Tommy Lee becomes a Giant

Huddersfield Giants have completed the signing of former Wakefield Wildcats, Crusaders RL and Hull FC star Tommy Lee.
The 23 year old is a strong defender and is capable of operating in the half-back, hooker or loose-forward positions, meaning he will be a key part of Nathan Brown’s squad for the forthcoming Engage Super League XVII season, joining former team mates Luke George and Aaron Murphy in the claret and gold.
Huddersfield Giants Head Coach Nathan Brown is delighted with the acquisition;
“Tommy will bring a lot of versatility to us and I see the same kind of potential in him that I did with the likes of Luke Robinson and Shaun Lunt when I first arrived at the club. They have all gone on to represent their country and whilst I wouldn’t want to put that sort of pressure onto Tommy, he has a similar kind of toughness and competitiveness that is needed.
“If he adapts to the training here and improves his game in some small areas then I think he will become a big addition to the club. He has played a lot of first grade for someone of his age, mainly at hooker, where he is very robust and physical in that position. The fact he started playing first grade at such a young age shows what a natural talent he is and we need to get that out of him on a consistent basis.”
Tommy Lee was equally as pleased to be joining the Huddersfield Giants;
“I’m delighted to be signing for the club and to get the chance to play in a top four team, especially one coached by Nathan Brown who is someone I’m looking forward to working with. My first priority is to come here and improve my game, hopefully if I can do that then I will develop as a player and I know the Giants are looking forward to kicking on and hopefully winning silverware.
“I’m not too sure what Nathan thinks is my best position but at this stage it isn’t really important – If I can work hard in training then hopefully my chance will come and I’ll be able to cement a place in the line-up. I’ve heard a lot of good things about him as a coach and he has improved many players in my position who have gone on to play International football. It might be a bit daunting at first training alongside the calibre of players at the club, but I know a few of the lads so it should make it easier for me to settle.”

The caliber coming in is not as good as the one's being let go IMO

Mable_syrup wrote:

The caliber coming in is not as good as the one's being let go IMO

Agreed mate.

We are really going to be a force to be reckoned with next year, Don't know why they don't just rename the club Trinity 2. Lots of talk about how N Brown has made average players into internationals, not much about the one's who have gone backwards under his reign, Anyway he has plenty of Average material to work on now.

Aye, let's hope he does manage to make a purse out of a pigs ear then Bo.....

reidy wrote:

Aye, let's hope he does manage to make a purse out of a pigs ear then Bo.....

To be fair Scott, it may be nothing to do with him who gets signed, but personally I'm not impressed with who we have picked up so far, It just seems more of the same as last year to me, We needed two top class players rather than a lot of average stuff, It's OK having one or two projects but getting 5 or 6 who need to improve greatly on what they are now is a big gamble, When our pack is getting hammered next year it will show, Although It's not to late to find a prop yet I reckon a stand off is now just a dream, K Brown will do a job for us ,but i still think he would be top class in the centre, All will be revealed in the fullness of time i suppose.

Just had a letter from the club looking for new members to be introduced, apparently they are a thousand short of the number they are looking for, There is nothing wrong with the offers they put out and i would love to find some people to introduce, but to be honest most of the people i talk to are getting disillusioned ( like me ), I have got my Season ticket for next year, but to be honest at the price i paid i won't be going to watch the kind of tripe they were putting out the last 3 months of 2011.
It all sounds a bit harsh i know and i may get surprised ( i hope ) but i still haven't worked out what went wrong last season yet.

heard grix to 6, murph to full back, brown to loose. he sees other teams (wigan and Leeds) having ball playing No13s and thinks that is the way forward. THEY HAVE PLAYED LIKE THAT FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS!!!!! The giants should be inovating not immitating.

I'm of the same frame of thought Bo, but I stand by that statement because of the absolute drivel that was put on show at the end of the season.

I'm not renewing because I think that the board are making big mistakes and I can't afford to waste money, especially when I think I'm being short changed as a spectator.

