McIntosh: Return of fans will give big boost to all players
DARNELL McIntosh believes Huddersfield Giants are getting better and better – even if their results don’t show it.
With just one Super League win under their belts so far this season, the Claret and Gold were knocked out of the Challenge Cup quarter-finals by St Helens on Friday night.
There is certainly no shame in losing to the back-to-back league champions, and Ian Watson’s men were leading 12-10 at half-time before the unbeaten Saints secured a 23-18 win.
And their performances have been improving, to such an extent head coach Watson believes they can still get in the end-of-season play-offs.
And winger McIntosh agrees ahead of Monday’s visit to Warrington.
“We’ve been building these last few weeks, getting in some good performances,” said the 23-year-old.
“We got the win against Leeds Rhinos – our first league win – but the performances have been building, too.
“I don’t think Saints have been in as tough a match this season as they were on Friday.
“It wasn’t our night. But we went in and felt pretty confident.
“We played Saints two weeks before and I feel we gave them a good run for their money again.
“At half-time we felt good. The way they celebrated their try in the first half gave us confidence; it made us realise they’d not been in a game this tough yet this year.
“We thought ‘this is it – we can do it.’
“But a lack of discipline at the start of the second half drained out the battery and we didn’t have enough field position.
“It left us with too much to do. They are a good side and they ground out the win. Yes, there’s positives to take – but it hurts being out. It’s upsetting losing as we did as it’s the Cup, you only get one chance.”
Giants will play in front of fans for the first time in 14 months on Monday with grounds being opened under a reduced capacity from Monday.
Around 4,000 supporters will be at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, and although they will almost all be Wolves fans, that will still give the Claret and Gold a boost, says McIntosh.
“The main thing going into that Warrington game is having fans back,” he told the Yorkshire Post.
“That’s especially so for the fans themselves.
“It’s a perfect opportunity for us when crowds are back next Monday to feed off that and build again.”
Although the team results haven’t been great, Huddersfield-born
McIntosh has had an impressive start to the campaign. And he puts that down to new head coach Watson.
“Watto’s made my role very simple this year,” he added.
“He’s made me know what I need to do and I just need to do it as well as I can.
“I do feel I’m a lot more clear on that this season and a lot more calmer. It’s just allowed me to go out and play my best rugby.
“And the skill levels of Ricky Leutele and Kenny Edwards inside me are unreal so I feel really lucky on the edge.
“They can create something out of nothing. But I am pleased with my form. I’m just trying to keep my head down.”