So its onto the 2nd game in our pre season and big eorl's testimonial game at the galpharm..

looking forward to this game, hopefully get to see grix and gilmour play for the first time in giants colours..
Nathan brown says he will leave it upto brett hodgson if he wants to play but i would rather see cudjoe play full back and give macgillvary a chance on the wing for this one.

dont think we will be seeing drew, wild, finnegan, brown, faalogo or kirmond due to injury or still recovering.

will be great to see super stanley gene back playing again (if he plays)



predict giants by 14 and a 3000 crowd

mason is injured too ( hernia op apparently). i also think that Whatuira had a hamstring so might not be rushed back

thats 8 'first teamers' prob not playing against fax then.. opportunities for other players to stake there claim.. especially horne and grix

patrick needs a big game otherwise ill be getting worried in the prop department if one of them gets injured

I'm also looking forward to this weather permitting. I think Fa'alogo is pencilled in for the Cas game for his debut. Brown should get a run out as he's going well in pre-season training but the rest are a fair way off playing yet.

I'd forgotten Stan the Man could be playing - bring it on.

Could? He will be playing, don't you worry about that.

Can you pay on the gate or do you have to get a ticket from a designated ticket office first?

Like the stupid setup at Leigh where there's one massive queue for a ticket yet all the stewards at the turnstiles were twiddling their thumbs.

I'd be very surprised if you couldn't pay on the gate. That's what I plan to do anyway.

[size=150FULL CIRCLE FOR CRABTREE AHEAD OF TESTIMONIAL[/size

With his Testimonial game now less than a week away, Giants and England star Eorl Crabtree revealed his excitement and pride ahead of the Infirmary Cup derby clash against Halifax at the Galpharm Stadium on Sunday (3.00pm).

Crabtree has been rewarded for a decade of service in the claret and gold with a fixture against near neighbours Halifax, with both Nathan Brown and opposing Coach Matt Calland pledging to play full strength teams for the clash.

“It seems strange that I’ve been here ten years now – it’s a little surreal! I’m immensely looking forward to my testimonial game and a little bit nervous at the same time to be honest.

“It’s great that both clubs have committed to putting out full strength sides and I’d like to thank them for that. I’m sure that it’s going to be a proper derby clash and there’s something to play for in the Infirmary Cup which both sides will want to win.”

The fans favourite has kicked off his testimonial year with a number of events including The RL Factor, and admitted that having Halifax as the opponents for the game has it made it extra special – particularly as his first team debut came in the Infirmary Cup clash between the two sides in 2000!

“One of the biggest aims of my testimonial year is to make everything value for money, and I’m really pleased that we are playing Halifax as I think it is an attractive fixture for the fans. Halifax is particularly special for me too as there is a bit of history in my family with my Uncle Shirley (former Wrestling legend ‘Big Daddy’) and a lot of my family being from Halifax and my Grandfather actually played for them many years ago, so it promises to be a very special day for me and my family.

“My first team debut was against them in the Infirmary Cup the ten years ago, albeit for only five minutes at the end of the game but it was a very proud moment. I’m not even sure I touched the ball but I do remember tackling former Halifax star Martin Moana which was a very big thing for me at the time. Now it’s gone full circle, and I’m facing the same club in my testimonial feature which is very strange!”

Championship Grand Finalists Halifax have recruited strongly as they look to mount a strong challenge in 2010, adding Makali Aizue and former Giants favourite Stanley Gene to a squad that already packs plenty of Super League experience.

“I’m not sure whether or not Stanley is playing but it would be very special for me to see him running out onto the pitch, he was present when we did my first testimonial event in the RL Factor and he’s been a tremendous player and a great servant of the game for many years. They’ve built a very capable side at Halifax and I’m sure they will be there or there about at the top of the Championship at the end of the year.”

Tickets are priced at £13 for adults, £10 for concessions and £5 for under 16’s and supporters can pay on the turnstiles. The Direct Golf and Britannia Rescue Stands will be open for the game.

Weather forecast for the rest of the week looks dodgy.
It could cause a postponement.
Would it be replayed ????

hope the game goes ahead, going to try and make it............

Speaking to someone at the club today regarding the game and there are already major concerns regarding this match going ahead. The field has taken a lot of snow over the week (as everyone knows) and the undersoil heating is on constantly in attempt to make the field playable. With the melt water and freezing temperatures its a real struggle to make the pitch fit. Theres also concerns regarding the surrounding area. With kirklees taking measures to keep major routes open the stadium isnt a priority and it is left to the club to hire private ploughers/gritters to clear the area.

