Video - Wigan v Huddersfield: Big stage bow would reward Giants backer

They head to Wigan Warriors tonight just 80 minutes away from their first Grand Final.

Huddersfield fell short at this stage two years ago when Warrington Wolves defeated them and they exited the play-offs earlier still last season after an embarrassing 57-4 defeat at Wigan and home loss to Catalans Dragons.

The West Yorkshire club has admittedly established itself as a top-four force under Anderson, but he concedes they now have to push on to the next level.

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Davy, 74, was hailed last week after 20 years at the helm, ploughing millions of pounds into Huddersfield during that tenure.

“I have got to tip my hat to him,” Anderson told The Yorkshire Post, ahead of tonight’s game.

“If you’re investing into professional sport it is never an investment really; it’s not something you’re going to see back.

“So, we’re very, very thankful for Ken and (wife) Jennifer for the things they do for this club and they deserve the big stage.

“After 20 years of doing what he has, nothing would please me more than handing the chairman a winner’s ring and a trophy. It’s what he deserves.”

Part of the reason Davy has had to dip into his own pocket over three decades is that Huddersfield, for all their ability on the field, still struggle to attract crowds to John Smith’s Stadium.

Even after lifting the League Leaders’ Shield in 2013, it failed to ignite the town’s imagination as their average attendance slipped slightly to 6,335 last year.

However, more than 9,000 were there last Friday, admittedly swelled by Leeds Rhinos’ vast travelling support, to generate a genuine atmosphere.

Huddersfield agonisingly let a winning lead slip, losing 20-16 in the final second and finishing third rather than second, which duly sent them to Wigan tonight rather than securing a home semi-final against Leeds.

Anderson admitted: “The atmosphere was one our club and players deserved. It was electric.

“It’s not very often you get that there as it’s such a big stadium.

“But we know if we can get a win at Wigan on Thursday, then do the same at Old Trafford the week after – get the things we feel we deserve – then we can get that buzz down there every week and make us a formidable team.

“We want to turn John Smith’s Stadium into Headingley, the DW (Stadium), Langtree Park ... that notorious environment where you know when things are tough the fans will get behind you.

“Our supporters do back us – they are very, very good – but we just need to double our numbers.”

Asked if they need to win a Grand Final to create such a catalytic effect, he admitted: “We need to get something to stir the juices of Huddersfield.

“We are a consistent team now but must kick on with that potential now and win something which takes the burden off the chairman and his family.

“If we can get 10,000 in there every week with that atmosphere, that’s brilliant and the best thing for the club that will help it develop in many, many ways.”

Anderson insists his side quickly overcame the low of losing against Leeds, a result which handed their West Yorkshire rivals the League Leaders’ Shield, something Huddersfield were still in the hunt for in last Friday’s dramatic final round.

“We did enough to win so to come away with nothing, having also had a draw tied up, was disappointing,” said the former Great Britain prop.

“But, as I said to the players straight after the game, we haven’t got time to feel sorry for ourselves and we can’t dwell on this.

“What we can do is take that little bit of anger and disappointment and try channel it in the right way towards Wigan.”

Huddersfield’s play-off record is, of course, notoriously horrendous, having won just three of 14 ties since first qualifying in 2007.

Anderson believes they have matured, however, and will have learned from those experiences.

Furthermore, they have won five of their last six Super 8s games to find some form at the right time, their only defeat apart from Leeds being the opener at Wigan when they fell 30-22.

They have lost all three games against last season’s beaten Grand Finalists Wigan this term but, historically, have fared well at the DW Stadium, winning there in each of the last three years.

“I don’t think there will be any anxiety from us,” insisted Anderson. “We know what Wigan are going to do – they don’t change things a great deal. They will be physical. They have their style of play. We have to just make sure we throw enough at them to ask some serious questions.

“We know of their home record (won last 20 league games at DW) but records are there to be broken. We’ve just got to go, grind things out and get the job done.

“We were in this semi-final with Warrington in 2013 and didn’t quite get there and last year we fell away but we had no Danny Brough then – his testicles were bigger than my forehead after getting a fair whack beforehand!

“But we’re in really good shape now and from our point of view there should be no excuses.”

More Giants: Page 21.