JACOB FAIRBANK is already making a name for himself at the Huddersfield Giants.

But the 21-year-old forward, better known as ‘ Bob’ around the club, will always be proud to be remembered as the latest member of one of rugby league’s most famous families to make it at the top level.

His great-grandfather set the ball rolling at Wigan, while his grandfather, father and uncles have all played professionally.

Several of Fairbank’s cousins are also starting to make a name for themselves in the game.

But the fact the Giants youngster is the first of the latest generation to play at the highest domestic level is something that fills him with pride – although that was never his No1 priority.

Yes, having the Fairbank tag will always make him a topic of conversation, but all his focus is on making sure he continues to build on his rock-solid Super League start and doing his very best for the Giants.

“I’m always getting asked about my family heritage, and I suppose that’s only natural,” said Fairbank, who has impressed in all three of Huddersfield’s Super League XVII fixtures.

“All my uncles have played the game and before that there was my grandad and great-grandad.

“And my dad Mark played at Keighley.

“But no-one ever pressured me into following in their footsteps and it was up to me if I wanted to play professional rugby.

“I was about eight years old when I decided I wanted to, and I’m absolutely delighted I did, because I’m loving it here.

“I’ve obviously been given a lot of tips off my dad and my uncles over the years, and there’s no doubt that’s helped in my development.

“And I’d like to think they’re proud of what I’m doing at the Giants, because I’m proud to be the first Fairbank of this generation to play at this level.”

Fairbank is hoping, of course, that this is just the start of what goes on to be a long and illustrious Super League career.

The Halifax-based forward knows he’s still got a lot of hard work in front to become a top-flight regular.

But he’s confident he’s heading in the right direction, particularly with the support he has around him.

“It’s been a great team effort so far and I couldn’t have asked for much more myself,” he added.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to last 70 minutes in the opener at Wigan and I’ve featured in both of the other games.

“Personally, I’ve just been trying to do my usual thing and get my head down and work hard, and so far I’m happy with the effort.”

“But that’s been made so much easier because of the quality of the players I’ve been lucky enough to play alongside.

“There are some great players here and they always help us younger lads, especially on the pitch.

“The likes of Eorl Crabtree, Luke Robinson and Kev Brown never stop talking to me on the pitch, and without that help I know I’d have found it so much tougher out there.

“And away from the pitch, David Faiumu, David Fa’alogo and Luke O’Donnell have also been brilliant. They’re all great professionals and work really hard, and I could do a lot worse than follow their example.

“They’re helping me improve all the time, and that’s what I’m focusing all my attention on at the moment. I can’t really set myself any targets so soon into the season.

“I just need to keep my head down, train hard and work on what I’m doing.

“It would be nice to be a first-team regular but it’s going to be tough to guarantee that.

“We’ve got a big quality squad so staying in the first team would be a good achievement for me.

“So I’m just trying to do what I can to make sure I can make a valuable contribution to the team.

“I’ve always prided myself on my defence. I love the nitty, gritty stuff that’s involved with that, and as long as my teammates and coaching staff appreciate it, I’m happy.”

JACOB FAIRBANK is the latest member of the family to make a mark in the professional game.

The most famous was his uncle Karl, who was an uncompromising forward for Bradford Northern and Great Britain.

His grandfather, Jack, was an equally tenacious member of the first Leeds team to win a Championship in 1961.

On top of that, the young Giants forward’s father, Mark, played with Keighley, while uncles John (Leeds/Oldham) and Dick (Halifax) are other members of the illustrious dynasty.

Jack and Karl are still working on the family farm high above Elland, with the family still involved with the town’s amateur rugby league club.