Woolf expects real battle from ‘wounded’ Giants

IAN Watson says tonight’s Super League clash against St Helens is ‘the perfect game’ for the Huddersfield Giants defence to prove themselves.

The Claret and Gold’s head coach was critical of his side’s performances at the back following their narrow 25-24 loss to Hull KR last Friday, a result which left them still looking for their first league win this season.

But Watson says his team have shown positive signs, especially in the second half of games, and called on his team to start matches better.

And the former Salford head coach believes the match-up at the John Smith’s Stadium tonight is a big opportunity to show the team was developing.

“It’s the perfect game,” Watson said. “When I say our defence wasn’t up to it (against Hull KR), I mean our first-half defence wasn’t up to it.

“Our second-half defence was more than good enough. The second-half defence against Catalan was more than good enough, they couldn’t score a point.

“We’ve got a habit of not doing the right things and backing ourselves defensively.”

Watson says he has big ambitions for the Giants and wants to see them

ST Helens coach Kristian Woolf is braced for their ‘toughest challenge yet’ this term at Huddersfield tonight despite the sides’ contrasting starts to the Super League season.

While Saints have begun the defence of their title with a hat-trick of successive wins, the Giants have lost all three of their fixtures.

But Woolf is taking nothing for granted and insists complacency will not be a factor, recognising their wounded opponents would relish the opportunity to open their account against the reigning champions.

“I look at it as potentially our toughest challenge yet,” the Australian said. “I think if you look through the Huddersfield squad, they’ve got a very classy squad. Across the board, they’re a team with some real quality.

“When you do lose a couple of games you get a real steel about wanting to turn that around and that’s what I’d expect them to have this week. On the flip side we’re confident and have a real steel about what we want to do and for the competition as a whole.

“We certainly expect teams to come and be at their best when they play us, that’s what we get every week, it’s certainly what we’ve got the last few games and I wouldn’t expect any different.”