IF 2016 is to have an impact on the future of Huddersfield Giants, then at least the club have learned exactly what they don’t want to do.

The Super League season just past saw what was perceived to be a slow start degenerate into a mess that almost ended in the disaster of the club losing top flight status through the end of season Middle 8s tournament – having finished bottom of the Super League table.

Prior to the start of the season the Giants were expected to finish in the top eight and possibly the top four, however the 2016 campaign merely proved just how quickly the game moves on these days.

The Giants weren’t the only club to find themselves struggling as the previous season’s treble-winners Leeds Rhinos also ended up in the Middle 8s, however the plight of the club 23 miles away along the A62 was not a concern as the Giants struggled to retain their Super League status.

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A 30-16 opening day defeat at St Helens was followed by closer run setbacks against Wigan and Widnes at home and Leeds away, but a 38-6 victory over Hull KR at the John Smith’s Stadium seemed to suggest the Giants could get back on track.

Sadly the next five Super League outings proved that was anything but the case as a heavy 46-26 home defeat by Catalans Dragons was followed by an away defeat at Wakefield and even more surprising home reversal at the hands of Salford Reds and then away losses at Castleford Tigers and Hull FC.

The string of results left the Giants, who admittedly had been hamstrung by early season injuries and the enforced retirement of playmaker Luke Robinson after a hip operation, rock bottom.

A home victory against high-flying Warrington, who they nilled with an 11-0 success, was reason for hope but seemingly every time the light at the end of the tunnel glimmered the Giants managed to instantly find the off switch.

In the context of the next seven Super League games the 48-20 win against St Helens at the Magic Weekend in Newcastle was an inexplicable aberration as the other half dozen games had all finished in defeat.

The final loss – a 10-2 reversal to Wakefield Trinity – proved enough for the club to sack head coach Paul Anderson and head of youth Andy Kelly took the reins.

Kelly, who made it clear he was happy to serve but wanted to remain in his development role, instantly managed to steady the ship as the Giants mulled over a list of 20-plus top candidates for the coaching role.

An emotional 31-30 away win at Salford, which followed the tragic death of youngster Ronan Costello while playing for the Giants age group teams, was backed up by a 22-12 home win over one of the season’s leading lights Hull FC.

However, between those promising league results any hope of a morale-boosting trip to Wembley were dashed at the first hurdle when Wakefield Trinity were 28-16 victors in the Challenge Cup at the John Smith’s Stadium.

In July the club’s deliberations over a new head coach were resolved as 49-year-old Australian Rick Stone, a former coach of Newcastle Knights and the Fijian national side, was brought in on a three and a half year deal.

The Giants had been recruiting through out the campaign as they tried to plug the gaps with Ryan Brierley from Leigh, Warrington’s Gene Ormsby, Manly Sea Eagles Tom Symonds and Sebastine Ikahihifo from New Zealand Warriors all being added to the squad that had started the season.

Stone’s remit, with the Giants already facing the Middle 8s, was straight forward – keep Huddersfield in Super League.

As such Stone was handed the opportunity to use the remaining games of the regular Super League season to pull his troops together for the second phase of the campaign.

However, the Middle 8s proved a far from straight forward affair after the first game was lost 34-12 at Salford.

While comprehensive victories over Championship outfits Featherstone Rovers, Batley Bulldogs and London Broncos seemed to ease the pressure a 48-40 defeat at the lower division’s champions Leigh Centurions threw the Giants chances of Super League survival back in the melting pot.

Even a 22-14 win over Leeds at home couldn’t take the sting out of a situation where the Giants travelled to Hull KR needing a win to avoid the ‘million pound game’.

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After perhaps the most tense encounter ever witnessed by Giants fans a drop goal from Danny Brough seven minutes from time secured Huddersfield’s place in the top flight for another year.

After the season long-serving prop Eorl Crabtree announced his retirement while, Scott Grix, Joe Wardle and Jake Connor all headed for pastures new.

However, the year ended on a high as Stone managed to finally sign his No1 target Newcastle Knights’ 22-year-old full back Jake Mamo and Illawarra Cutters front row Shannon Wakeman to add to prop Dale Ferguson, second rower Paul Clough and half back Lee Gaskell who were all recruited from Bradford Bulls for the 2017 campaign.