Huddersfield Giants newcomers Jake Mamo and Shannon Wakeman have both been handed first XIII numbers for the 2017 Super League season.
The Australian duo, who are due to start training with their new club later this month, have been handed the No1 and No10 shirts, respectively.
The 22-year-old signing from Newcastle Knights Mamo looks set to slot in instantly at full-back in head coach Rick Stone’s team for the coming season.
For 26-year-old Wakeman, who was signed as a free agent after playing last season with Illawarra Cutters, there looks to be a place starting in the Giants front row next term.
The Giants will be looking to make a strong start to the campaign after finishing bottom of the Super League table in the regular season in 2016 and then just surviving in the Middles 8s – a dramatic 23-22 win at Hull KR ensuring their Super League place.
Giants club ambassador Eorl Crabtree is sure that the squad will have taken on board the lessons learned last season.
“In every walk of life people have to learn by their mistakes,” said former England international prop Crabtree.
“The Giants will learn from last season because all of us who were involved never want that to happen to the club again.
“It was a difficult situation going into the Middle 8s because Rick Stone had just come on board and he was battling to get us fit to play the way he wanted us to with just six weeks to try and achieve that in.
“In the end it all came down to a Danny Brough drop goal and none of us want to be in that place again.
“However, we got the job done and now Rick can play the long game and try and plan out what he wants to happen for the club in future.
“Last season should prove to be game changing for the club and people will be working hard to be at their fittest.
“It is also stopping those little errors and the new side will need to be aware of this.
“Each year the game takes another step forward, and I do worry a bit that we are losing the characters and filling the field with very fit people who concentrate on not making mistakes.
“But hopefully we can match the intensity needed and go out and produce entertaining performances.”
Huddersfield Giants 2017 squad list:
1 Jake Mamo, 2 Jermaine McGillvary, 3 Leroy Cudjoe, 4 Lee Gaskell, 5 Aaron Murphy, 6 Danny Brough, 7 Ryan Brierley, 8 Sam Rapira, 9 Ryan Hinchcliffe, 10 Shannon Wakeman, 11 Tom Symonds, 12 Dale Ferguson, 13 Michael Lawrence, 14 Kruise Leeming, 15 Sebastine Ikahihifo, 16 Oliver Roberts, 17 Ukuma Ta’ai, 18 Paul Clough, 19 Nathan Mason, 20 Daniel Smith, 21 Gene Ormsby, 22 Tyler Dickinson, 23 Sam Wood, 24 Darnell McIntosh, 25 Jared Simpson, 26 Mikey Wood, 27 Liam Johnson, 28 Jake Wardle, 29 Matty English.
