PROUD Eorl Crabtree has expressed his relief that his testimonial year has now reached a successful conclusion and he can focus 100% on his rugby league once again.
The curtain yesterday came down on a celebration of his 10 years with his hometown club with an 18-10 triumph over fellow Super League side Hull KR in his benefit game at the Galpharm.
A crowd of 3,319 braved the wet weather to pay tribute to Crabtree as the Giants produced a highly-promising performance in a key warm-up clash to Super League XVI.
And with his testimonial year having now officially ended, he can’t wait to put all his energy into helping Huddersfield having a big 2011.
“My testimonial year has been great, and I loved the game yesterday,” said Crabtree.
“But I’m genuinely so relieved that I’ve now got this game under my belt and I can concentrate 100% on the rugby once again.
“I’d be lying if I said having to help in the organisation of my testimonial events hasn’t been a distraction.
“But it’s out of the way now, and I’m really excited about what this season might hold for us.
“Even though our performance could have been a lot better, there were still some really positive signs.
“When we were out there we could all tell that the hard work we’ve been putting in during pre-season training has definitely paid off. We all felt very fresh.
“I think we’re all feeling good about the way things are going right now.”
And Crabtree is hoping the fans will continue to give him and the Giants great support when the season gets under way.
“The fans were against fantastic, and I can’t thank them enough for their support,” he added. “I just hope they keep on coming.”
