Brough back to boost Giants HALF BACK SET TO BE ONLY CHANGE TO HEAD COACH RICK STONE’S SQUAD FOR SAINTS TRIP

JUST think, it is now 25 years since we left Fartown.

Players in 1991/2 and 1992/3 were Phil Huck, Antony Sewell, Simon Kenworthy, Brian Blacker, Scholes, Joe Naidole, David Oates, Maskery, Jowett, Alan Boothroyd, Walker, Arnie Lomax, Jason Gilbert, Ian Thomas, Edwards, Wally Gibson, Chris Chapman, Greg Shuttleworth, Cocker, Gary Senior, Des Foy, Andy Pucill, Gary Coulter, Andy Simpson, Martin Maders, Parr, Willis, Darkes, Stewart, Brimah Kebbie, White, Fogarty, Wilde, Parr, Neilson, Flanagan, Royston, Meillam, southern, Lee St Hilaire, Jason Lawrence, Greg Pearce, Needham, Kelly, Haggerty, Coop, Barnett, Fairbank, Davis, Phil Helliwell, Derrick – apologies for the missing first names and any incorrect ones.

In both seasons, only two players played in one position for the whole year – Greg Shuttleworth at scrum half and Gary Senior at loose forward.

Ian Thomas was the leading try scorer in both seasons [21 and 18] with Chris Chapman following behind [13 and 17]. Though in half a season Brimah Kebbie flew in with 16.

91/2 saw Jason Gilbert and Simon Kenworthy share goal kicking duties, ending up with 70 apiece. The following season It was down to Phil Helliwell with 88.

Behind the scenes were Ronnie Burhouse, Karen Hellawell and Sue Ford (physiotherapists), Louise Hamer, Keith Burhouse, Jack Balmforth, Dr David Hooper, Terry Flanagan (coach), Alex Murphy (team manager), David Parr, Les Coulter, Frank Doyle, David Parker, and owners Mick Murphy, Jim Collins, Joe Bramley and Neil Whittaker.

Huddersfield became the first English RL club to sign an eastern block player.

In November, Hungarian Bela Varga was taken on trials. He was a RU winger and arrived on Fartown’s doorstep penniless and without boots!

However, by mid-December he was gone after only a couple of A team games.

A more familiar name from those days, a legend to those who saw him play.

November 17th’s Regal Trophy clash at Fartown against St Helens was a good indicator of the progress being made at the club.

Although they lost 32-10, they never gave up, and it said something for the team performance that Wally Gibson received the man-of-the-match award.

Another entry in the Fartown record books was made the following week as they recorded their biggest ever away victory by 78-4 against Trafford Borough, a record that had stood since 1948 when they beat Yorkshire Amateurs 61-0.

Then to cap off an excellent week they were named as Stones Bitter third Division team of the month for November.

Going back to the names mentioned in the opening, they have been invited to our May meeting at Turnbridge, on Tuesday, May 2.

Obviously not everyone will be able to attend, but there will be a good turnout of familiar names – if not faces. Why not come along and join us? http://www.giantssupporters.co.uk is where you can find out all about the Supporters Association. DANNY Brough will make an instant return to the Huddersfield Giants starting line-up at St Helens on Friday night.

The 34-year-old half back was absent for the last round of Super League after being banned for one match after clashing with Leeds Rhinos’ Gary Ablett as the Giants were beaten 28-12 by their West Yorkshire rivals in round six at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The Scottish captain missed the round seven mauling at Castleford Tigers, when head coach Rick Stone watched his side defeated 52-16 by the Super League leaders at The Jungle.

But Brough is likely to be the only change to the Giants squad as they prepare for the trip to Langtree Park.

“Danny will be back after suspension but the squad will look pretty much the same,” said Stone.

“But Aaron Murphy is still injured and, along with Jake Mamo and Tom Symonds, he is probably a couple of weeks off coming back.”

Stone is determined that his side will produce the right reaction to their heavy defeat at the hands of the Tigers when they face a Saints side looking to bounce back from a 22-14 defeat at Salford Red Devils.

“I was bitterly disappointed with the performance at Castleford,” said Stone.

“We seemed to have good energy at the start and for most of the first half, but once they scored tries back-to-back then we lost some confidence.

“I think that Castleford are a pretty good team , but you have to ask questions of yourselves when you are letting in 50 points or more.

“We need to work on some things in the middle of the field and we have to make sure that we are winning the tackles.

“We face a big, physical Saints side on Friday and we need to address that.”

Super League clubs will be given the chance to vote for an increase in the salary cap at a meeting in Salford today.

Player retention, a priority for Roger Draper in his first year as executive director, will be top of the agenda for club chairmen and chief executives when they gather at Super League headquarters at MediaCityUK.

They will be asked to vote on a number of proposals, which are thought to include an increase in