ANDY KELLY looks set to lead Huddersfield Giants into their Challenge Cup quarter-final showdown with Wakefield Trinity.
The 55-year-old, who has taken the reins at the John Smith’s Stadium following last week’s sacking of head coach Paul Anderson, is a former Wakefield coach and player but will seek to deny his hometown club a place in the semi-finals of the Ladbrokes knockout competition.
The Giants go into the game on the back of a 31-30 Super League success at Salford Red Devils and Kelly will be looking for a similarly committed approach in the cup.
“I think we went into the Salford game with renewed enthusiasm,” said Kelly, after a weekend in which Giants centre Jake Connor agreed a two-year deal with Hull FC to start next season.
“But the most significant thing that we got out of it was the win.
“That gives us five wins in 19 Super League games and it was also important that we won for the first time this season on our travels.”
The Giants side was bolstered by new signing Tom Symonds, and the 27-year-old second rower from Australian NRL outfit Manly put on a strong debut showing.
“Tom arrived in what was a very turbulent week for the club,” said Kelly.
“But he has definitely got on with the job and seemed to be enjoying his work.
“He must have wondered what was going on at times, but he had a great debut and showed himself to be defensively very astute.”
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And Kelly is keen to get on with the coaching role while he remains in charge.
“It is never great to have a departing coach at a club, I have been in that situation myself before,” said Kelly.
“It was something that came out of the blue, but what we had to do last week was to try and get down to business as usual.
“But I am the man at the helm at Huddersfield right now and I know we have got the energy as a team to move on now.”
