Huddersfield Giants chief Rick Stone is delighted Ryan Hinchliffe is getting the recognition his efforts deserve.
The 32-year-old Australian forward was Huddersfield’s man-of-the-match in the narrow defeat at Wakefield just under two weeks ago and claimed the individual accolade once again following Sunday’s big 44-4 home Super League win over Warrington Wolves.
Another strong defensive effort was at the heart of Hinchcliffe’s display at Trinity – he is the Giants highest tackle-maker in 2017 – but it was his attacking exploits which caught the eye against Warrington.
And Stone wouldn’t rule out the former Melbourne Storm star leading the way for a third time in Saturday’s clash against Catalans Dragons in Perpignan, when a victory would take the Giants into the top eight with just five rounds of the regular season remaining.
“It’s fair to sat Hinchy is a bit of an unsung hero in our side,” said Stone.
“He does a couple of jobs for us, and does then very well.
“His work in attack is just as impressive as his defensive side of the game.
“He’s actually a lot sharper than people give him credit for, and in our win over Warrington he helped to engineer quite a few of our tries.
“I don’t think anyone at our club could ever question his attitude.”
Hinchcliffe could be part of an unchanged side that makes the trip to the South of France this weekend, with Stone revealing his players came through Sunday’s John Smith’s Stadium clash with just the usual post-match bumps and bruises.
