Stone: Our destiny is in our hands
Rick Stone is hoping his players can use last year’s experience of The Qualifiers to drive them on into this season’s Super 8s.
Huddersfield host Widnes on Friday knowing that four points from the last three games will secure their place in the top eight. Stone believes the Giants’ recent form is good enough to see them achieve their goal.
“It wasn’t a good place to be last year, but we’ve got ,” he told the club’s official website.
“We’ve got to win two of our last three games to secure the Super 8s status. We start with Widnes and once we get past that we worry about the next one. We can’t afford to look too far ahead.
“The process doesn’t change for us. We have a shorter turnaround so it makes it a little bit tougher, we have to make sure our boys are physically ready then manage the game better.
“We’ve looked at a couple of things which we could have done a little bit better and if we can do that then we give ourselves a better chance.
“They are playing a bit better than where their position suggests in the table but we have to concentrate on ourselves and the last six to eight weeks have been pretty good.
“We were beaten by a better side last week and conceded some soft tries, but we’re quietly confident we can get on the right track.”
One player who won’t be part of the Giants’ push for the top eight is Australian full-back Jake Mamo, who is out for the rest of the season following surgery on his foot injury.
Stone added: “He’s had an operation and it’s an injury which will keep him out for the rest of the year.
“He’s been a big part of our mid-season revival and to lose him is a blow. It is one which keeps you out for a while and it’s going to take a long period of recovery.
“It’s the opposite foot to which he injured earlier on this season – he got a screw in to attach its ligament then after that they take the screw out so you can rehab more intensively.
“Effectively it rules him out for the rest of the year and our goal is to get him ready for next year.
“Both on and off the field he’s been massive. The energy he provides in training has been great and his ability on the pitch has been sensational.
“He’s been a welcome addition to our club and to the competition because everyone wants to see that sort of player.”