Huddersfield Giants: Four fresh exits confirmed with eight players to leave club as departures list revealed

Amidst a host of announcements, Huddersfield Giants have tonight confirmed their departures list, with four fresh exits revealed and a total of eight players leaving the club following Friday night’s game against Warrington Wolves.

It was already public knowledge that both Theo Fages and Will Pryce were departing the John Smith’s Stadium at the end of the year.

Frenchman Fages is returning home and linking back up with Catalans Dragons, while Giants academy product Pryce is headed for the NRL and Newcastle Knights alongside Wigan Warriors ace Kai Pearce-Paul.

Additionally, the club earlier today released the news that veteran Chris McQueen would be hanging his boots up to bring the curtain down on his career.

And just before they released the departures list, following their end of season awards evening, the Giants made public the news that club stalwart Jermaine McGillvary would be amongst those heading for the exit door after a 16-year stay in West Yorkshire with his hometown club.

But the number of departures has now doubled, with a total of eight players that won’t be pulling on the Claret & Gold jersey in 2024.

Four fresh departures confirmed by Huddersfield Giants

One of those departures was expected, with head coach Ian Watson confirming earlier this year that forward Jack Ashworth was unlikely to be sticking around. He has secured a move elsewhere for 2024, and details of his new deal remain to be seen, but it’s now official that Friday night will be his last game in a Giants shirt.

In a statement released on their website, the club also revealed that Owen Trout would be moving on, with a deal elsewhere also secured by the 23-year-old.

He played just five games this year before suffering a season-ending knee injury in defeat against Hull KR, and will bring an end to a four-year stay at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Youngster George Roby will also depart having spent most of 2023 on loan in the Championship with Bradford Bulls and more recently Swinton Lions. The Giants picked him up at 18 from Warrington Wolves back in 2020, but he hasn’t made a senior appearance in his time at the club.

Most notably, prop Nathan Mason will not only be leaving Huddersfield, but he’s made the decision to retire from rugby league altogether ahead of a move to Australia which will see him take up another occupation.

The 30-year-old re-joined the Giants ahead of 2022, playing eight games last term. This year, he’s struggled even more for game time and having been loaned out to Bradford, he broke his wrist at Summer Bash against Keighley Cougars.

Oldham-born Mason also represented his hometown club, Batley Bulldogs, Leigh, London Broncos, Sheffield Eagles, Halifax Panthers and Wakefield Trinity over the course of his career with the vast majority of those loan spells.

Departures list provides answer to Cudjoe contract situation?

In the statement regarding the departing players, Huddersfield stated: “Further announcements regarding our 2024 Playing Squad will follow in due course.”

Of their current squad, only Leroy Cudjoe remains off-contract with his future still not confirmed, but the fact he isn’t on this list would hint at – and strengthen the argument – that he’s set to sign a new deal.

The 35-year-old first pulled on his hometown club’s shirt in 2008, and unlike fellow stalwart McGillvary, Cudjoe hasn’t struggled for game time this year, with boss Watson saying ‘words can’t describe how important he is to us’ just a few months ago.

He appears to still firmly be in Watson’s plans, and we think an announcement of an extension will come sooner rather than later now.

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