Huddersfield Giants have confirmed the signing of Paul Clough.

The 29-year-old former St Helens prop has made the move from Championship club Bradford Bulls on a two-year deal and has already begun training at his new club ahead of Monday’s official pre-season start.

The 6ft, 15st 10lb St Helens-born forward is desperate to prove he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level after winning the Challenge Cup with St Helens in 2007 and 2008, believing he has some unfinished business back in the Super League:

“I have missed the Super League competition, but I made a promise to the Bulls when signing for them that I would continue with them even when relegated and do my utmost to get them back into the top flight,” said Clough, who has over 200 top-flight appearances to his name at Saints, Widnes and Bradford.

New Giants signing Paul Clough
New Giants signing Paul Clough

“We missed that target by literally a few minutes in 2015, but 2016 has been a difficult year for everyone at the club and when the opportunity arose to join Huddersfield I had no hesitation.

“I’m disappointed with how things ended at the Bulls and hope they can sort things out and return to the top end of the game.

“But my focus is now with the Giants and the job in hand here. I believe the club under-achieved last year through a whole host of reasons and my aim is to bring a very strong work ethic and establish myself into the group.

“There are lots of front rowers here and hopefully I can pass some of my experience onto the younger lads, as even after a few days I can see a lot of potential in the likes of Nathan Mason, Tyler Dickinson and Matthew English.

Huddersfield Giants' Nathan Mason takes on Warrington Wolves' George King. Picture by John Rushworth

“I’ve played with a few of the lads already here in the England Knights squad before. but we really need to have all our internationals back from their countries before we can start looking at combinations, structures and some game pattern stuff, so for now its heads down with (new conditioning chief) Steve Walsh in the gym and no doubt the hills of Huddersfield.”

Giants Managing Director Richard Thewlis revealed the Clough move had been some time in the making and was made to further the depth available to head coach Rick Stone’s options in the front row.

“Cloughy is a top-rate professional and highly-respected in the game,” said Thewlis.

“He brings real genuine big-game experience to the squad, and in speaking to him it was clear he wants to get himself back into the key games where he spent most of his career before moving to the Bulls, where things didn’t work out for him as he or they wanted.

“He is very similar in many respects to a former favourite here, Paul Jackson, in that he does the tough stuff in the middle very well and does a lot of the unsung heavy graft that enables others to flourish around him.

“He does face a stern amount of competition in the front-row area as Daniel Smith is nearing fitness after his year out, and we are expecting further physical gains in the off-season from younger men like Nathan Mason and Tyler Dickinson, in particular, to complement established senior props Craig Huby, Sam Rapira and Sebastine Ikahihifo.”