Also a message left on my voicemail this morning that went along the lines of "just checking to see if you'd recieved your match tickets for sunday.....if the game gos ahead" doesn't exactly fill you with confidence.

Fingers crossed.

judging by the weather forecasts we have up here and the number of serious crashes even on the A roads i think i am gonna have to give it a miss even if it is going to go ahead

[urlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft8T6J9bFNU[/url - Interview with Stan

Must let them know I haven't received mine!!

All major roads are clear. I took Little Ivor to Oxford then Stansted yesterday without any problems at all.

Good quote from [url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2010/01/05/huddersfield-giants-eorl-more-confident-than-ever-ahead-of-super-league-xv-86081-25524425/2/Eorl[/url “That obviously includes bringing in Stan, who I’m in the process of making sure doesn’t duck out, because in the past Stan and pre-season games haven’t been that common!"

And then [url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2010/01/07/giants-rise-so-special-stan-gene-86081-25542500/Examiner[/url writes "But, on top of that, it will be the first game the 35-year-old will have played at the Galpharm since leaving Huddersfield four years ago and is also going to be his first game in the blue and white of Halifax."

Here we go again! That made him 31 when he left us and 25 when he signed!

Quote ="Ivor C&G Scarf"Good quote from [url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2010/01/05/huddersfield-giants-eorl-more-confident-than-ever-ahead-of-super-league-xv-86081-25524425/2/Eorl[/url “That obviously includes bringing in Stan, who I’m in the process of making sure doesn’t duck out, because in the past Stan and pre-season games haven’t been that common!" And then [url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2010/01/07/giants-rise-so-special-stan-gene-86081-25542500/Examiner[/url writes "But, on top of that, it will be the first game the 35-year-old will have played at the Galpharm since leaving Huddersfield four years ago and is also going to be his first game in the blue and white of Halifax." Here we go again! That made him 31 when he left us and 25 when he signed!'" Brian Noble said in 2008: "It's alleged he has four passports where his age ranges from 44 to 34 and his true age is probably somewhere in between. Having coached him at Bradford for a year, I've seen a passport with 42 on it!" news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 691038.stm

Quote ="Ivor C&G Scarf"Good quote from [url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2010/01/05/huddersfield-giants-eorl-more-confident-than-ever-ahead-of-super-league-xv-86081-25524425/2/Eorl[/url “That obviously includes bringing in Stan, who I’m in the process of making sure doesn’t duck out, because in the past Stan and pre-season games haven’t been that common!" And then [url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/huddersfield-giants/huddersfield-giants-news/2010/01/07/giants-rise-so-special-stan-gene-86081-25542500/Examiner[/url writes "But, on top of that, it will be the first game the 35-year-old will have played at the Galpharm since leaving Huddersfield four years ago and is also going to be his first game in the blue and white of Halifax." Here we go again! That made him 31 when he left us and 25 when he signed!'" Brian Noble said in 2008: "It's alleged he has four passports where his age ranges from 44 to 34 and his true age is probably somewhere in between. Having coached him at Bradford for a year, I've seen a passport with 42 on it!" news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 691038.stm

Surely this isn't going ahead. Won't supporter safety come into it even if the pitch is playable ?

tell that to the two people who died in weather related accidents on the A1 today , or those caught up in the traffic jams when the A1 was shut today for 90 minutes and where we have snow forecast for the next two days.

I cant see it going ahead, the forecast is for more snow during Friday night and heavier snow on Sunday.

The pitch may be playable, with undersoil heating, but the real trick is getting the stand safe for fans and the roads being clear enough, although most fans dont have that far to come.

Yes obviously supporters safety will be paramount, and knowing that 10 tonnes of grit was applied to the access areas of the stadium for the town v MK dons games on the 28th, they will be working hard to get these access areas accessible again although they did run out of grit and had to start with plain salt. I would say it will be going ahead unless theres more snow on the day!

I'd have thought the best plan would be to reschedule it personally, general advice is dont travel if you dont have to...

Not really another window of opportunity though.

Much depends on the upcoming conditions. If it doesn't snow again then I don't see why it can't go ahead TBH. Leeds Road isn't that bad as it is such a busy road. Most of the main roads are okay. If it snows again a decent amounht between now and Sunday though then who knows.

.

shocking grammar



Heavy snow showers forcast tonight from the Met Office, but they are taking pot luck at the moment I think.