THIS has been a very exciting week for the Giants.

And plans are already well in advance for our most important game of the season - at home to Catalans Dragons on Sunday!

I suppose I may have sold one or two of you a dummy with that last statement, assuming I was focusing on our Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds Rhinos at Odsal on July 30.

It goes without saying that it's a massive game for this club.

But so, too, is every game we play in Super League.

To advance as far as possible in the Cup was one of our goals this year, along with mounting another serious top six Super League challenge.

And for the next seven games it's our League challenge that remains the main focus.

A lot could change between now and our Cup tie with Leeds, so there's no point thinking about it at this moment.

Obviously, I've spent a fair amount of time this week being quizzed about the semi-final draw and what I think about facing Leeds.

I'm obviously happy about that because it is a way of helping to further lift the profile of this great club.

But I've been very conscious of the fact that we've got another game this weekend, and if our preparation is not spot-on I've no doubt Catalans will take full advantage.

Fortunately, it's also a view shared by all the players.

When I turned up for training on Tuesday morning, just a few hours after the draw had been made, I was half-expecting to have to tell them to stop thinking about Leeds in the Cup and start focusing on facing the French this weekend.

But that didn't have to happen.

Obviously, the odd comment was made about the draw, which was only to be expected given the stage of the competition we have now reached.

But the players, just like all of the coaching staff, recognised the tie is still eight weeks away and we've got some massive matches ahead.

It's unusual for there to be such a big gap between Challenge Cup rounds, and it could so easily become a major distraction if we allowed it to be.

Yet for us, we intend to use the gap as a positive.

Between now and then, we will use it as a motivational tool, with players knowing they will all be playing for Challenge Cup places.

We're now very fortunate that we have such strong competition for places across the board at this club, and that if the form of any player slips, there's always going to be someone waiting in the wings to take over.

So, the only way to guarantee a place in our next Cup game is to continue to play well in Super League and play a positive part in our bid to secure a top six play-off spot.

And that process begins at the Galpharm on Sunday.

We were bitterly disappointed to lose at Hull a fortnight ago when we felt our performance didn't achieve the necessary reward.

The key this weekend, therefore, is to get straight back on the winning Super League track against the Dragons.

It's a game we know we'll be expected to win, and there's no doubt that if we play to our full potential we will be smiling once again.

But Catalans are no mugs.

They are a big, aggressive side and have one of the smartest half-backs in the game in Stacey Jones.

Just remember how big a role he played in helping New Zealand win the Tri Nations last autumn.

They've got some very big, strong forwards in the likes of Beattie, Fakir and Chan, and have some genuine pace out wide.

I'm expecting it to be another tight game, where one bounce of the ball or a referee's call could make all the difference.

But, I know I may be sounding like an old record, this is another game where it's all about us.

Since that awful Easter period, our strategy has been to focus on ourselves and our performance.

It's a policy that's served us well, and we've no intention of changing it now.

Let's hope it's a winning formula once again.