THESE are the five men charged with the task of helping take the Giants to the next level.

Leading the recruitment drive is current New Zealand Test centre Paul Whatuira, who has joined from Wests Tigers, while also arriving from the Australian NRL is George Gatis, rated as one of the best No9s in the elite competition Down Under.

Great Britain winger David Hodgson and former England scrum half Luke Robinson join from Salford, with rising star Danny Kirmond coming on board from National League Featherstone Rovers

Unfortunately, Hodgson will be unavailable until July after suffering a freak knee injury in training, but the other four fresh faces have already made positive impressions in the pre-season games.

And Whatuira, not surprisingly, has caught the eye in style.

The 26-year-old arrives on a two-year contract and is widely tipped to make a big impact in the British game.

Whatuira (whose name is pronounced Fatuira and is nicknamed Fatz) has linked up with former Tigers teammates Shane Elford, Jamahl Lolesi and John Skandalis.

The current Kiwi international is now a regular in the New Zealand Test starting line-up and was in the side that beat Australia in the 2005 Tri-Nations final.

When it became clear he would be available for 2008, he attracted the interest of clubs on both sides of the world.

But Whatuira believes a move to the Giants was the right one to make.

“I held serious discussions with a number of clubs, both in the NRL and Super League, before making up my mind,” he said.

“The Giants have shown themselves to be a very professional and progressive club with a strong desire to have me with them in 2008 and beyond.

“Having been fortunate enough to have won two NRL Grand Finals, my ambition is to be part of an ambitious Super League club that, like me, has ambitions to win trophies and championships.

“I see this in the Giants and hope to be part of their future success.

“I took advice from John Skandalis before I finally made my choice, and what he said about the club was a massive factor.

“He said he loved the club, he loved the town and he loved the style of footy he was playing.

“Now I’m here I know exactly where he’s coming from.

“I haven’t played a game of Super League with the Giants just yet, but I already love being a Huddersfield player.’’

George Gatis has also wasted little time making a Giant impact at his new club.

The 29-year-old’s dummy-half darts, superb decision-making and rock-solid defence have already made a massive impression on his new teammates.

The Queensland-born hooker arrived at the Galpharm after playing a major role in the club’s march into last season’s Australian NRL play-off series.

But now he believes the time has come to test himself in Super League.

“Playing in England is something I’ve always dreamed of doing,” said Gatis who, like Giants prop Skandalis, has Greek ancestry.

“But I wanted to come at a time when I still had something to offer.

“I was happy with the form I was showing for the Warriors, but I felt this would be the right time to give it a go in England.

“I believe I’ve proved myself in the NRL, and now I’m determined to prove myself in Super League, because that’s always been a deep personal ambition of mine.

“It’s a fresh and exciting challenge, and I can’t wait for the new season to start.

“I did have the chance to go to other clubs, but I was impressed when I had my talks with the Giants and that, as well, as the quality of the squad was a big factor in why I chose to come here.

“For example, Paul Whatuira was a class act in the Australian NRL, so for the Giants to be able to sign him helped convince me this was a club worth joining.

“Paul’s achieved so much in the game and I know I’m about to join a team of winners.

“As well as Paul, John Skandalis, Shane Elford and Jamahl Lolesi have won Australian Grand Finals and that’s a big thing.

“And now I’m here I know it has definitely been the right choice.

“Right now, I’m feeling as good as I’ve ever felt, and part of that is because of how much I’m enjoying the training here.

“I love what we’re doing during the week, and the boys made me feel at home from day one.

“They’re a great set of lads and the team spirit is fantastic.

“I said before I came here that it was nothing to do with the money. I came here to test myself out in England and try playing the game I love in a different part of the world.

“Already, I feel I’ve made the right decision coming to the Giants.

“As well as the footy, I’ve really enjoyed the experience of playing in front of the English fans, because they get right behind the team.

“They make far more noise than in Australia, and I can’t wait to play in front of our own fans. That’ll be awesome.”

As soon as Salford were relegated from Super League, one man more than any other became a wanted man.

That man was Luke Robinson.

At 23-years-old, the former Wigan star is already one of the most established and respected scrum halves in Super League.

But behind a beaten pack at the City Reds, Robinson had very little chance to shine, even though last season’s official Super League stats provided by Opta suggested Robinson had been the most influential man in his position.

That’s why he was a player in demand.

However, when it came to the crunch, Robinson couldn’t resist a move to Huddersfield.

Moving to a club so close to his Sowerby Bridge home was a big factor, but he admitted the chance to renew some of his oldest rugby league acquaintances was also a major factor.

“As soon as I walked through the door, I felt as if I’ve stepped back in time!” said Robinson, who has signed a three-year deal.

