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New Huddersfield Giants head coach Jim Lenihan is well aware of the task at hand as he attempts to turn the club’s fortunes around.
The Giants currently sit bottom of the Super League table, with the club regularly facing criticism over crowd sizes and recruitment.
The Australian took over the role on 22 March after Luke Robinson was sacked after Huddersfield lost their first five Super League games.
The Giants have said they will be looking to hire someone to build a long-term foundation for the 2030s and beyond, and with that in mind, announced Lenihan on a long-term deal because of his “vision for the club”.
Lenihan, who featured 21 times as a player for Huddersfield in the 1999 season, has most recently been serving as head coach of the Brisbane Tigers in his native Australia.
Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach at NRL side Gold Coast Titans from 2019 to 2025, temporarily taking over as interim head coach in 2023.
So, how will his time as a head coach? First, he will want to create an identity and “unapologetically” be a team that Huddersfield can be proud of.
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Highlights of the Super League match between Huddersfield Giants and St Helens
“There’s going to be a lot to work on and adjust to. I think the biggest thing I like about coaching is coaching towards an identity. I think one, we want to establish who we are here at Huddersfield,” Lenihan said.
“Once we establish an identity, I think recruiting people to fit that identity and then making sure we really do Huddersfield proud. Huddersfield is a hard-working, proud area. We want to be a side that represents that.
“It’s really important to me that we recruit the right people and make Huddersfield a place where it’s really proud of its football team. I want to be unapologetic about that.
“We want to get there and it’s not going to fix itself quickly, but we must have an idea of who we are and what we want to be and then how we go about it.”
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Betfred Super League clash highlights between Leigh Leopards vs Huddersfield Giants
While Lenihan has ideas on how to recruit, he made it clear that all players have a clean slate to show they can fit into the culture he’s trying to create.
“I have to come in here and earn everyone’s trust. I have to earn everyone’s respect. And part of that is coming in and everyone having a new slate, I think everyone has to be given a chance,” he added.
“There is no black mark against anyone’s name in my thinking.
“You’re given that respect and it’s after your actions that keep it at that point or slowly erode it. So, we’ll always look at our appointments and what our actions will be.
“I think it’s an ongoing process and a daily process. But, there will definitely be some time for people to change their minds.”
2026 Super League – Key dates and what to look out for
- Super League in Paris: Sat June 6: Catalan Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris)6.30pm UK (Sky Sports)
- Magic Weekend: July 4-5 July
- Rival Round Reverse: July 23-July 26
- Playoff Elimination: September 19-September 20
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
- Grand Final: 3 October, Old Trafford.
Sky Sports Every game in the Super League will again be shown live this season – with two matches from each round exclusively live, the remaining five matches will be shown every week. Sky Sports+
