Hinchcliffe looks on bright side ahead of Huddersfield cruch
Giants head into must-win clash with Castleford
Ryan Hinchcliffe insists Huddersfield have plenty to smile about this season even though their hopes of a top-four finish may be slipping away.
The Giants sit bottom of the Super 8s heading into this weekend’s must-win clash with League Leaders Shield winners Castleford.
But that is still significant progress just a year after their Super League status was up in the air.
A 12th-place finish sent them nervously into the Qualifiers, where they only avoided the Million Pound Game by two points, and a slow start this term left many fearing the worst.
But Rick Stone’s men slowly turned their season round and four wins from five kick-started a charge into the Super 8s, where they have won two of three games so far.
And former Melbourne Storm lock Hinchcliffe, who joined the club last season, admits the doom and gloom has lifted this summer and been replaced by positivity.
“This year has been a lot better, last year was a bit of a tough initiation coming over and playing,” he said.
“As a club it wasn’t easy but I think we’ve grown a lot and I think we still have a lot more growing in us.
“We had to overcome some obstacles earlier in the year, but now we have a real positive feeling. Even if we don’t make the top four, we can be happy.
“For me personally I’ve grown in confidence and been able to contribute which is what I was bought over here.
“Moving back to lock or loose-forward I’ve been able to bring back my natural game and my strengths to the team and contribute in a way I can, that’s been a big part in my form.”
Huddersfield’s home game with the Tigers is one of three matches on Friday, but most eyes will be fixed on the Totally Wicked Stadium, where St Helens meet rivals Wigan.
RUGBY
Always a game with an extra edge, this one will command special attention with the Saints prepared to hand the controversial Ben Barba his debut.
The former Cronulla Sharks star initially signed in May but a drug ban, after testing positive for cocaine just four days after scoring in the 2016 Grand Final against Melbourne, has kept him on the sidelines.
Barba could hardly be thrown into a fierier game, but he has watched clips of classic Saints v Warriors battles on YouTube and can’t wait to enter the fray.
“It is like this fixture has been set up especially, but I am just glad it is at our stadium and not their ground so our fans will be on three sides,” he said.
“As a player you want to play in the big games and against the best and there is no better game than this.”
Friday’s other game sees Salford host Wakefield, but the action kicks off on Thursday when Challenge Cup champions Hull FC travel to Leeds.
Hull successfully defended the Challenge Cup at Wembley last weekend, and prop Scott Taylor believes they can now be called one of the league’s big hitters.
“People have called us sleeping giants for a long time now, I don’t think anybody will be using that term again,” he said.
“This club isn’t sleeping anymore and I think everyone in the game knows it.”