Huddersfield captain Luke Yates “turns his brain off” to get through his monster workload but he'll be clued up this weekend.
The Australian prop is renowned for his huge tackling stints, once managing a whopping 62 in one game for London. Only Hull’s Danny Houghton has made more than his 412 in Super League this term. Now Yates, who is also Giants’ top metre maker, hopes to tackle Hull KR to a standstill in Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final.
The tireless forward, a beaten Wembley finalist with Salford in 2020, said: "I do love it in the middle. It gives you the opportunity to not even think. You just turn your brain off. It's weird - you start the game and then all of a sudden think ‘there’s half-time!' That’s when I play my best footy when I’m not taking notice of the clock. I just go, focused purely on the job at hand.”
Yates’ preparation is key for such physical exertions and he’s a fitness fanatic. That will be crucial as Huddersfield bid to reach the May 28 final. The ex-Newcastle Knights ace said: "KR are a dangerous team with some really good attacking players. We beat them in round two but it’ll be a totally different game Saturday: they’ll come after us.”
He was part of Watson’s Salford team who lost to Luke Gale’s 76th minute drop goal in a 17-16 Wembley defeat to Leeds Rhinos two years ago. Yates recalled: “I’m desperate to get to another final. I had a pretty good opportunity and experience of learning what that week’s all about (in 2020).
“But now it’s a timely opportunity to get there and win one. It's a big regret that we couldn't do it with Salford. We lost by a point. It’s fine margins. I definitely want to be lifting that trophy this year.”
