EORL CRABTREE celebrated his 350th career appearance by helping the Giants complete a hat trick of 2013 triumphs over Leeds Rhinos last Sunday.

But the 30-year-old England prop won’t be 100% happy until Huddersfield lift a major piece of silverware – which he believes his hometown club are on the brink of doing!

The second-placed Giants host Catalan Dragons tonight (8.00) knowing victory will help keep the pressure on Super League XVIII leaders Wigan Warriors.

That would be the Giants’ 15th success from 20 top-flight starts this year and would take the men from the John Smith’s Stadium a step closer to securing their first top-two finish.

And Crabtree feels that’s the very least he expects from his in-form side in what is proving to be a golden season.

“These 350 games have flown by,” said Crabtree, pictured left.

“I suppose that’s quite an achievement in the modern game, but I’m certainly not happy with what I’ve achieved. I’m as disappointed as anybody that we haven’t actually won a major trophy in that time, and that’s why I’ve hung around as long as I have.

“But I believe it’s just around the corner, and I won’t be happy unless I win something. I’d love to be able to retire having won something at Huddersfield Giants .

“In the back of my mind I’ve always wanted to achieve something, and I want to be recognised as a good player, and one who has contributed to Huddersfield Giants. If we won something it would be the icing on the cake for me, because I’d like nothing more than that.

“And, with the way things are going, I think we’ve got a great chance this year, and it looks like we’re building up for a big finish.

“After losing at Hull KR the other week, I thought the win over Leeds on Sunday was a fantastic one for us.

“We showed a lot of character and it was good to put in a half-decent performance.

“I don’t think we were at our best but it was good to get the win, and we’re looking to build on that, which I know we will.”

The Giants go into tonight’s clash against the French as the favourites to win, although Crabtree knows it’ll be a tricky test.

“We know we need to be better against Catalan than we were against Leeds, because the Dragons are playing better than Leeds at the moment,” he added.

“Catalan pose a massive threat. They’re very aggressive, and not only have they got a big pack, but their centres and half-backs are players who can cause a lot of problems.

“Morgan Escare has come from absolutely nowhere and he’s been sensational this year.

“They’ve got threats all over the field, and a pack to match. If you run them over, and do a job on them then you stand a good chance. But you’ve got to be on top of your game.”

Squads

Giants: Grix, George, Cudjoe, Wardle, McGillvary, Brough, Robinson, Crabtree, Lunt, Kopczak, Ferres, Faiumu, Lawrence, Patrick, Ta’ai, Murphy, Cording, Ferguson, Mullally.

Dragons: Blanch, Pryce, Taia, Bosc, Dureau, Henderson, Casty, Menzies, Mounis, Maria, Pelissier, Larroyer, Millard, Simon, Bousquet, Paea, Duport, Vaccari, Escare.

Referee: James Child.

Video Referee: Steve Ganson.