Eorl Crabtree knows a week’s warm-weather training in Portugal could make all the difference in the Huddersfield Giants’ bid to have a successful 2014.

Huddersfield head to the Brown’s Sports Complex in Portugal on Saturday as they prepare to build on last season’s Super League Leaders’ Shield success.

The trip away is in sharp contrast to 12 months ago when the Giants squad suffered a tortuous week with the Army in Catterick.

However, Crabtree feels the trip to the Algarve could be just what’s required to make Huddersfield the finished Super League article.

“Spending time with the Army was a great experience and certainly toughened us up as a group. It really took us out of our comfort zone,” said the popular prop.

“But having experienced something like that last year, I think we needed to do something different this time, and going to Brown’s is just what we need. It goes without saying that we’re going to get flogged while we’re out there, but there will be far more to this trip than that.

“This will be a great way to fine-tune what we’ve been doing, and because the squad’s in such good shape the quality of the work should be very high.

“Also, because a few of us have been in rehab following surgery and others are just returning after the World Cup, we haven’t spent that much time together as a group. We’re looking forward to putting that right next week, too.”