So Kyle leaves us for Wakey and we sign Lee from Wakey. Of course this is NOT a swap deal. IMO Kyle is a very good prospect. Lee is an average player. I think Wakey have got the better deal here. I really hope I am proved wrong of course, but I can see Kyle turning into a very good player in the future.

It would appear Nathan sees something in him that many of us don't. As he is comparing him to Lunt and Robinson and suggesting he could go on to play for England. Well if he turns out to be other their ability and represents England then I will gladly admit this was the right decision.

Mable_syrup wrote:

heard grix to 6, murph to full back, brown to loose. he sees other teams (wigan and Leeds) having ball playing No13s and thinks that is the way forward. THEY HAVE PLAYED LIKE THAT FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS!!!!! The giants should be inovating not immitating.

The best ball handler in the squad is Faiumu, and early season players were on hand for his offloads, but of course all that went down the tubes with everything else.

I agree with Matt we have got a poorer player than we had, Is NB going to stop shunting players about to give Lee a game, If so It's more than he did for others, so he must be impressed with him.

All this exchanging players between Giants and Wakey is not making either one a better side . Brough is the only Player fom Wakey to have really improved our team since Griffin came, Grix has done OK, he is playing in what has always been his best position, But nobody in their right mind can claim he is an improvement on Hodgson, The name of the game if you are seriously intending to win things, is to improve the squad in all the vital positions, That's why we need to Improve on K Brown and move him to centre where he will be an improvement.

I'm sure some of this will be unpopular with other posters, but It's only my opinion. Maybe we just don't have the money for the kind of player I'm referring too, but i don't have time for more years of building and promises, I thought we spent the same as the so called big clubs, If so we should have more to show for it.

Can't see the logic in signing a hooker , we have 2 internationals in this position already, Brown to 13 and Grix to 6 should be a massive no no. Brown is not good enough for standoff but he is the best at the club, he would be a fantastic centre, his true position.

I would have done things differently, I wouldn't of signed Chan(Raleigh, O'Donnell,Ferguson and Doof would have covered this) Murphy(Brown, Wardle and Cudjoe would have covered this), Lee(Robbo and Lunt adequate cover) or Tonks(Would of signed a top Prop
instead). I would have kept Andy Raleigh as a second rower and would have been desperate to sign a top class stand off and top class prop.

Chase would have been high on my list before penning his new deal and how good is this Gale kid that's gone to Bradford? Would Widdop come back home? Short drive to Halifax from Galpharm.

Would love to see someone like Gallen in the C&G that would be a pack with Mason,Robbo/Lunt,Gallen,Doof,O'Donnell and Fuey

Halfbacks Chase/Widdop and Brough

Grix, Mcgilvery,Cudjoe,Brown,George

Has a better ring about it, we can but dream


Just my opinion but I aint NB

Durham Giant wrote:

FLYINGPROP wrote:

Can't see the logic in signing a hooker , we have 2 internationals in this position already, Brown to 13 and Grix to 6 should be a massive no no. Brown is not good enough for standoff but he is the best at the club, he would be a fantastic centre, his true position.

I would have done things differently, I wouldn't of signed Chan(Raleigh, O'Donnell,Ferguson and Doof would have covered this)

[color=green]Yet last season they all spent so much time on the treatment table there still was not enough cover[/color]


Murphy(Brown, Wardle and Cudjoe would have covered this),
yet Last year with our injuries we had to play Horne and Gilmour there


Lee(Robbo and Lunt adequate cover)
Yet last year when Robbo was injured we overplayed Lunt and lost him for the season

or Tonks(Would of signed a top Prop


Tonks cost peanuts a top class prop would be 14% of our salary capinstead).

I would have kept Andy Raleigh as a second rower and would have been desperate to sign a top class stand off and top class prop.

Chase would have been high on my list before penning his new deal
Cas spent so much on keeping chase that they have not made one other signing for next season


and how good is this Gale kid that's gone to Bradford? Would Widdop come back home?

Short drive to Halifax from Galpharm.


