BIG Darrell Griffin is ready to help the Giants win the battle of the forwards and fire his side to a stunning opening Super League triumph over reigning champions Leeds.

Huddersfield’s superb pre-season campaign when they secured wins at Castleford, Hull and Batley has put them in buoyant mood ahead of Sunday’s big Galpharm clash.

But Griffin knows that if the pack fail to get the better of their visitors, then a tough afternoon could be in store.

“Leeds are always strong up front, and this weekend will certainly be no exception,” predicted the former Wakefield prop.

“And if they win the pack battle, they’ve obviously got the backs to finish you off.

“So it’s obvious the emphasis will be on us to make sure we do our jobs.

“The key is to meet fire with fire, and that’s what we’re fully intending to do.

“The way we have performed in our pre-season games has put us in a very confident mood, and we know that if we hit our best form straight away we’ll take some stopping.

“But we also know only our best will be good enough.

“Leeds are not champions for nothing, as they showed against Hull KR last weekend.

“The way they fought back from a slow start in that match was a credit to them, and we know they’ll be even more determined when they play us.

“This game has all the makings of being a classic.”

Griffin will go into the contest on the back of an excellent set of pre-season performances.

He was one of the pack stars in the outstanding win at Hull, and then backed that up with equally strong displays in the games that followed.

And he admits that wasn’t by chance.

“At the end of last season, I set a target of getting more game time this time around,” he explained.

“For that to happen, I knew I would need to work harder than ever and lose a bit of weight.

“Thankfully it’s paid off, because I’m now a stone lighter than last year and feel a lot fitter.

“At the same time, I’ve not lost any strength, so I’m feeling pretty happy with life right now.

“But what will obviously make me even happier is having more time on the field on Sunday and helping the boys beat Leeds.

“And, like me, everyone else in the team is in great mood ahead of this weekend, because we’re all feeling fitter and stronger.

“Sunday is, of course, the acid test, but we are confident we will give a very good account of ourselves.

“Obviously, we want to do well for ourselves in our bid to make the top six again.

“But we also want to do well for the fans.

“There’s a real buzz around town and all the signs suggest we could have around 10,000 fans behind us this weekend.

“Nothing would give us greater pleasure than sending them home happy this weekend!”