KEVIN BROWN will be back for the start of pre-season training and determined to put his Wembley nightmare firmly behind him.

The 25-year-old Giants half-back suffered ligament damage to his left knee during the first half of his side’s Challenge Cup final defeat to Warrington Wolves in August.

That ruled out the influential Brown for the rest of the season as Huddersfield failed to make a major impact in the Super League play-offs.

But Brown has already set his sights on returning fitter and stronger as the Giants bid to be an even bigger Super League force in 2010.

“I don’t think a day will go by when I won’t think about what happened to me at Wembley. It was a nightmare,” said Brown.

“But I’ve got to put that behind me as best as I can and look to the future.

“My rehabilitation is going really well. In fact, I’m slightly ahead of schedule and I’m already excited about preparing for next season.”

KEVIN BROWN has pledged to return to Giants action fitter and stronger than ever.

The 25-year-old goalkicking half-back’s season was cruelly cut short when he suffered ligament damage to his left knee during the first half of his side’s Challenge Cup final defeat against Warrington at Wembley in August.

That brought a premature end to his Super League XIV season as the Giants went on to crash out in the play-offs.

But Brown is determined to put his Wembley nightmare behind him and come back stronger to lead Huddersfield to 2010 glory.

“What happened to me at Wembley is something I’m going to have to live with throughout my career. I felt as if all my dreams were shattered that day,” reflected Brown.

“But the key is not to dwell on that and start to look forward, because I know the future does look very bright, both for me and for the Giants.

“When I first did the injury I just didn’t know how bad it was. I’d never suffered anything like this before.

“Fortunately, when I had the scans, the damage wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it could have been. In comparison, Danny (Kirmond) has been ruled out for six months with his knee injury.

“As a result, I’ve been able to start running this week and when pre-season training gets under way in November I should be fully fit, without doubt.

“In fact, my rehab is already slightly ahead of schedule, and the knee’s feeling as good as it ever has.

“Because we’re at the end of the season, it means we’ve not had to push things too hard. There’s no rush.

“That means we’re making sure the knee has as long as possible to heal, which means it should be stronger than it ever has been.

“It’s funny how things work out like that.

“And I should also come back fitter and fresher than ever.

“The rehab programme (assistant conditioner) Greg Brown has put together for me has been fantastic.

“He keeps it really varied so I’m not doing the same thing every day and, as a result, my overall fitness is feeling good.

“To be honest, I can’t wait to test myself out when I get back with the rest of the boys for the start of pre-season training!”

But Brown also admits he’s keen to get back to work to get two months of major frustration out of his system.

“When you’re receiving treatment you spend a fair amount of time from the rest of the boys, which can be tough,” added the former Wigan ace.

“Then there’s the games to have to sit through.

“I’ve never been a good watcher at the best of times, but having to sit through our final games of the season was really tough to take.

“To be honest, the way we struggled in the play-off games was harder to take than the injury itself.

“I know how desperate the boys were to make a big impact in the play-offs, but it just didn’t happen, and it definitely took some of the gloss of our season.

“But, at the same time, I know how hungry that’s made everyone ahead of next season.

“Having failed to win a play-off game this year, we’re all determined to change all that in 2010.

“And with the quality of signings we have coming in we all know that’s something we can do.”