How much would it cost to sign the England no 6

Would love to see someone like Gallen in the C&G that would be a pack with Mason,Robbo/Lunt,Gallen,Doof,O'Donnell and Fuey

Halfbacks Chase/Widdop and Brough

Grix, Mcgilvery,Cudjoe,Brown,George

Has a better ring about it, we can but dream


Just my opinion but I aint NB

Yet last season they all spent so much time on the treatment table there still was not enough cover

There was cover it just never got onto the field.


Tonks cost peanuts

So why waste money on what you get for peanuts


Cas spent so much on keeping chase that they have not made one other signing for next season

We on the other hand have been busy signing Stars from Wakey


How much would it cost to sign the England no 6

No more than 4 or 5 players who will take us nowhere, and how many would widdop put on the crowd.

BO JANGLES wrote:

Durham Giant wrote:

FLYINGPROP wrote:

Can't see the logic in signing a hooker , we have 2 internationals in this position already, Brown to 13 and Grix to 6 should be a massive no no. Brown is not good enough for standoff but he is the best at the club, he would be a fantastic centre, his true position.

I would have done things differently, I wouldn't of signed Chan(Raleigh, O'Donnell,Ferguson and Doof would have covered this)

[color=green]Yet last season they all spent so much time on the treatment table there still was not enough cover[/color]


Murphy(Brown, Wardle and Cudjoe would have covered this),
yet Last year with our injuries we had to play Horne and Gilmour there


Lee(Robbo and Lunt adequate cover)
Yet last year when Robbo was injured we overplayed Lunt and lost him for the season

or Tonks(Would of signed a top Prop


Tonks cost peanuts a top class prop would be 14% of our salary capinstead).

I would have kept Andy Raleigh as a second rower and would have been desperate to sign a top class stand off and top class prop.

Chase would have been high on my list before penning his new deal
Cas spent so much on keeping chase that they have not made one other signing for next season


and how good is this Gale kid that's gone to Bradford? Would Widdop come back home?

Short drive to Halifax from Galpharm.


How much would it cost to sign the England no 6

Would love to see someone like Gallen in the C&G that would be a pack with Mason,Robbo/Lunt,Gallen,Doof,O'Donnell and Fuey

Halfbacks Chase/Widdop and Brough

Grix, Mcgilvery,Cudjoe,Brown,George

Has a better ring about it, we can but dream


Just my opinion but I aint NB

Yet last season they all spent so much time on the treatment table there still was not enough cover

There was cover it just never got onto the field.


Tonks cost peanuts

So why waste money on what you get for peanuts


Cas spent so much on keeping chase that they have not made one other signing for next season

We on the other hand have been busy signing Stars from Wakey


How much would it cost to sign the England no 6

No more than 4 or 5 players who will take us nowhere, and how many would widdop put on the crowd.

here here.

Some people can't see the wood for the trees. Cas have sgned Chase for mega money cos he is the man that can win games for them single handedly, add him to our squad with Brough and bingo, possibly things start to happen.

It would certainly get a few more hundred thru the turnstiles than the recent signings we have made.

IMO we have to get away from this mentality of signing 6-7 average players and sign 1-2 world class players who will take the club forward onto the next and most important level.

We will get injuries all clubs do, thats how Saints discovered Gaskell, Lomax, Foster, Eastmond, Wigan discovered Charnley etc etc, we would maybe have discovered Wood, Carlille, Mcnally, Fairbank, Molloy, Cording, Dawson, Hodgson, Walker, Peltier etc etc could all take that step up to SL.

Walker has played 1st team and could do the same job Tonks can do, Carlille looked good at MM and is no worse than Lee, Chan is no better than Patrick and Fairbank who could come in and do the same job.

The kids are not developing as they should and injuries are where they get their chance, they would do no worse than some of the performances we put in last season with a fully fit squad!!

We had largest squad last year and it got us nowhere, thought we might have learnt a few lessons from another barren season. Just my opinion

here here.

Some people can't see the wood for the trees. Cas have sgned Chase for mega money cos he is the man that can win games for them single handedly, add him to our squad with Brough and bingo, possibly things start to happen.

It would certainly get a few more hundred thru the turnstiles than the recent signings we have made.

