MORE Giants than ever will go into a new season buoyed by representatative calls at the end of the 2004 campaign.

A total of 10 senior players were last year rewarded for top performances throughout Super League X.

The most high-profile were hometown duo Paul Reilly and Eorl Crabtree and Stuart Jones, who were in the victorious England squad that won the European Nations Cup.

Giants teammate Hefin O'Hare was also in action in that tournament with Wales, while injury prevented Iain Morrison and Mick Slicker from playing for Scotland and Ireland respectively.

Australian duo Ben Roarty and Chris Nero played for the ANZACS (a combined Australia and New Zealand representative team) against Cumbria.

And Stanley Gene was captain for Papua New Guinea in a Test match against Australia.

Michael De Vere would almost qcertainly have played in that match had he not picked up his serious knee injury, but he did play for the Kangaroos against New Zealand in the ANZAC Test earlier in the year.

But it was Reilly's stunning man-of-the-match performance in England's 36-12 triumph over Ireland in the European Nations Cup final at Warrington that captured most of the imagination.

The 28-year-old former Moldgreen junior scored his side's opening two tries and went on to be England's most potent attacking weapon.

And Reilly's one wish is that he can now build on that magical day and help the Giants become an even more effective Super League force

"I was over the moon when I was named man-of-the-match. Moments in the game don't come better than this," he reflected.

"Just a few weeks before the final I thought my chance to represent my country had gone because of my age.

"But all of a sudden I was celebrating picking up the man-of-the-match award for England in the European Nations Cup final.

"It was an unbelievable feeling.

"I just hope this has a positive knock-on effect for the Giants as we look towards the new season.

"I know those England games have done me a power of good. My confidence is really high.

"And the fact we had three players in this England squad and I collected the man-of-the-match award in the final surely proves we must be doing something right at the club."