Jake Connor: Huddersfield Giants to manage playmaker's return from injury
- Published
Jake Connor's last Huddersfield appearance came in a narrow win over Hull KR in September 2016
Jake Connor's return for Huddersfield Giants following last winter's re-signing from Hull FC will be carefully managed, says head coach Ian Watson.
The versatile England international back, 28, has been recovering since undergoing knee surgery last October.
Connor will be on the bench for Thursday's game with champions St Helens, his first outing in claret and gold since the 2016 season.
"He's not ready for a full 80 yet," Watson told BBC Radio Leeds.
"Just in terms of fitness-wise, but he'll have to gather that during the season. To be fair he's not a million miles off it.
"He's been training really hard, the session he had before the Wigan game nearly broke him to be fair. So he's ready but not got that match fitness yet."
Connor's reputation as a maverick playmaker who can fill at full-back, centre or in the halves has given Watson and the Giants a new, if not familiar, dimension to their attack.
Although he won just one trophy at Hull with the 2017 Challenge Cup, he did earn international honours as part of Wayne Bennett's England side that beat New Zealand in the 2018 Test series.
Connor will be given time to bed into the side following a missed pre-season, with a timely return to fitness given the loss of Theo Fages - one of the Giants' leading experienced playmakers.
"There's no massive expectations on Jake," Watson added.
"We just want him to find his feet, he's trained with the team and ran with the starting team this week - he looked really good and comfortable. It's about building him the right way."