Struggling Giants sack head coach Watson

Ian Watson was appointed Huddersfield Giants head coach in November 2020

Huddersfield have sacked head coach Ian Watson after a run of just one win in eight Super League games.

Watson left Salford Red Devils to take over the Giants in November 2020 and signed a new four-year deal in July 2022.

However, after a third-placed finish that year they failed to reach the play-offs in 2023 and are eight points off the top six now.

Assistant Luke Robinson will take charge of the team for Saturday's game against Leigh.

Watson spent six years with Salford before leaving for the Huddersfield job at the end of the 2020 season.

He led the Red Devils to the Grand Final in 2019 and Challenge Cup final the following year, but they did not win either.

The highlight of his period as head coach was the 2022 season when they were narrowly beaten by Wigan in the Challenge Cup final and finished third in Super League.

The Giants had made a bright start to the current campaign, with five wins in league and cup through the end of March and April.

That run was ended by a late Jonny Lomax drop-goal in a 13-12 defeat by St Helens on 25 April and their season, and Watson's tenure, unravelled from there.

A 24-18 win over struggling Hull FC in May remains their only victory since 19 April and last Friday's 48-0 shellacking at Warrington, the same team who hammered them 46-10 in June's Challenge Cup semi-final, proved to be Watson's final match in charge.

Watson had looked 'perfect appointment for Giants' - Analysis

BBC Sport's rugby league reporter Matt Newsum

The decision to part with Ian Watson is an understandable one given owner Ken Davy's patience and investment, but it also marks a disappointing end to what looked the perfect appointment.

Liam Marshall's late try to win the Challenge Cup for Wigan at Tottenham in 2022 feels like a "sliding doors" moment.

Had Huddersfield held on to win their first cup since 1953, Watson would have picked up silverware, settled a few nerves and possibly exceeded what he achieved at Salford where he reached both Grand Final and Challenge Cup finals in consecutive seasons with far fewer resources.

Since then, barring this year's cup semi-final which ended in a thumping by Warrington, Huddersfield have been unable to put together consistent runs of performances and results.

At Salford, he found an ability to revive careers such as Tui Lolohea, Joey Lussick and Jackson Hastings; while at the Giants recruitment has not proved so profitable - Jake Connor's return was expected to bring out the best from both parties but has only fleetingly done so for one high-profile example.

Davy backed Watson with the signings of Connor, his old half-back Lolohea, Esan Marsters, Adam Clune, Kevin Naiqama and others but they never achieved the results he craved.

His last game in charge, a 48-0 defeat by Warrington, left the former Wales international a frustrated man, and prompted Davy to issue an apology to fans.

Watson has proven he is a fine coach and will no doubt pick up the pieces again at a different club.

Huddersfield's revival now rests on their recruitment, and in interim coach Luke Robinson they have a highly respected and knowledgeable person to try to steer the ship back on course in the short term at least.