Huddersfield Giants coach confirms star’s imminent return as ‘biggest challenge’ assessed

Jim Lenihan has confirmed that the biggest challenge he faces in his new job at Huddersfield Giants is simply instilling confidence into his players, with the Australian revealing that heads are even going down at training, such is the club’s form.

Speaking on Thursday in his pre-match presser to preview today’s (Sunday) game against St Helens, Lenihan admitted that confidence is a key issue within the playing group with his side’s mental fortitude not where it would ideally be at.

“I think it’s as much mental at the moment,” he revealed, when asked what the biggest challenge at the club was currently.

“Even at training, if something goes wrong then we feel a little bit of failure and it’s like once there is a little bit then everything has gone and it’s panic stations.

“We’re going to make mistakes at training and that’s okay. It’s an opportunity to learn from it and get better from it and go again, and that’s as much a resilience piece as it is working hard mentally and physically.”

Sir Kevin Sinfield, play-off race heats up and who can stop Wigan Warriors? – Click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show.

Huddersfield Giants boss welcomes St Helens challenge

The Giants travel to take on St Helens, who are themselves out of form having lost three in a row, but the Saints did beat Huddersfield just a week prior to Lenihan’s arrival in England.

On the prospect of facing Saints, Lenihan said: “I don’t think they’ve won in their last three games so I’m sure they’re really energetic and excited about an opportunity to play us and try and get a W in the box.

“I think we’re looking forward to the opportunity of playing Saints. They’re a quality side, a good team, well-coached, they know what they’re doing, we get an opportunity to measure where we are at the moment.

“It’s not all about the winning and the loss, we’re going out there to hopefully put in a good performance and face a really good side.”

Aiding Huddersfield in their efforts to beat Saints is the prospective debut of new signing Zane Dunford, who Lenihan said was: “He’s just another piece of the puzzle that helps us get what we want to be long-term, someone who is physically and mentally in a good spot to really want to commit to us and want to work really hard. He’s just another piece that puts us into the positive pile.”

Another piece of the puzzle who could soon return is winger Adam Swift with Lenihan confirming that the former Saint is the ‘most imminent’ returnee of the lengthy Huddersfield injury list, with the Giants boss confirming: “He’s nearly had a full week of training this week which has been really good.

“I’d say if he get through this week and next week he trains then he’s a big chance of putting himself in the picture of being in the team.”