McGillvary sets his sights on having a final say for Giants
HE HAS a son playing for Manchester City, another who just signed for Manchester United and he is a Liverpool fan who is desperate to end up at Spurs.
But Huddersfield Giants star Jermaine McGillvary just wants to finally win a major rugby league trophy.
The England winger has torn defences to shreds for years with hometown Huddersfield and was once shortlisted for the Golden Boot as the world’s greatest player.
But, just days away from his 34th birthday, he has still yet to even appear in a domestic final, let alone win one.
McGillvary hopes to take a big step towards remedying that when Giants face Hull KR in today’s Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final at Elland Road. The final will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in three weeks.
McGillvary said: “I’ve been in a few Super League and Challenge
Cup semis plus the 2017 World Cup final with England.
“But I’ve not actually won anything even though I count England caps and touring [with
Great Britain] as a pinnacle of my career.
“I am at that age now where time’s ticking on for me.
“So I don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity. This is our biggest game for years.”
He would love to end up at Old Trafford, too, and get Ian Watson’s Huddersfield to a maiden Grand Final. McGillvary was at the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday to see his son Elijah, 8, sign for United. His eldest Isaac, 11, is on the books of City, which is all slightly painful for their dad – an ardent Liverpool fan.
“I’ve tried to bring my boys up to support Liverpool but it’s not happened,” McGillvary joked.
“I’m a bit gutted they don’t but as long as they’re loving their sport that’s the main thing.
“Maybe my youngest Ezra, who’s four, will sign for Liverpool – the greatest club in the world.
“Elijah’s done us all proud. He’s worked so hard and, with his brother being at City since he was four, he’s always been the little brother of Isaac. But now he’s making his own name and doing great things In the next 10 years hhopefully e can make a career out of it. But just the experience they get, like going on tour abroad, is great.”
McGillvary, who won the 2013 League Leaders’ Shield with Giants, is raring to go after pulling out of last week’s win atWakefield.
“I was a mess,” he recalled, one of many at the club laid low by ’flu.
“I looked like a different person. I’ve had Covid and it was worse than that. I was cold but dripping sweat, feeling properly weak.
“It was weird. I trained the day before but the next morning I was bad again. I thought I’d get over it. I was smashing caffeine, paracetamol, but it was getting worse. I turned up
for the bus and the physio just said, ‘Nah, you can’t go on there’. Watto told me to go home.”
Meanwhile, recent experience of what semi-finals are all about will be crucial for Hull KR, according to captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
Having just missed out on a maiden Super League Grand Final appearance when losing to Catalans last year, the ex-Kiwi star says that the Robins have learnt important lessons.
Centre Kenny-Dowall, 34, said: “We want to play in a major final together and make the most of the opportunity. We’ll definitely be better for last year’s semi-final. Some of the young lads have played in a big game now.”