EORL CRABTREE believes the arrival of four new frontline forwards will make the Huddersfield Giants a far more formidable Super League force.
And the England prop also feels they’ll ease the pressure on him to take the individual lead on a regular basis.
Former Great Britain prop Stuart Fielden (Wigan), Ukuma Ta'ai (NZ Warriors), Craig Kopzcak (Bradford) and Anthony Mullally (Widnes) have all been recruited for the 2013 campaign.
All four will add considerable size, power and experience to Huddersfield’s Super League XVIII pack.
That means there will be strong competition for pack places next season, which is something Crabtree is already relishing.
“When you think about who we’ve recruited, it’s incredibly exciting,” said Crabtree, who is making an excellent recovery from the close-season shoulder and elbow surgery which forced him to miss this autumn’s England international series.
“We certainly won’t be lacking size next season and that has to be a good thing, while I’m also confident these players will help ease some of the pressure on me. They’re all top quality and means we should be able to spread the workload a lot better.
“That’s particularly the case when it comes to Stuart, who I know is keen to take a bit of a lead next season, which with his experience is fantastic. I know how motivated he is to make a massive impact at the Giants, and after an injury-hit couple of years at Wigan he’s come to us fresh and ready to fire.
“He’s a big character, both on and off the field, and there’s no doubt he’ll prove a very valuable asset for us.
“In fact, I’m confident everyone who’s come on board will have a big say on how we do this season, because we’ve now got so much competition for places throughout our pack.”
