Fired-up Danny Brough is looking to the Giants pack to give him the armoury to sink in-form Leigh Centurions and take his team to the brink of Super League survival.
Victory at Leigh Sports Village tomorrow would mean Huddersfield need to win one of their remaining two Middle 8s fixtures – at home to Leeds Rhinos on Sunday week or Hull KR seven days later – to book them a top-flight spot for 2017 and avoid having to battle for the final available Super League spot through winning the ‘Million Pound Game’.
Brough knows the Giants are going to have to be at their very best to beat a Centurions side who will be promoted if they win this weekend.
But he’s confident that if Huddersfield’s forwards can lay the right foundations, everything else will take care of itself.
“Leigh are a great team and will want to put in a big performance against us,” said the 33-year-old 2013 Super League Man of Steel.
“They’ve already beaten two Super League sides in Salford and Hull KR, and I know how much they’d love to secure promotion by beating us this weekend. They’ve got all the motivation in the world.
“But so have we.
WATCH: Giants' Danny Brough on the challenge his side will face against Leigh Centurions
“We’ve spoken a lot during the Middle 8s about how vital it is to stay in Super League because our livelihoods are at stake, and that was really rammed home after our opening Middle 8s defeat at Salford. That loss definitely gave us a huge reality check and brought home the potential seriousness of the situation.
“Fortunately, I think we’ve responded very positively to that and have been improving all the time.
“We’ve had three good wins since then, and I think the victory at home to London Broncos last Friday will put us in good stead for the Leigh game.
“We absorbed a fair bit of pressure early on and showed some real resolve in defence, and we then began to build pressure of our own, stayed patient and eventually reaped the rewards (winning 40-4) in the end.
“It wasn’t fancy, but it was effective.
“You usually find that it’s the team that runs the hardest, tackles the hardest and chases the hardest that comes out on top, and that’s what we need to do tomorrow to guarantee success.
“I know if we get our big fellas running hard and provide us with a platform, then our halves, hookers and full-back will control the game.
“We’ve definitely got the quality to get the victory. It’s just a case of everyone going out and doing their job to the best of their ability.”
Brough returned to action against the Broncos after serving a two-game ban and produced a man-of-the-match performance in helping to make it three triumphs on the trot.
And he believes that’s a sign of the influence new coach Rick Stone is having on the club.
“I’m enjoying it. Rick’s brought in a different style of play, and it’s taken a bit of time to adjust to it,” added the Scotland skipper.
“But now we’re starting to get used to it our performances have been improving.
“There’s no doubt Rick’s influence is paying off in a positive way and we’re feeling a lot more confident about the way things are going.
“Obviously that confidence will grow even more with a win at Leigh this weekend.”
Brough, however, will be relying on a pack lacking the services of prop Eorl Crabtree (ribs) and back-row forward Tom Symonds (calf), who won;t be risked after picking up knocks against the Broncos.
But former New Zealand prop Sam Rapira returns after missing last Friday’s 40-4 home victory over London Broncos with a slight hamstring strain and is a natural replacement for Crabtree, while hooker Kyle Wood is also back in the 19-man squad after missing out last week.
