Huddersfield Giants boss Luke Robinson has all but confirmed that full back Niall Evalds will remain a Giants player next year, as his loan spell from Hull KR is set to become permanent.
When Hull KR brought in Arthur Mourgue from Catalans Dragons in March, Evalds found game time hard to come by. He opted for a move away from the club and found himself on a season-long loan at Huddersfield.
However, what was supposed to be the next step forward in his career turned into two steps back, given that less than 40 minutes into his Giants debut he broke his foot, which ruled him out of action for four months.
Making his return to action in mid-July, the former Castleford and Salford Red Devils man had to leave the field against Wakefield Trinity, after feeling discomfort in his calf just two minutes into the game. He tried to play on, but eventually had to be substituted.
The injury was another bad one for the 31-year-old, and his season is over. However, that hasn’t stopped head coach Luke Robinson deciding to stick with Evalds, as he implied that the full back would remain at the John Smith’s Stadium for good, after securing a permanent move away from Hull KR.
Niall Evalds looks set to join Huddersfield Giants permanently in 2026.
It was Rovers boss Willie Peters that first announced that Evalds was on the outer.
“He’s a Huddersfield player,” said Peters in a press conference at the end of last month. “I’m not too sure why things haven’t been [announced] because essentially when Niall left our club, he’s left our club [permanently]. Niall won’t be with us in 2026.”
Now, Robinson has had his say on the potential move, admitting he is keeping his “fingers crossed” that the move will become permanent
“He’s had a bit of a tough time has Niall if I’m honest,” he said in his pre-match press conference against Catalans. “I’ve said all along what a fantastic player [he is].”
“We want competition for places. We want strength in depth. If one player is out, we want to be able to throw another one in. The more players we have in our squad the better it is for Giants.”
The Huddersfield Giants boss talked halfback options after star man’s injury layoff confirmed
Huddersfield have had their fair share of injuries this season, which has forced the likes of George Flanagan Jr, Kieran Rush and Fenton Rogers into the starting line-up more often than Robinson thought he would perhaps have needed to at the start of the season.
Tui Lolohea picked up a quad tear in the game against Hull FC two weeks ago, and will miss the remainder of the season. Robinson admitted that whilst that was a huge blow for them, it would give 22-year-old Kieran Rush a stint in the starting side, whilst there is also potential for some academy prospects earn a call up for the final seven games.
He said: “Rushy’s a number 14… He’s somebody that can cover multiple positions for us. It’s an opportunity for him to actually seal little bit of a position with Tui being out, so it’s up to him whether he grabs it with both hands, hopefully he does.”
He added: “We’ve got some opportunities for some academy lads that have been knocking on the door and there’s a couple of them that I’d like to progress into the first team next year that are showing great promise. We’ve got to be smart with that and work out if they are ready.”
