Do you begin to take Huddersfield Giants as serious contenders for winning the Grand Final?

Are they already there?
If they beat us tomorrow?
If they win the League?

At the moment, i'll be honest, I don't fancy them as serious contenders for Old Trafford in October. Beaten pretty easily when it mattered by Warrington in the Cup (seems like Wire could be their bogey team..), i'm just not buying into it just yet. I mean I wouldn't be surprised if they turn us over tomorrow night, but i'd still fancy us to beat them come playoff time.

A very talented, well drilled squad with one of the best kickers in the league, and Sinfield has showed us with somebody directing you round the park well, you're halfway there.

But Grand Final winners? Not for me

EDITED - This isn't some dig at Huddersfield or anything, I just don't see the Grand Final winners being any team other than Wigan/Wire/Leeds this season, just wondered if anybody agreed etc..

Recent history has shown Huddersfield to be a team that make a great start but fall away and fail every time when it comes to the games that actually decide the trophies. While some teams have one season like that they have had the same thing happen every year recently, showing promise but flopping in the last few regular season rounds and in the playoffs. While Paul Anderson has seemingly got them to maintain the push in the regular season (unlike how they were under Nathan Brown), Saints under Brown are seemingly coming good at the sharp end rather than fading, so was it all down to the coach? As mentioned by the OP Huddersfield were also totally outplayed by Wire in the cup a few weeks ago (not for the first time) and would be likely to have to beat them at some stage to win the GF. Are they capable of doing that? There are also us, Leeds and an improving Saints to navigate as well should they manage to turn over Warrington.

IMO Huddersfield would need to be in the GF having beaten two of either us, Wire, Leeds and Saints to get there and having not needed a second chance to convince me that they were capable of beating whoever they faced in that GF. As things are I expect them to finish top then in the playoffs lose in week 1, win in week 2 (unless they play Saints) and go out in the semi final.

They wont win it. Iv got this horrible feeling saints will surprise everyone in the play offs.

If they beat us, Wire or Leeds in the play offs I'd start taking them seriously, we learned last year what a big regular season gets you if you can't back it up in the play offs

Your not the only one, still think saints will be right up there and a contender to get to the final. I think hudds oils turn us over tomorrow but I still wouldn't be nervous about playing them in the play offs.

No chance Saints will get anywhere near!!

It does beg the question, is there any advantage to us pushing for a higher place, if finishing 4th would pitch us against the team we would most like to play?

You always have that self doubt at the back of your mind about your own club so when people ask 'could Huddersfield beat Wigan in the play offs' I'd say yes. They're a solid side with a good halfback and our play off record isn't crash hot.

Ask me could they beat Leeds, Wire or even Saints and its a cast iron no from me. They have no form for winning big games and where I call them a 'solid side' in positive terms suddenly feels negative. They won't have enough game breakers to beat those teams.

People talk about tomorrow being a test of their credentials but I don't feel it's that big a game. The only games I count as big ones these days are knock out games so I wouldn't read too much in to what happens tomorrow from either sides point of view.

They've got it all to prove.

The only purpose it'll serve if they beat us is to give them more confidence that they can beat us. We don't have a great record against them in recent seasons really. Would have been good to have a full strength team this week and dish out a spanking to send out a message! The timing of the fixture is unfortunate with the final just 2 weeks away.

Personally I think Huddersfield are a different animal this year, and a GF appearance wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

They can make the final but I can't see them winning it. The winner will come from us, Wire, Leeds and Saints (although I think Saints are average and it'd be a freak result if they won it).

Hudds seem to have wood over Leeds in the past few years. Finishing first would mean they are likely have to beat Leeds to get to the GF. Leeds were mad keen to win at Wembley this year and I'd wager the vast majority of the Leeds squad would have chosen Wembley glory over Old Trafford glory but Hudds beat them convincingly with 12 if I remember.