It’s tough to take but we press on

Jun 3 2008 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

GIANTS vice captain John Skandalis believes the players will be able to overcome the loss of head coach Jon Sharp and can still push for a top six Super League finish.

The vastly-experienced club man admits yesterday’s news that Sharp had been axed took the squad by surprise.

But he is confident they will respond positively to the change and can react in the right manner.

“I don’t think the news really sunk in yesterday,” said the 31-year-old prop.

“It certainly came as a bit of a surprise to everyone.

“We had no real inkling that this might happen, and it’s only a couple of months ago that Sharpy was handed a one-year contract extension (to take him up to the end of 2009).

“So, as far as we were all concerned, we thought he was going to be here for the long haul.

“But there’s pressure on coaches all the time, and you never really know what’s around the corner.

“Personally, I’m gutted for Jon, and I think the rest of the boys are, too.

“I’ve enjoyed working with him and what he’s done and stood for at this club.

“But there’s no point dwelling on what has happened. We’ve just got to put it all behind us and move on.

“I think it’s a case of doing the mourning for Jon yesterday and now moving on today.

“We’ve still got some big games ahead, and we certainly haven’t given up all hope of reaching the play-offs again this year.

“It’s going to be a tall order, because we’ve not made the greatest of starts to the season, which is what has obviously cost Jon his job.

“But if you look at the League table, we are just six points off a top-six spot with 12 games to go, so all is far from lost.

“And I am convinced everyone will react positively to yesterday’s news and we can push ahead.

“This is the time when we really have to stick together and show how strong we are as a group.

“It’s always a blow when you lose one of your teammates – which is how we regard Jon – but, unfortunately, this is something that happens all the time in rugby league. It’s how you react that’s the most important.

“Even though yesterday’s news hit us very hard, we trained tremendously well on the back of it, and I think that was a sign of how much we want to push on.

“We’re already determined to respond in the most positive manner possible in our next game at Wakefield (on Sunday, June 15).

“I know we have the quality to do just that.”