Huddersfield Giants head coach Ian Watson has addressed rumors of his potential dismissal following a crushing 48-0 defeat to Warrington Wolves, marking the club’s eighth loss in their last nine games.
Seven of these eight defeats have been in the Super League, causing the Giants to plummet to eighth in the standings, only three points above tenth and six points short of the playoffs. The club has not held a playoff spot since Round Eight in April.
The defeat to Warrington not only dealt another humiliating blow but also intensified the pressure on Watson, increasing speculation about his future with the club. The team’s impressive 2022 season, which saw them reach the Challenge Cup Final and finish third, now appears to be an outlier.
After the heavy defeat, Watson faced questions about his job security and admitted, “it kills you.”
Asked if he believed the manner of the loss would lead to his dismissal, Watson told BBC West Yorkshire: “I said this week when I was talking to somebody that I can’t control any of that, that’s for other people to decide.”
He explained that he focuses on small victories, such as the development of younger players. “When you see some of the younger players coming in, they’re small wins to me as a coach. It’s really mad how you look at it. We’re in the position we are, we’re on one win out of eight, yet Aiden McGowan’s making his debut and Jack Billington’s potentially going to get on there. They’re little wins to see how they’ve developed with the coaching you’ve given them.”
Watson highlighted the growth of young players like Sam Halsall, Elliot Wallace, Harry Rushton, and Sam Hewitt, acknowledging their mistakes but emphasizing their potential. He suggested that while these players are not yet at George Williams’ level, they have promising futures.
“There’s some good guys in there who are gonna be good players but does that mean that I’ll get fired on the back end of it? We’ll see, that’s for somebody else to make a call from that.”
In conclusion, Watson admitted the stress and pressure of the situation, saying, “I love what I do, I’m passionate about winning, I want to win. This kills you when you’re in this kind of position if you’re being real honest. Is it stressful? Yeah, it kills you. It absolutely smashes your brain in.”
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