HUDDERSFIELD Giants are savouring one of their most successful seasons in decades.

At the end of head coach Jon Sharp's first year in charge, the Giants were able to reflect on a highest finish in Super League of seventh and a first Challenge Cup semi-final appearance for 33 years.

During that time Huddersfield spent a week at the top of Super League and remained in a top six play-off spot until the final few weeks of the campaign.

In the end, a crippling late-season injury list took its toll on Sharp's small squad and some of the momentum was lost.

The shaky finish took a fair amount of gloss off a fantastic year, which gave Huddersfield their best finish in the league for over 40 years.

It took Sharp, pictured, and his Giants just one match to set the record ball rolling.

For the first time in six Super League attempts, Huddersfield celebrated a win on the opening day of the season as a last-minute Brandon Costin try gave the Giants a 26-22 win over Castleford.

And two weeks later, the Giants went top of Super League for the very first time with a 38-6 victory at Widnes in front of the Sky TV cameras.

That signalled a magnificent start to the year, with Huddersfield winning five of their opening six League encounters, including a thrilling 26-10 home triumph over Wigan.

At the same time, the Giants were embarking on an exciting Challenge Cup campaign, with victories over French side Pia, Doncaster and York setting up a semi-final showdown with St Helens at the new Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington on Sunday, April 25.

Unfortunately, the Giants suffered the big freeze on what at the time was the warmest day of the year as they were swept away 46-6, with scrum half Paul March grabbing the consolation try.

The disappointment of losing that tie was increased with the news that it would be hooker Darren Turner's last game after being forced to retire with a long-standing knee injury.

And injuries were to be a recurring theme as the season progressed, with several key men sidelined at crucial stages of the season.

In the end, that was to cost the Giants dear.