THORMAN TAKES GIANTS STEP
England A international Chris Thorman rejected a 12-month option on his contract with Australian club Parramatta in order to return to Super League with Huddersfield.
The 23-year-old Geordie is leaving Sydney Roosters' Great Britain forward Adrian Morley to fly the British flag on his own after cutting short his stay in Australia's prestigious National Rugby League.
The former Sheffield and London Broncos half-back has signed a two-year-old deal with Huddersfield, for whom he played a key role in their promotion to Super League in 2002.
"I had a 12-month option with Parramatta but I have had a bit of a frustrating season and I had a fair few offers from English clubs," he explained.
"I have missed my family and I have missed my friends and the English life, I suppose, but that was not a massive factor. I just weighed everything up.
"The team has probably under-performed and that has had a bit to do with it. I've been in and out of the side but I knew it would be like this.
"I have learned a hell of a lot and, if nothing else, I am going to come back a better player. That was the main aim."
Thorman, who has made six senior appearances so far for the Eels, is in the team to play Wests Tigers this weekend and will see out the season in Sydney before returning home.
The goalkicking scrum-half, who won the man-of-the-match award on his last appearance for Huddersfield in the 2002 NFP Grand Final, will be hoping to pick up from where he left off with London last October.
He helped the Broncos to a fifth-place finish in Super League while his man-of-the-match display in Yorkshire's victory over Lancashire helped him clinch a place in the Great Britain training squad for the 2003 Ashes Series.
His immediate aim is to make the Great Britain squad for November's inaugural Tri-Nations Series, with his new boss, Giants coach Jon Sharp, expected to be unveiled as Brian Noble's assistant.
"That's certainly a goal I have set myself," said Thorman. "I've been happy with my form all season and hopefully I can keep it up to the end because I want to leave on a high."
Thorman's former club London were among the four Super League outfits pipped by the Giants for the prized signature of the half-back, who has fond memories of his three previous seasons at the soon-to-be-renamed McAlpine Stadium.
"I was always going to pick Huddersfield," he said. "I never wanted to leave in the first place.
"I made my home there and I always enjoyed it at Huddersfield. I always had a good relationship with Sharpy and you just have to look at where they are in the table to see that they are progressing year on year.
"And, with the signings they have made, they are only going to go from strength to strength."
Thorman is the Giants' third high-profile recruit for 2005 so far, following the signings of Canberra hooker Brad Drew and Brisbane's Test centre Michael De Vere, and Sharp is hoping to add at least two more squad members.
"This is a great signing for us," said the coach. "Chris addresses a couple of things that we needed to look at, particularly field kicking and goalkicking and he is a ball player as well.
"He's coming on the back of 12 months working with a great coach at a great club and so he's going to be a much improved player.
"We're still looking around for a couple more spots to fill."
