Huddersfield Giants star opens up on injury nightmare as ‘darkest moment’ revealed

Huddersfield Giants prop George King has opened up on the horrific ankle injury he suffered in pre-season following his move to the club which kept him out of action until earlier this month.

King – who hails from the town of Huddersfield – joined the Giants from Hull KR ahead of 2025, penning a four-year deal at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The 30-year-old had fallen out of favour in East Hull, featuring just once across the Robins’ last 13 matches last term in their run to the Super League Grand Final.

His switch to Huddersfield completed a full circle having spent time in the Giants’ youth ranks as a junior before making the move to Warrington Wolves, where brother Toby was – and still is – plying his trade.

But King’s hometown return didn’t entirely go to plan.

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‘My foot planted inwards, outwards, north, south… pretty much every direction going’

At the start of December, the Giants released a statement detailing a ‘serious’ injury blow to the veteran forward: revealing that would spent at least five months on the sidelines, requiring surgery on his ankle.

King’s Huddersfield debut eventually came on May 17, coincidentally away against former club Hull KR. He’s since gone on to make his home debut against St Helens, and is expected to line up against Leigh Leopards on Thursday night.

For the first time, the player himself has opened up on his injury, doing so on fellow Ireland international Ronan Michael’s ‘What’s the Message?’ podcast.

King said: “It was frustrating.

“I’d obviously just signed at my hometown club in Huddersfield, and it was only my third training session, so I’d just got to know people.

“When you first join a club, you’re anxious and you want to get your front foot forward.

“I was in the element of trying to get everything right and trying to do the right things.

“Sadly, we were just doing a scenario in training and my foot just planted inwards, outwards, north, south… pretty much every direction going.

“I had a good medical team around me, they really helped me out, and the boys did as well. I’m really thankful for them.

“It’s been a journey. It’s not just the element of doing your actual injury, it’s the journey that you go on behind the scenes (to get back fit).

“My family were great, I’m really glad now to be back out there and hoping to do the town of Huddersfield proud.”

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‘It was my injury, but collectively, the team really helped me out’

The podcast episode was recorded in the week leading up to the prop’s first game back against KR, with King having shared an Ireland dressing room with Michael on nine occasions.

Now in the Championship with Bradford Bulls, Michael began his own rugby league career at Huddersfield, making his senior bow for the Giants back in November 2020 against Wigan Warriors.

King continued: “I was in so much pain when it actually happened, but it was so powerful that when it happened I had people around me.

“I had players around me holding my head and making sure I was breathing right and I had the physios constantly talking to me.

“Even in that darkest moment, it was really powerful and that helped me to get through it because of the other players (helping).

“It was my injury, but collectively, the team really helped me out.”

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