IMO we have to get away from this mentality of signing 6-7 average players and sign 1-2 world class players who will take the club forward onto the next and most important level.


We did!!! Hodgson and De Vere --and then sent em packing for whatever reason (corner shop mentality)
Both EXCELLENT kickers
De Vere --copy book tackler--and a top centre who knew how and when to pass -McGillvary outside him would have had a bucket full!!
Hodgson --no not worth 2 years --but hey Wires seem happy with their "purchase"????

We will get injuries all clubs do, thats how Saints discovered Gaskell, Lomax, Foster, Eastmond, Wigan discovered Charnley etc etc, we would maybe have discovered Wood, Carlille, Mcnally, Fairbank, Molloy, Cording, Dawson, Hodgson, Walker, Peltier etc etc could all take that step up to SL.

On the nail --Fagborun Hemingway Elliott
all stood in - and all I believe got man of the match -and then they.................................................................................
They took up the challenge and though they gave it their best - the bigger pay packet guys came STRAIGHT BACK IN!!

What sort of message that sends out to the McNallys and Carlisles and Woods I cant imagine!!
Well yes ---I can !

And any kid who thinks hes gonna get stars in his eyes joining us ought to just ponder a minute or two !!

Its not a first !
Ali Davis --as good as Chase I M O --helped us get promoted and beat Hull FC in playoffs ---and ooops ---bue !!


We can shoot ourselves in the foot as good as any team in the land and us pensioners have seen it and seen it and seen it

So all of you --keep yer feet on the ground!!

Walker has played 1st team and could do the same job Tonks can do, Carlille looked good at MM and is no worse than Lee, Chan is no better than Patrick and Fairbank who could come in and do the same job.

The kids are not developing as they should and injuries are where they get their chance, they would do no worse than some of the performances we put in last season with a fully fit squad!!

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

We had largest squad last year and it got us nowhere, thought we might have learnt a few lessons from another barren season. Just my opinion [/quote]

Fairbank as I have already said PG needs first team play to bring him on. If we keep him out on loan, we will shoot ourselves in the foot cos this lad has the potential to be as good as his uncle, "Concrete Karl".
Look at how young Joe Wardle has matured this season, all through training and playing 1st team footy.
As we have said many times before, keeping these talented players held back without even giving them a place on the bench is ridiculous.
I know you can't play yer whole club in any one game, and over doing rotation isn't the best thing either, but we really have to think box clever and give the talented youngsters a chance instead of signing them, sticking them in the academy and then not renewing contracts after the best playing years have been missed.

reidy wrote:

I'm of the same frame of thought Bo, but I stand by that statement because of the absolute drivel that was put on show at the end of the season.

I'm not renewing because I think that the board are making big mistakes and I can't afford to waste money, especially when I think I'm being short changed as a spectator.

I understand how you feel BUT you renewing makes a difference. We are a 1000 short in season ticket sales if you renew it brings us down to 3 figures short rather than being in the 1000s

I still can't help feel like I've been mugged DG!!

reidy wrote:

I still can't help feel like I've been mugged DG!!

Had it not been for the Grandson Scott i would definitely not have renewed my ticket, But as i have said elsewhere at the price i paid it doesn't really matter whether i go or not, and if It's anything like the back half of last season he wont be bothered anyway, kids at 8 years want to watch winners, " much like a lot of adults really"

Wow, there is some real gloom here folks. My take on it is this, I feel as let down and disappointed with the end of last season as anyone. Fed up to the point of not even really being bothered towards the end. This close season things have not picked up too much either. I find the signings uninspiring so far but looking at things in the round I do not think we willbe any weaker. My main problem is with letting raliegh go. Good player, great bloke BUT not someone who's loss or retention will make much difference. I think our squad has made losses and gains which will even out providing we can fill the Griff shaped hole he has left. Whilst I cannot see us winning the league as I so dearly wish we could next year I think we will still be top 6 material. The youngsters will be better and hopefully we will have figured put a way to avoid such a disastrous finish to the year. We know we can play and we know we can play well, we just need to find a way to last.

