28 Dec 2019

Giants Top 30 of the Decade: 30-21

As we countdown to the end of the decade, we countdown the Top 30 Giants Players of the Decade, as decided by a panel of fans and experts.

So the decade is ending, you might have heard. The 2010s are over and we've had great players play in every year of them. So we decided to make a list for the end of the decade. 

Here's how we did it: We amassed a panel of representatives of fans and the RL experts and we asked them all to write a list of their Top 30 players. We gave their Number 1 30 points, Number 2 29 points and so on. We then added all the scores together and made a list. 

We didn't make any qualification criteria - we simply asked our panelists to choose the best players, in their opinion, that they have seen in a Giants shirt from 2010-2019. We will reveal the 30-21 today, 20-11 on 29th January, 10-6 on the 30th and finally 5-1 on New Years Eve. 

30. Jason Chan, 19 points

Jason Chan had a brief, but very successful period with the Claret and Gold, with the Papua New Guinean back-row forward playing for the Giants from 2012-2014. In that time he won the League Leaders Shield and scored 11 tries in his period at the club. 

29. Paul Clough, 25 points

The 32-year-old Clough has had quite a career, playing over 160 games for St Helens before moving to Bradford and then to the Claret and Gold. A tough, uncompromising metre-maker who has played a role that has become more and more important with the reduction of interchanges in the game. 

Clough enjoyed a superb 2018 season, winning Coaches Player of the Year and has proved himself to be a key part of the Giants forward pack in the latter end of the decade. 

28. Larne Patrick, 32 points

The lung-busting, super intense Larne Patrick joined from Narrabeen Sharks in 2009 after spending some time in the Bradford Bulls youth system, and found a real home at the John Smith's Stadium over his seven years at the club. Tries like the one above against Leeds made him a fan favourite with the Cowbell Army. 

27. Craig Kopczak, 32 points

Playing 89 times for the Claret and Gold and a key part of the 2013 League Leaders Shield winning side, Craig Kopczak was the uncompromising prop forward who shared duties in the front row with Eorl Crabtree in the side that topped the table for the first time in 81 years, scoring 4 tries along the way. He has since had stints at Salford and Wakefield Trinity.

26. Stephen Wild, 39 points

Stephen Wild only played 19 games in the 2010s, but his authority, class and hard-work made him a fan favourite in his time in Huddersfield. His farewell tour from the club saw him play in the Immaculate Interception Playoff game in 2010 and saw him play in a team that was 80 minutes away from a maiden Grand Final appearance. A season to remember and a player worth remembering. 

25. David Fa'alogo, 45 points

A big forward, brought over from South Sydney, David Fa'alogo had real class and real strength. His three-years with the club saw him dominate midfield in a pack during Nathan Brown's tenure. His try against Castleford (above) is typical, he really did just dominate all things in the middle. 

24. Lee Gaskell, 46 points

Arriving in 2017, Gaskell played a centre, at full-back and across a number of other positions in the Giants team but found real form with his move to Stand Off in the middle of 2018. Since then, he's established himself in the side and has shown his class in 2019. 

He was rewarded with Players' Player of the Year, Supporters Player of the Year and Harold Wagstaff Trophy in 2019 - and has become the star of the Giants side. 

23. Brad Drew, 46 points

Brad Drew only played 9 times in the 2010s, but had an immeasurable impact on both the Giants squad and the supporters. Always popular, the general at hooker has been named by Eorl Crabtree as one of the best he's ever played with. On our panel, he even achieved 1 first place vote. Special mention for his tremendous performance in the 16-16 draw with Hull KR in 2010. 

22. Dale Ferguson, 47 points

Dale Ferguson was a hard-working, classy second rower who had two spells at the club, once from 2011-2013, and then again from 2017-2019. In both spells, he was a tough second-rower who was capable of finding a line and getting over the line. Special mention for his try in the 2013 Super League Semi Final (above). 

21. Kevin Brown, 48 points

Brown arrived as a centre from Wigan in 2006 and left in 2012 as a stand-off with a big reputation in the game. A shrewd game-manager, Kevin Brown scored 39 times in 135 appearances for the Giants and was a classy playmaker for the side in the Nathan Brown era. 

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