HUDDERSFIELD Giants face an anxious wait over prop Keith Mason.
The powerful front rower will tonight appear in front of Rugby Football League disciplinary chiefs to answer a charge of alleged striking during Friday's 50-0 pre-season defeat at Leeds Rhinos.
Mason and Leeds captain Jamie Peacock were both sin-binned during the incident in which the Rhinos ace suffered a suspected fractured eye socket.
Any ban would obviously rule out Mason for this Sunday's Super League XII opener against his former club St Helens at the Galpharm Stadium (7.05).
Losing Mason would clearly be a big blow, although Giants head coach Jon Sharp is not short on front-row cover.
Besides first-choice props John Skandalis and Eorl Crabtree, Sharp is able to call upon the consistent Paul Jackson and new recruit from Wakefield Darrell Griffin.
The 25-year-old Griffin admits he is still looking to gain full fitness after effectively being frozen out at the Wildcats towards the end of last season.
But he is ready to step up if called upon - whatever the circumstances.
"I'm really enjoying being a Giants player and I can't wait to get cracking," said Griffin, who was yesterday at Old Trafford for the launch of Super League XII.
"I have been blowing a bit in the pre-season games because I played only two of the last eight matches at Wakefield, so getting my match fitness has been a problem. But I'm getting there."
