Numbers count for nothing says Huddersfield Giants' Martin Aspinwall

Jan 19 2010 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

“But I’m still the first to accept I’ve got a long way to go before I’ve picked everything up.

“As well as learning all the time from the coaching staff, I’m also watching very closely what Gilly (Lee Gilmour) does in training. He’s still one of the best back-rowers in the game, and I know I can do a lot worse than copying what he’s doing.”

Besides spending extra time on the training field learning the role, Aspinwall has being seeing more of the gym in a bid to build himself up even more.

“One thing I’m really enjoying about being a forward is eating so much!” he continued. “Obviously, that doesn’t include junk food. Bumper (head conditioner Mark Andrews) would kill me if I was eating that!

“But it’s great knowing that part of the transition into a forward involves increasing your calorie intake, even if it does means it also involves spending more time in the gym doing the weights.

“That’s something that doesn’t bother me at all, because I’ve always enjoyed doing that. I think I’d be lost without spending my time doing them.

“As a result, I’ve put on about 6kgs this pre-season, which makes me about 96 now, which I think is probably about right.

“If I put on any more, I might lose some of my mobility, and if I was a bit lighter it would take more juice out of me having to mix it with the opposition’s forwards down the middle. I think that at this weight I’ll still be able to run at the really big guys and have what it takes to get round them.

“But obviously time will tell on that front.

“After working so hard over the past few months, I’m now ready to test myself out on the field to see how far I’ve come on since last season.

“I do feel confident and believe I can do a good job for the team, but the final call is obviously down to Nathan.

“I think we’ve all bought into what Browny’s doing here and the systems he’s put in place, and I know he will give me a shot if I take to the role well, even with so many good back-rowers in the squad.

“There are probably seven or eight of us fighting for four or five players in the 17 this season, and we all know that Browny will pick who’s playing the best, whoever they are.

“We know that it’s entirely down to us to make sure we play. You can’t really ask any more from the coach than that. I know the success of my season is solely down to me.”