“Martin Aspinwall, Kevin Brown, Stuart Jones and Stephen Wild are all still really good mates of my since our time together at Wigan.

“In fact, before I decided to come here I spoke to them about what they thought about the club, and they all told me I should come because I wouldn’t regret it at all. So far I definitely haven’t.

“They all love the place, and they all acknowledge how good the coaching they receive is.

“All four of them said they had become far better players since they came here, and I can see why.

“I know I can get better and I’m sure I’ve come to the right place to make that happen.”

Many believe Huddersfield’s chances of reaching the play-offs for a second successive season will be down to the effectiveness of the Robinson and Brown half-back partnership.

And Robinson is confident they will prove a highly-effective combination.

“Kev and myself spent some time at Wigan playing half-back together, and when I signed I couldn’t wait to link up with him again,” added Robinson.

“He’s always been a great player, but I’ve seen how much he’s developed in the time he’s been here.

“He’s got bags of skill, although I don’t want to ‘big’ him up too much, it’ll just go straight to his head!

“But I’m sure we’ll work really well together. We’ve made a solid start in the pre-season games, but we both know there’s still a great deal more to come.”

Injured Giants signing David Hodgson is determined to show his delayed debut will be well worth the wait.

The 26-year-old Great Britain winger and former Super League Dream Team player will remain on the sidelines for the next six months.

It was obviously the worst possible start to Hodgson‘s career in the claret and gold.

Having finished last year on a high with a tryscoring display for Great Britain in the Third-Test triumph over New Zealand to erase the bitter memory of Super League relegation with Salford, the former Wigan ace was desperate to start his Giants career with a bang.

But now he must wait until July before showing the Huddersfield fans exactly what he can do.

“After coming here from the team who were relegated from Super League, I was really excited about making a fresh start,” said Hodgson.

“Playing for Great Britain against New Zealand last November was a positive way to finish what was a disappointing year.

“But I had hoped to use my time with the national squad to kick-start my Super League career with the Giants.

“I was very excited when I first got here, particularly because of the quality of the squad I’m working with, and I think that’s why this injury has hit me so hard.

“But I’ve just got to accept it’s happened and put it down as ‘one of those things’.

“I’m determined to stay positive and I’m going to make sure I come back as strong as I can. If there’s one consolation, it’s that by the time I make my debut I’ll know how the team plays inside out. That should make it easier for me to slot in.

“And I suppose for the next couple of months I can keep Martin Aspinwall company on the rehab front.

“He’s progressing well from his knee surgery, and I’m sure we’ll keep pushing ourselves to work as hard as we can.”

Yet even though Hodgson has made such a nightmare start to his time at the Giants with what can only be described as a freak training injury, the Hull-born player still believes he has made the right choice in coming here.

“One of the few consolations about being relegated with Salford was that there were several Super League clubs interested in signing me,” he added.

“Deciding which club to choose was pretty tough, but there’s no doubt I’ve made the right choice by coming to Huddersfield Giants.

“Before I finally put pen to paper I knew they were one of the clubs who were going forward and will be a major force in Super League in the years ahead.

“Huddersfield now have a very good reputation in the competition, so deciding to come here wasn’t the toughest of choices.

“To get a four-year deal made it even better, particularly as I’ll be joining up with some of my old Wigan Academy mates in Stephen Wild, Martin Aspinwall, Kevin Brown and Stuart Jones.

“Teaming up with those boys again has been fantastic, and since my injury they’ve been great at keeping up my spirits.

“But, to be honest, all the boys here are great, and the team spirit is awesome. It’s going to be a tough few months, but I’m sure the time will fly with this bunch around me, and I’m already excited about making my debut later in the year.”

Although Danny Kirmond didn’t arrive in the same blaze of glory as his more established new teammates, the Giants believe he has what it takes to become a success in Super League.

The 22-year-old former Featherstone Rovers winger was a player in demand at the end of last season, having already earned himself a place in the National League II Dream Team.

But even though several Super League clubs besides the Giants were keen to secure his signature, he knows there’s a long way to go yet before he becomes firmly established in the top flight.

“When I joined, Jon (Sharp) made it clear I would be a project, someone to work on before I would get my chance in Super League,” he said.

“And I was happy about that. Because this is the first time I’ve been lucky enough to get a full-time contract, I know I’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of me to get to the same level as the senior players in the squad.

“But I’m ready to accept that challenge and, hopefully, prove myself at Super League level further down the track.

“I’m the first to acknowledge I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I believe I’ve got the potential to make it at this level. That’s obviously why I’ve signed.

“And, with the quality of players around me, that can only help. At this stage, I’ve no idea when my chance in Super League will come, but I can’t wait!”