Marc Bazeley
Jake Connor: How Super League's enigma fared on his return for Huddersfield Giants against St Helens
Jake Connor made his long-awaited return for Huddersfield with 32-minute spell off the interchange bench in the second half of Thursday's 14-12 defeat to St Helens; watch Wigan Warriors vs Salford Red Devils in Super League live on Sky Sports Arena on Friday from 7.30pm
Last Updated: 24/03/23 12:35pm
After 2,371 days since his last appearance for them, Jake Connor made his belated but long-awaited return for Huddersfield Giants in Thursday's Super League match against St Helens.
Having re-signed for his hometown club on a three-year contract after six seasons with Hull FC, the 28-year-old had been forced to wait until the sixth round of the 2023 campaign to feature due to undergoing knee surgery during the off-season.
Connor's 32-minute cameo off the interchange bench at stand-off in the second half saw him show several glimpses of what he can bring to the team, although ultimately he could not help the Giants avoid a 14-12 defeat to the reigning champions.
- Saints hold off Giants in gripping contest
- Super League fixtures | Standings | Rugby league on Sky Sports
"I'm not putting too much pressure on myself right now," Connor told Sky Sports after the match.
"I've just come back from a serious knee issue, so I just want to get back into it and slowly peak towards the end of the season.
"Nothing is won at the beginning of the season, so I'll look to build some confidence and get back to playing how I used to."
Mercurial. Enigmatic. Maverick. All words which have been used to describe Connor - and he showed both the good and not so good sides of his game against Saints.
A pinpoint 40-20 kick was swiftly followed by him knocking on as Huddersfield attacked the visitors' try-line, but he then came up with a perfectly timed pass to Will Pryce for the full-back to set up Innes Senior's try. The confrontation with St Helens second row Curtis Sironen underlined just how he can get under the skin of opponents too.
Sticking to statistics which can be measured though, Connor was one of only four Huddersfield players to obtain a positive rating (+4) in Stats Perform's plus-minus category which measures an individual's overall contribution to their team's performance.
Giants head coach Ian Watson, who envisages the man affectionately nicknamed 'Jake The Snake' reverting to full-back once he is fully back to fitness, was pleased with what he saw from the Great Britain and England international in that 32-minute stint as well.
"We didn't put any pressure on Jake, we just wanted him to go out there and get a feel for it and play within the system and if he saw something go and get it," Watson told Sky Sports. "I thought he was pretty good, and he added to us as soon as he came on.
"He picked the right pass [to Pryce for Senior's try] and that's what he's kind of paid for. Overall, I thought he was really good and it's really pleasing."
Even though the 2022 campaign ended in more disappointment for Hull FC, missing out on the play-offs after finishing ninth, Connor still made some valuable contributions.
He was Super League's leading try-assister with 33, including 10 from kicks which put him joint-second behind Warrington Wolves' George Williams (13).
Notably, Connor assisted 29 line-breaks too - the third-highest amount in Super League last year and just five behind his currently-sidelined Huddersfield team-mate Tui Lolohea, who led the way with 34.
That ability to help unlock defences gives a small glimpse of what the ambitious Giants hope Connor will be able to bring to his hometown club when fully fit, although for now he is just pleased to be back playing.
"It was all right - just good to get some minutes under my belt," Connor said of his performance against St Helens. "I wasn't expecting too much myself, just getting back into it.
"It was another tight game and we're showing we're there at the end of the game to compete. We've just got to finish it off sometimes.
"The knee feels all right. It took a few bangs and I don't usually carry the ball that many times, but I just wanted to test it out."
Sky Sports' live Super League coverage continues on Friday night as Wigan Warriors host Salford Red Devils. Watch live on Sky Sports Arena from 7.30pm and stream on NOW TV.
