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2024 Season Review: Huddersfield Giants

8 Nov 2024

Huddersfield Giants set for fresh start under Robinson after disappointing campaign.

The Giants began the 2024 season with high hopes of making an impact at the top end of the Betfred Super League table.
But a run of just one win in nine between late April and early July all but ended those aspirations, and led to the departure of coach Ian Watson.

He was replaced, initially temporarily and then permanently, by Giants favourite Luke Robinson, who followed his popular playing career at the club by climbing the coaching ladder.

Robinson oversaw four wins from the final 11 games of the season, and with Play-Offs hopes having all but evaporated, there was very much a feeling a looking towards the future under their new boss.

That saw pack mainstay Luke Yates allowed to join Warrington Wolves mid-season and there was then a host of established departures at the end of the campaign.

With long-term benefactor Ken Davy returning to his role as chairman and announcing plans for a new stadium for the club in the town, the Giants are now looking towards a fresh era.

When they do reflect on the year just gone, there will perhaps be a sense of what might have been, given that in mid-April they had won five of their opening eight league games and were in the semi-finals of the Betfred Challenge Cup courtesy of a season-best performance to win 34-6 at Catalans.

Narrow defeats to St Helens and Salford followed and sparked the run that ultimately led to Watson’s exit.

One near constant throughout was veteran Leroy Cudjoe, who took over from Yates as captain and led his side from the front admirably.

Sam Hewitt and Harry Rushton formed a second row partnership that grew in potency as the year unfolded, while centre Esan Marsters topped the metres count despite missing a chunk of the season.

A significant loss was winger Adam Swift, who was one of the form players in the competition and still finished as comfortably Huddersfield’s top try scorer despite seeing his campaign ended after just 10 matches through an adductor injury.

Adam Swift can't stop scoring in 2024 ?

The first player to hit double figures in the #SuperLeague try-scoring charts this season ? pic.twitter.com/DWsGtodiwv
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) April 25, 2024

The fact that Swift also made more linebreaks in those 10 games than any other Giant did all season also tells its own story.

Sam Halsall did impress out wide though, as did Aidan McGowan after breaking into the team in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Playmakers Adam Clune, Tui Lolohea, Oliver Russell and Jake Connor all had their moments at different stages, but as a team Huddersfield failed to gel sufficiently to reach their potential.

Keeping the ball alive ?@TuiLolohea hits back for @Giantsrl ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/IXes1Oqhvs
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 8, 2024

Robinson is now hoping to change that.

“We’ve not had a great season but I hope that the fans can see the amount of effort the players have given me over the past few weeks,” he said when his appointment was confirmed.

“When we have our injured players back in contention and have made a few personnel changes I truly believe we can have a great pre-season and really hit the ground running.”

With England front rower Tom Burgess, Australia hooker Zac Woolford (son of former Giants boss Simon) and the vastly experienced Luke Sutcliffe joining the club, Robinson will be aiming for a year of genuine progress.

Key Man

At the age of 36, Huddersfield stalwart Leroy Cudjoe was his side’s top tackler and made more metres than any other forward at the club, after establishing himself in the back row following a career at centre.

Loyal Leroy also recently penned a new one-year deal with the Giants, keeping him at his hometown club until the end of 2025.

Rising Star

Talented winger, Aidan McGowan, broke into the Giants side in the closing stages of the season and his committed performances earned him a new contract.

Season Highlight

The Giants were in the top six, in the Betfred Challenge Cup semi-finals and on the back of six wins in seven games when they won 30-24 at Leeds in April.