Huddersfield Giants are “not working hard enough” to make up for the lack of quality claims Ian Watson

Huddersfield Giants have won just one of their last nine games in all competitions and are eight points adrift of the Super League play-offs. The run of form has undoubtedly put pressure on Ian Watson, who has also responded to suggestions he could lose his job.

Talking to BBC Radio Leeds, Watson simply explained that “it’s someone else’s call”, not before bemoaning the team’s lack of quality as the reason for the poor performances.

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Are Huddersfield Giants’ squad just not good enough?

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In an extraordinary outburst, Watson claimed his team was no match for the other play-off contenders, despite owner Ken Davy’s infamous claim ahead of the 2023 season that he had built “the biggest team since Huddersfield Giants” in his time responsible

After the 48-0 thrashing of Warrington, Watson said BBC Radio Leeds: “Put our teams on paper and put them next to St Helens, next to Wigan, next to Catalans, next to Leeds. Look at the players’ levels, the number of internationals or the champions in their teams.”

He even compared his side to Leigh Leopards, the side who sit a point below Huddersfield, as he suggested his side were being given an unnecessary ‘barrage’.

“You look at Leigh, who is also in a tough position but doesn’t get the barrage we get, but you look at Ricky Leutele as an NRL Grand Final champion, Challenge Cup winner now. Zal Hardaker, how many grand final games has he won, how many Challenge Cups has he won?

“John Asiata, Lachlan Lam, Matt Moylan, levels of player, incredible levels of player, which makes a huge difference in a competition like this.”

“I don’t work hard enough” – Ian Watson’s brutal statement

Credit: Imago Images

Watson would then brutally suggest that because his team lacks quality compared to other Super League sides, they have to work harder than everyone else, something he claimed was not currently happening.

“What you have to understand is that you may not have the best players, but you have to work harder than everyone else to achieve what you want to do. I don’t think we’re working hard enough right now.”

In the four seasons Ian Watson has been in charge of Huddersfield Giants, they have finished ninth, third, ninth and are currently eighth. That third place came in 2022 and Watson claimed he had failed to rebuild a proper squad, instead suggesting he was building for the future.

“We had a great team in 2022, it fell apart. We had to start again in 23, we lost several players at the back. We had to start again this year and we’re probably starting again with younger players, but nobody wants to wait or nobody wants to see things mature in five or six years.

“They all want to win now and I’m the same, I want to win now but it’s hard if you don’t sign the players and the levels of what they have and what Wigan have and what St Helens have then yeah it’s hard. .”