“It’s a cut-throat business” – Ian Watson set to axe star playmaker with futures questioned

Josh McAllister
Huddersfield Giants, Ian Watson. News Images

Photo by Gareth Evans/News Images.

Ian Watson will welcome back Oliver Russell next weekend for their trip to Warrington and admits that a star player will be axed from his starting lineup.

The Huddersfield boss stated that Theo Fages is the only playmaker from their Magic Weekend defeat that has secured a starting spot in his 13, leaving Tui Lolohea and Jake Connor to fight out for the remaining spot in the spine.

Connor was named in the halves and Lolohea at full-back as the Giants fell to an embarrassing 48-6 defeat to St Helens at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. 

Russell, 24, is expected to slot straight back into the spine after recovering from a torn hamstring. 

Watson did not hold back when asked about who has claimed their starting spot following their defeat in the north east, with a trip to the Halliwell Jones Stadium next Saturday.

Ian Watson set to axe star playmaker

“Potentially next week, we might have our main spine out which will help. And then hopefully they can stay fit and we can start building there,” Watson said.

“If you saw the way Olly Russell trained the other day and you’re a half-back or spine player, you’re thinking ‘I need to perform this week because he’s coming back’.

“Everyone knows how much I love rusty – how he plays the game and what he does, especially defensively – so if you didn’t want to play out here today, you’re in the wrong game. 

“This is what you play for – to play in stadiums like this against the best teams in the competition. If you’re not in it for that, I don’t know what you’re in it for.”

“There’s some individuals who are way off the mark at the moment.”

Watson admits swapping players in and out of his squad is hampering their season, having claimed just five wins from 13 and now sitting 10th on the Super League table following Hull’s closing game victory.

However, the ex-Salford boss admits it’s a ‘cut-throat’ business and form will play a part in who plays and who doesn’t, with one of the current biggest squads in Super League.

“When you’re changing and swapping players, it’s tough and we’ve tried to get a settled team,” Watson continued. 

“But when we’ve tried to get a settled team, there’s certain individuals who haven’t performed and have fallen below certain standards.

“So there’s other players who are waiting on the wings to come in and perform, but either they’ve come in and not performed or they’ve made silly errors and you’ve had to change that on the back end of that.

“St Helens are a top, top team with top players. Those players turn up with a level of effort and desire to be winners and that’s the thing some of our players need to learn.

“There’s some individuals who are way off the mark at the moment.

“That’s either for them to get better or for us to replace them and make a choice whether they’re right for us going forward.”

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