GIANTS coach Jon Sharp has described tonight's Infirmary Cup clash at Halifax (7.00) as `vitally important' in his club's build-up to Super League X.
Huddersfield will be sending a combined Super League and Academy side to The Shay, with the bulk of his established top-flight stars being saved for the pre-season trip to Bradford Bulls on Sunday, January 30.
But Sharp rejects any claims that this makes tonight's clash in Calderdale a mere fixture filler, with perhaps the sole purpose being to give the fans something extra to watch over the festive period.
"Every game that we play is important," argued Sharp.
"If I felt it wasn't going to serve any purpose I would have pulled the plug on it.
"And try telling those players who are in action tonight that it doesn't count for anything!
"There's no way any of them will be going into it half-cock. For a start, that would be a way of guaranteeing injuries.
"But every single player out there tonight knows this is a golden opportunity to impress the club's coaching staff and move up the pecking order.
"So it's vitally important they all enter the game with the right attitude, because I will be watching things very closely."
Half-a-dozen Super League squad men are in action tonight, with the rest set to play against the Bulls.
And Sharp is convinced he has struck the right balance.
"This way it will guarantee all my first-team players a fair amount of game time, which is so important."
