Huddersfield was a founding Rugby league club back in 1895. In fact, the meeting that led to the formation of the game started in this very city, at the George Hotel. You can read about the historic Hotel becoming a national RL museum by clicking here.
The Giants are a team that came back in the early noughties but recently receded again. In the year 2000, the club had been merged with the Sheffield Eagles. This ill-fated venture thankfully only lasted one season, with John Kear being the coach. From 1998 to 2001, they was no promotion-relegation so Huddersfield had a reprieve.
Back as the Huddersfield Giants, they took on coach Tony Smith in 2001 and tried to rebuild. Relegation followed but they remained fully a professional club and were back in 2003 and stayed there. Tony Smith left for Leeds and in came Jon Sharp. Four years of reasonable placings came to pass but his position was terminated during the 5th season with a poor 10th placing.
Nathan Brown took charge in 2009 and a much improved 3rd placing was achieved. The club won the Club of the Year, Coach of the Year and Man of Steel award. The next three years witnessed a slight annual decline in the finishing position. The coach lost his post and in came Paul Anderson. This resulted in the club winning its first league leader's shield in 81 years.
Just when things were going so well, it all turned to custard in 2016 with a bottom placing. Rick Stone was then made the new coach and results improved but not that much. Out he went and in came new coach Simon Woolford but it didn't really lift things. He resigned and was replaced by Salford's Ian Watson.
Since then, things have been up and down. The squad they have should have done better but if they can recruit well then who knows. The town is not a RL stronghold by any means and it is generously assisted by its owner, without whom the club may have left the elite league years ago.
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