Crabtree on Friday: Time for talking is over

Eorl Crabtree gives his thoughts ahead of our first game of the 2020 Super League Season

All the pre-season talk, all the drills, all the bonding, all the trials have all been leading to this. We flew out yesterday for our first match of the 2020 season, a gruelling trip to the South of France. It's one of the toughest places to visit in the game and provides the perfect test for the Giants in their new era. 

I remember my trips to Catalans in my playing days; the heat, the vociferous crowd, the heckling in a language you don't understand, the exhaustion. It's anything but a holiday for the boys in their opening weekend. They've always had their own, unique style - the French switched to playing Rugby League initially after being expelled from the Home Nations championship for foul play, and they've taken that niggly, nasty style of play into the 13-man code ever since. 

For our tough new front rowers, this should be the perfect test. Kenny Edwards, a former Catalans man himself, spoke at a Fans Forum event recently and spoke about how he felt playing against the Giants in the past two years. Too easy, he said, too comfortable. He wanted to change that, and with the work of Ollie Richardson in the wrestle and the additions of Kenny alongside James Gavet, it looked for all intents and purposes like we had done that. 

It'll be a tough game against the Dragons this week; James Maloney is a star half-back with State of Origin quality, in Remi Casty they have a great tough uncompromising forward and they have a strong running style that is typical of a Steve McNamara team. They represent a true test of how far we've come in the last 110 days. In this week's Pre-Match Show for GiantsTV, I've predicted an 18-point win for the Giants, and I believe the intensity shown in pre-season, especially in defence, can get us the opening day win.