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Huddersfield Giants’ Chris McQueen explains why he’s able to score so many tries as a forward even outscoring likes of Hull KR winger

Sadly Huddersfield Giants’ terrific 2022 season didn’t yield a major trophy, but it certainly should be regarded as a success. 

The Giants finished third in the league, their joint second highest finish in Super League history, and made it to the Challenge Cup Final where they were unlucky to lose to Wigan Warriors in a terrific final.

Huddersfield’s star man that day was Lance Todd winner and try scorer Chris McQueen who spent the entire season in brilliant form.

Impressively, he scored plenty of tries which is rare for a forward. In fact the Dream Team forward scored 15 Super League tries last season in what was a top drawer season from McQueen which saw him named in the Super League Dream Team becoming the 205th player to be named in the end of season team of the year.

His 15 tries are more than the likes of Ryan Hall and just two shy of the prolific Ash Handley on the wings and was surely a big reason for his inclusion in the Dream Team.

But why is McQueen so good at scoring tries despite not playing in a role that usually yields try scoring opportunities?

Well McQueen explained at the end of the season exactly why he’s often on the end of chances: “I reckon two of those have been long range, there was the intercept against Leeds and I supported Jack Cogger when we played Catalans in France. Other than that, I think they’ve all been crash overs or tries from crossfield kicks.

“I’m not doing the work, I’m just doing my best to run a line and someone is giving me the ball over the line.

“I try to work hard on getting in the right position because if you do that, anything can happen. We had a coach when I was at the Rabbitohs his name was John Lane and he used to have a saying. He’d say, ‘go in case you’re needed, not because you’re needed’ which basically means get yourself where you need to be before the opportunity comes up and then something might come.

“So I always try and chase kicks and support players when they’re carrying the ball and if you do that you put yourself in a great position.”

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