Hull’s tough guys want to crush Huddersfield Giants

Feb 12 2010 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

“Both Craig Fitzgibbon and Mark O’Meley are good additions to their squad and the one thing you get with them is that they’ve been around a long time and played in big games.

“Fitzy is still going strong and playing really hard, and Ogre always gives everything that his body has got to give him. They’re players who will be a threat.

“As, too, will Sean Long, of course.

“He may have left St Helens at the end of last season, but he is still one of the top players in the competition and will organise those around him very effectively.

“And after missing out on a pre-season last year, Hame Lauaki also looks like a new signing for them, and he’s a real handful and carries the ball well.

“But even though they are such a talented group, we’ll still be going there tonight with a bit of confidence, there’s no reason for us not to.

“We’re the same as other teams after the first week in that we know we’ve got some things to build on and there are a couple of things we need to get better at. Last week’s win against Bradford has given us something very solid on which to build on.”

The Huddersfield chief is expected to keep changes to a minimum.

Obviously, there is one forced change, with prop Keith Mason ruled out for a month with a torn pectoral muscle, meaning Larne Patrick gets an early chance to step up.

But the other 16 are fit to play, with Andy Raleigh set to make his 200th appearance for his hometown club after escaping a ban, despite being found guilty of a late challenge on Bradford’s Matt Orford last week.