29 Dec 2019
Giants Top 30 of the Decade: 20-11
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 yesterday we revealed the first ten players on our list of the 30 best players of the Decade for Huddersfield Giants.
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 20-11 today, 10-6 on the 30th and finally 5-1 on New Years Eve.
20. Jamahl Lolesi, 54 points
Jammer the Hammer scored five tries in 17 appearances in the 2010s, but he was pivotal in the recovery towards the end of that season, scoring in 3 of his last 4 games in the season.
An explosive centre and occasional back-rower who made a great contribution in the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but made his mark in the 2010s with his expressive style and enormous strike power.
19. David Hodgson, 62 points
The fastest man in the game over 10 metres. David Hodgson's finishing ability was monumental, and Hodgson had his most prolific season in 2010, scoring 24 times in 30 games, including 4 hat-tricks, three in 4 weeks.
His combination with a number of different centres of 2010, including Lee Gilmour, Michael Lawrence and Paul Whatuira, proved his pure try-scoring prowess.
18. Lee Gilmour, 66 points
Aforementioned Gilmour oozed class. From second-row, from centre or indeed anywhere on the pitch, he was usually the man that made things happen from the edge in Claret and Gold.
Gilmour played Centre and Second-Row for the Giants, and had a habit of scoring in big games - scoring in the Qualifying and Semi Finals of Super League in 2010.
17. Andy Raleigh, 67 points
Honest, hard-working hometown prop who was popular with the Huddersfield faithful over his time at the club, Raleigh's hard-running style made his a pivotal part of the forward pack in his two seasons in the 2010s. He played 30 times between 2010-2011.
16. Luke O'Donnell, 70 points
The ripped shirt. The point to the scoreboard. The legend of Luke O'Donnell began in a 2011 game against Leeds Rhinos and hasn't stopped since.
15. Jake Connor, 72 points
While Jake Connor didn't spend the peak of his career in Claret and Gold, as seen by his form for Hull and England in recent years, Connor was a versatile young homegrown talent in his time at the club, and played Centre, Full-Back and Stand-Off.
14. Scott Grix, 93 points
Most players wouldn't see a bit of space by the corner post and think "I can kick that ball to myself", but most players aren't Scott Grix. An excellent defensive full-back and one of the smartest players of the decade, Grix was a member of the League Leaders Shield winning team in 2013.
13. Ukuma Ta'ai, 104 points
Bustling and no-holds-barred forward, Ukuma Ta'ai has become a fan favourite over his time at the Giants with the Huddersfield faithful taking to him as much as he's taken to the Huddersfield faithful.
Always the last one in, happy to meet all the fans after games, he is truly loved by the Cowbell Army and they love him for a simple reason - he only goes one way and that's forwards.
12. Ryan Hinchcliffe, 114 points
A model professional, Ryan Hinchcliffe was a classy, smart footballer who arrived with a big reputation at the John Smith's Stadium, and fulfilled it with his ability to lead a team and drag a team out of any situation created. In his time, he was respected and admired and left a big gap in the culture of the team.
11. Shaun Lunt, 115 points
The player with the highest win percentage of the decade, as explored by The Long Read last week, Shaun Lunt was a classy, powerful hooker who had his best season in a Huddersfield shirt in 2013, when he touched down 19 times. A key part of the League Leaders Shield winning team.
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