We should never never have let B Hosgson go, terrible decision, him plus two other big key names in key positions in place of average signings such as Lee, Horne, Simpson and squad men such as Kirmond and Gilmour (for another 2 years!) and I think we would be in a Warrington type position. Sadly Brown has taken us a different route and perhaps Anderson will shake things up the year after.

The hope however must be that we can find our early season form of last year when it matters this year. If we can who knows, I would gladly apologise for the above criticism. We are good enough to have at least a tilt, I just find it sad that I think we could have been better!

Pharmergibbs wrote:

Wow, there is some real gloom here folks. My take on it is this, I feel as let down and disappointed with the end of last season as anyone. Fed up to the point of not even really being bothered towards the end. This close season things have not picked up too much either. I find the signings uninspiring so far but looking at things in the round I do not think we willbe any weaker. My main problem is with letting raliegh go. Good player, great bloke BUT not someone who's loss or retention will make much difference. I think our squad has made losses and gains which will even out providing we can fill the Griff shaped hole he has left. Whilst I cannot see us winning the league as I so dearly wish we could next year I think we will still be top 6 material. The youngsters will be better and hopefully we will have figured put a way to avoid such a disastrous finish to the year. We know we can play and we know we can play well, we just need to find a way to last.

We should never never have let B Hosgson go, terrible decision, him plus two other big key names in key positions in place of average signings such as Lee, Horne, Simpson and squad men such as Kirmond and Gilmour (for another 2 years!) and I think we would be in a Warrington type position. Sadly Brown has taken us a different route and perhaps Anderson will shake things up the year after.

The hope however must be that we can find our early season form of last year when it matters this year. If we can who knows, I would gladly apologise for the above criticism. We are good enough to have at least a tilt, I just find it sad that I think we could have been better!

That is all fair comment mate, For me last season early on, the pack was giving teams a good hiding, When it all went wrong and our pack was going backwards we had such as Raleigh sat in the stand, If your pack is beaten the backs will very rarely shine, For me N Brown got a lot wrong last season. That said i have got my ticket and i shall be there urging them on, If it goes belly up again I will be on the Golf course and i suspect a lot more will be doing other things.

BO JANGLES wrote:

Pharmergibbs wrote:

Wow, there is some real gloom here folks. My take on it is this, I feel as let down and disappointed with the end of last season as anyone. Fed up to the point of not even really being bothered towards the end. This close season things have not picked up too much either. I find the signings uninspiring so far but looking at things in the round I do not think we willbe any weaker. My main problem is with letting raliegh go. Good player, great bloke BUT not someone who's loss or retention will make much difference. I think our squad has made losses and gains which will even out providing we can fill the Griff shaped hole he has left. Whilst I cannot see us winning the league as I so dearly wish we could next year I think we will still be top 6 material. The youngsters will be better and hopefully we will have figured put a way to avoid such a disastrous finish to the year. We know we can play and we know we can play well, we just need to find a way to last.

We should never never have let B Hosgson go, terrible decision, him plus two other big key names in key positions in place of average signings such as Lee, Horne, Simpson and squad men such as Kirmond and Gilmour (for another 2 years!) and I think we would be in a Warrington type position. Sadly Brown has taken us a different route and perhaps Anderson will shake things up the year after.

The hope however must be that we can find our early season form of last year when it matters this year. If we can who knows, I would gladly apologise for the above criticism. We are good enough to have at least a tilt, I just find it sad that I think we could have been better!

That is all fair comment mate, For me last season early on, the pack was giving teams a good hiding, When it all went wrong and our pack was going backwards we had such as Raleigh sat in the stand, If your pack is beaten the backs will very rarely shine, For me N Brown got a lot wrong last season. That said i have got my ticket and i shall be there urging them on, If it goes belly up again I will be on the Golf course and i suspect a lot more will be doing other things.

Agreed Bo, he and or Watson got it wrong, but he has got it right more than 50% of his time here. Let's wait and see, perhaps if it fails this year we may decide a couple of marquee gamebreakers are worth 5-6 squad men.