.

“No-one shook my hand and said ‘you’ve done well’ or ‘you’ve helped the club’. To get the news as a phone call after 16 years of my life dedicated to Huddersfield, and to only get the call because of a presentation evening where they were going to release that I was retiring, I think it’s a bit s**t.

“It was quite embarrassing actually telling my family how I found out. It’s not nice over a phone."

McGillvary helped Huddersfield to League Leaders' Shield glory in 2013 and appeared in last year's Challenge Cup final, while he has also earned 21 international caps during his time with the Giants.

This season has been a struggle for the veteran with injuries restricting him to just 12 appearances.

Despite previously stating he would retire if he failed to earn fresh terms at Huddersfield, McGillvary plans to find a new club for 2024.

"I understand, at my age as well, that you have to go in a different direction at some point," added McGillvary, who will play his final game for the Giants in tomorrow's home clash with Warrington Wolves.

“The reasoning is absolutely spot on. He’s the coach and needs to make sure his team’s right for next season, and we’re better than this season. I respect that totally. I just thought it should have been handled better.

“I want to do the best I can one last time for the fans, see them all and then just head off.

“I’m definitely going to play on but it’s getting my head around everything, getting through this week and then taking things from there. There’s been a few calls but nothing’s sorted for next year."

During his press conference on Thursday, Watson conceded that it was a difficult subject to broach.

"You probably don't want to be the coach at that time," he said before McGillvary’s interview.

"Somebody like Jermaine, that's a horrible conversation to have. I spoke to him about who will potentially be our starting wingers next year and why they would be our starting wingers.

"What we need now is for some of the other players to come through and be the new Jermaine McGillvary."