Super League: Huddersfield Giants winger Jermaine McGillvary pays price for bravery

The England international was just a spectator yesterday during the national squad’s first training session of the year due to the injury he picked up in the opening quarter of Friday’s 24-16 win over Wakefield Trinity.

McGillvary, who suffered a similar injury last season, had a scan on Sunday night, which revealed the tear that will keep him out for three to six weeks.

He had refused to go off during the game, however, and actually sprinted in for Huddersfield’s final try to seal victory.

“I did it in the first 10 or 15 minutes and there was no one on the bench,” said Super League top try-scorer in 2015.

“I’m a senior player now and don’t want to put my team under pressure.

“I know what we went through last year so if I’d asked to be taken off and then we lost everyone would have said I’m soft and they’d have lost because of me!

“So I stuck my hand up and said I’d stay out, do my best. If it’s good enough, it’s good enough if not, fair enough.”

McGillvary, 29, was clearly in discomfort during the game and said: “There was relief when I walked but any time I had to jog or run it was really, really painful.

“I tried my best to hide but when Broughy made that break for the last try I had to sprint as I knew If I wasn’t there I’d get absolutely sprayed in video!

“It might have made it worse but I’m more happy we got the win and I’d do it again.”

It was most obvious when Ben Jones-Bishop, the Wakefield winger, scorched through in the first half for an 80m try leaving last man McGillvary grounded.

“I tried to back off as much as I could so someone else could get him but as soon as he stepped me, I turned, the quad went again and I fell over,” he added.

“I tried avoiding him as I know he’s quick. If fit I’d have tried to tackle straight away but I didn’t want to engage as my quad was really painful.”