NEW signing Paul Smith is well aware that he will come under the spotlight when he lines up for the Giants for the first time at Halifax tomorrow (3.00).

The 26-year-old former Rochdale Hornets captain and second-row forward is the only one of Huddersfield's five new arrivals to be named in the side.

That means he will be a major focus of attention among many of the Huddersfield fans who are aiming to make the short trip to The Shay.

His pedigree suggests he has what it takes to make an immediate impact in the claret and gold.

Before joining the Giants, fellow Super League clubs St Helens and London Broncos were both desperate to sign him - and that was even ahead of being picked in last season's National League team of the year.

But now he is ready to take the next step up with the Giants, and is eager to make his presence quickly felt.

"I'm really excited about this match," he said.

"Even though the training has been hard, I've thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm ready to play.

"This is the first time I've trained on a full-time basis, and hopefully tomorrow will show that it's paying off.

"A big difference between full-time and part-time is that when you train on a daily basis you can spend more time working on the little things that will help improve your game.

"Individual video analysis is something I've never been lucky enough to use before, but that's all changed now.

"And the coaching staff are superb at picking up on little things that might give you that slight extra edge.

"I do feel I'm developing as a player, but this is the acid test.

"The key, though, is to use this match as the chance to get more used to the systems the Giants use.

"That should be the biggest value from tomorrow."

Sharp has already revealed it was his initial intention not to play Smith until the game against Castleford at the McAlpine on Friday, January 30 at the earliest.

But Smith is more than happy to go along with the change.

"If I had made my debut in the game against Castleford it would have meant throwing me in at the deep end. I think I need a game like this under my belt first."