KOR BLIMEY! GIANTS WANT FAGES
WATSON ADMITS CLUB HAVE SPOKEN TO FRENCH CAPTAIN’S AGENT OVER MOVE FOR NEXT SEASON
HUDDERSFIELD Giants have lodged an interest with Theo Fages’ agent that they want to sign the St Helens star.
But head coach Ian Watson admits the Claret and Gold face a tough battle to land the French captain.
Fages is off-contract at the end of the season and is set to be one of the most in demand players on the market.
The 26-year-old is understood to have interest from several clubs, while St
Helens have also offered him a deal to stay.
But it’s the Giants who have emerged as the frontrunners, with Watson having previously coached
Fages during his time at
Salford Red Devils.
“Theo has been a top player for a number of years,” said Watson. “We are definitely interested in top players. There has been an interest lodged. Theo is a homegrown half-back, he is 26, and you look what he has done at Saints. He controls and organises their team.
“I think every club in the country will be interested in Theo and clubs in the NRL.
“We definitely have an interest.” Captain Adrian Sezer has been linked with a move back to
Australia at the end of the season, but Watson says their chase for Fages isn’t linked with replacing their playmaker.
“Sezer is a different type of player. His performances will deteremine where he ends up. But he would compliment someone like Theo.
“Good players fit together and we are interested in making a legacy at Huddersfield of a team which will be competing with Wigan and St Helens consistency at the top of the table for years to come.”
The capture of Fages would be a huge acquisition for the Giants.
Since arriving at the club in 2016, he has made 134 appearances for Saints, winning two Grand Finals along the way. He has been capped by France 15 times.
Saints coach Kristian Woolf admitted that the club could lose Fages at the end of the year.
“Sometimes there are other things at play when it comes to contracts and we are in a salary capped sport as well,” Woolf said. “Salary cap is designed to squeeze strong players out of teams and make them go to other teams.”
Huddersfield have invested heavily since the arrival of Watson, signing Josh Jones, Ricky Leutele and Luke Yates.