2 DAYS TILL SUPER LEAGUE! Wearing the number 2 shirt is another local lad you may have heard of. He's been our top try scorer for god knows how long, he's lit up the game on both sides of the globe for club and country, he's the world's best winger, and he's claret and gold. He's Jermaine McGillvary.
Jerry's spent his whole career to date with the club and has really made a name for himself over the past few years. In 2017 he picked up 19 tries, managed 3883m over his 446 carries and was nominated for the Golden Boot at this year's World Cup. We caught up with Jerry to chat about his incredible year and his ambitions for 2018
Hi Jerry. So it's been nearly 2 months since the end of the World Cup, what have you been getting up to since then?
Well after the World Cup I came home for a week - within that week I went back to the Giants for general checks and to see everyone, then i went on a nice family holiday to the Dominican Republic to recharge my batteries.
Last year was an inconsistent one for the Giants, what are the club hoping to achieve in 2018?
Yeah, it was a very frustrating year, after starting very poorly, then having a great mid-season, then back to poor again in the Super 8s wasn't very good! I think this year we need a very big start and try to build on that so we're not scraping into the Super 8s, and when we're in there hopefully we're in a position to challenge. A good cup run would be nice too!
In 2017 you made more metres than any back in Super League, got more tries, metres, carries and clean breaks than anyone else at the Giants, and even picked up 7 tries and a Golden Boot Nomination in an England shirt. What are your personal goals for 2018?
Yeah 2017 wasn't a bad year for me on a personal front, hopefully more of the same for 2018. As for goals they're not really my thing, I just take each week as it comes, I don't really focus on hitting certain personal targets I just prepare myself best I can and go out there and try and do my best....that's all i can do.
How do you think your experiences in the World Cup will help you in 2018?
The World Cup was very special, not just for me, but I bet everyone who was involved would say the same. For 8 weeks you're out of your comfort zone in a foreign land with no family out there, but it builds character and also a mental toughness as you're on your own. I feel I'm a better player just from that alone, but also playing against the world's best players has improved me and hopefully i can take it into the new season.
If you had to sum up your expectations for our 2018 season in 3 words, what would you say?
A massive improvement