Giants to start early so Brown can run the rule

Sep 13 2008 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD Giants will be returning to pre-season training in mid-November.

The usual start time of the first week of December has been knocked on the head in order to give the Giants the best possible chance under new coach Nathan Brown to hit the ground running in Super League XIV.

Obviously, if Huddersfield had been involved in the play-offs, the pre-season start time would have been later.

But caretaker coach Paul Anderson, who will be Brown’s No2 next season, believes the earlier start makes perfect sense – and the players agree.

“Next season we start with a new coach, and the first couple of weeks of pre-season training will be a sort of bedding-in period,” explained Anderson.

“It’ll be the chance for Nathan to get to know the players and for the players to get to know Nathan. The boys are happy about that.

“Nathan is bound to have his own philosophies and approach, and the earlier we can take them on board, the earlier we can get down to real pre-season business.

“Before then, it’s clearly vital the players fully re-charge their batteries after another tough season.

“But they’ve all been handed a home fitness programme so that they remain in relatively good shape for the start of next season. That’s also crucial.”