Thorman and Paul Reilly (left) help Stuart Donlan celebrate a try

It is 44 years since their last final appearance and 53 since the last of their six Cup wins, against St Helens.

"This is just the start," said Thorman. "It's been such an inconsistent season but this puts us right back on track.

"We've had a belief in this squad for the last two seasons and we've got the rewards that we deserved."

Reaction: Leeds 12-30 Huddersfield

Huddersfield was the birthplace of rugby league in 1895, and they were a dominant force for the first 50 years of the old Northern Union.

But their fortunes hit an all-time low in the 1980s when they played to crowds of under 400 at their dilapidated Fartown ground.

But they have been making steady progress under ambitious chairman Ken Davy and coach Jon Sharp at the Galpharm (formerly McAlpine) Stadium in recent years.

Teams tend to get complacent once they get to the final but we're certainly not going to do that Giants captain Chris Thorman

Sharp, in his third season in charge, believes Sunday's 30-12 semi-final win over Leeds can signal a return to the glory days, despite starting underdogs against Saints at Twickenham on 26 August.

He hopes the Giants can follow Bradford's example in 1996 of building on a final appearance, something other surprise finalists like Sheffield Eagles in 1998 - despite their victory over Wigan - and London Broncos (1999) failed to do.

"Bradford took the opportunity to capitalise in 1996 and the fans rolled up in big numbers," he said. "We have an opportunity to do the same thing.

"Maybe it didn't quite happen for Sheffield and London but for us it is an opportunity to progress this club."

The Giants face St Helens in the Super League on Friday, and despite that being billed as a Cup final dress rehearsal, Thorman wants his side to deflect their focus from Twickenham over the next few weeks.

"It will be difficult but it's something we've got to do," he added. "We're two points off the top six and at the start of the year that was the number one priority.

"We're never going to forget Sunday's display but we've got some important games coming up, none more so than the next one.

"Teams tend to get complacent once they get to the final but we're certainly not going to do that.