Huddersfield Giants without star signing for Wakefield clash and still no Jake Connor

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - 27/01/2023 - Rugby League - Betfred Super League - Huddersfield Media Day 2023 - John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield, England - Ian Watson.

Ian Watson has named his squad for the game against Wakefield Trinity.

There is still no Jake Connor meanwhile Kevin Naiqama has dropped out after scoring against Warrington Wolves on debut.

Watson will have a decision to make in the halves again between Olly Russell and Will Pryce.

This comes after the news that the game would go ahead after fears of a cancellation.

The playing surface at the Be Well Support Stadium was inspected today, and the clubs have agreed that the match should go ahead. Monitoring of the surface will continue over the coming weeks.

That’s good news, but in bad news for Wakefield, fullback Max Jowitt is an obvious absence from the 21-man squad and it comes following reports from the Yorkshire Post that the full-back could be set for a spell on the side-lines.

It’s a huge miss for a side that is coming off  a 60-0 loss in which Lee Gaskell deputised at full-back.

Gaskell is once again named and could therefore again take that role with new signing Samisoni Langi shifting into the halves again.

Jordy Crowther returns into the line-up and all four new signings also feature, but Trinity will face a tough task against Huddersfield.

The Giants loss their first game of the season last week meaning Ian Watson’s men will be out for a bounce back win and it could simply pile more misery onto Trinity.

Steve McNamara had been hugely critical of the amount of issues that it had caused for his side in their visit there on the opening week.

McNamara had said of the pitch after the game:

“It was a pretty tough game on a pitch that took skin of your legs. The boys there, their legs are red raw. It’s an issue. It’s an issue for Wakefield moving forward for their players. I haven’t seen anything like that before in terms of the blisters and blood that’s in there off that field there.”

When asked if he was a fan, he said: “No I’m not a fan, not if that’s the outcome. If the outcome is that, then definitely. It’s going to create issues I’m sure. We haven’t got to play on it again but they have to play on it every other week.

“I didn’t quite realise it was like that before we came. We’d seen pictures but it’s an issue.”

He then stated: “That’s the worst dressing room I’ve seen for skin taken off legs without

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