Huddersfield can be a consistent top four club, insists new coach Ian Watson

Huddersfield’s new coach Ian Watson believes the club’s youth system can propel the Giants to being a top four club year in, year out.

The former Salford boss has been officially appointed as Huddersfield’s new head coach on a three-year deal.

Watson, who guided the Red Devils to the Super League Grand Final and Challenge Cup final in consecutive years, is highly regarded in the managerial side of the game.

The former Wales international thinks Huddersfield’s strong youth system can be the key to success.

He said: “Huddersfield just really appealed to me because everything about it screams a top four club.

“On the field at the moment they are not winning and are not being that top four team but from the big stadium, the owner (Ken Davy), to geographically where they are to attract players from Yorkshire and Lancashire, and the youth system what they have there as well (appealed to me).

“We’ve got to start looking at challenging to be in the top four. First of all I will be building a side that want to play together and compete together.

“We want to push into the play-offs and once you get into the play-offs you build from there in confidence and going forward, it is about bringing the youth through and using the quality of players you’ve got there like Jermaine McGillvary, Joe Wardle, Aidan Sezer and Chris McQueen and building on them to bring those youngsters through.

“The senior players should be having a legacy for the young guys coming through and thats how you build the club to make sure it is competing at the top end of the table all the time.”

Watson has spoken highly of Huddersfield owner Ken Davy, who has provided a lot of financial backing for his club over a number of years.

Watson added: “I spoke to Richard (Thewlis, Giants managing director) who sold me the club and the idea and then Ken spoke to me and really sold me on the vision of what he wanted for the club and how he saw the club going forward and his ambition to win trophies which is also mine.

“My challenge is: I didn’t want to have any excuses anymore. I didn’t want to have excuses that we don’t have enough players, the finances or the youth system.

“It was the next step and next challenge for me that really excited me and Ken really sold it to me about how you sustain a club and his backing over the years has been proven at Huddersfield. What we have got to do now is turn that into winning on the field.”

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