Huddersfield Giants 20 Salford Red Devils 30: Old failings are back to haunt Giants

This Round 11 Super League game against Salford Red Devils was only scheduled last night as both clubs are in Challenge Cup fifth round action at that stage later in the season.

It is a consequence of finishing in the bottom-four last year.

If meek Giants carry on defending like this, however, they will be in the Qualifiers again this time around, too.

The try that summed up it best, or most alarmingly, was Josh Jones’ in the 74th minute.

Huddersfield, with centre Alex Mellor scoring his first two tries since joining from Bradford Bulls and Danny Brough stirring them into action, had come back from 16-4 down to trail just 22-20.

The game was there for the taking yet Ryan Hinchcliffe broke clear and flung a hopeless pass straight to the welcoming arms of Salford player Junior Sa’u.

That gifted his side one more chance to strike and, in contrast, they took it.

Soft Giants somehow let Jones – from a standing start and with the ball arriving behind him –to cut infield at a snail’s pace and systematically swat off five would-be defenders.

The excellent two-try Gareth O’Brien, whose golden point drop-goal at Hull KR saved Salford’s Super League status in the Million Pound Game, slotted his fifth goal and added a penalty on the hooter to make sure.

Jones had infuriated Giants fans in the first half by blatantly conning a penalty out of referee James Child, throwing a pass at Brough when the Huddersfield stand-off was lying on the ground at the play-the-ball.

It is a lousy tactic and may as well be akin to blatant playacting in football. The sooner it is stamped out the better.

Referees have a tough enough job as it is without having to decipher such gamesmanship but they need some common sense too; in this particular incident, Jones actually threw the ball forward.

Giants, who won their opener at Widnes, trailed 10-4 at the break having failed to make the most of both a Brough 40/20 and a drop-out forced by Lee Gaskell.

Michael Lawrence also wasted one overlap opportunity, Ryan Brierley – who struggled badly at half-back – was another to throw a pass to an opponent and all they had to show for their efforts was Jermaine McGillvary’s 18th minute try. Junior Sa’u exposed poor defensive decision-making from Brierley for Salford’s first try and O’Brien converted, adding two first half penalties as well.

Barely 75 seconds of the second half had passed when Salford extended their lead. Michael Dobson’s 40/20 seemed to take everyone by surprise and, from there, Shannon Wakeman was caught cold, too, as O’Brien emerged on Robert Lui’s shoulder to ease past the floundering prop from 10m out.

O’Brien improved his own score and they were unfortunate not to be further ahead just a couple of minutes later.

A pass out wide went to ground

but Kris Welham still had time to dab a grubber in as Huddersfield’s dozing defence still seemed to be thinking the half had yet to kick-off.

Greg Johnson latched onto the kick but, thankfully for the hosts, video replays showed he marginally placed a foot in touch.

That scare seemed to spark Huddersfield into action. Typically, it was Brough who brought some order to it all.

He crabbed across field to tease Salford defenders before finding Mellor with a perfectly-time pass, the big centre having just enough room to go around his former Bulls colleague Welham and finish in the 49th minute.

Brough improved from the touchline and was then influential as the same player added his second just two minutes later.

After Kruise Leeming twisted out of tackles and sent Gaskell scurrying through, the full-back was brought down by O’Brien.

But Brough, in the next play, with the Salford defence still frantically trying to readjust, patiently held his nerve to pick out Mellor again with another pass that cut them open.

He could not convert from wide out this time but they had a perfect opportunity to level in the 62nd minute when George Griffin was deemed to interfere with Leeming in the tackle.

However, crucially, they chose not to take the two points – and in the next set, Brough’s pass went to ground allowing Welham to escape.

Aaron Murphy chased down the centre 50m and the danger seemed to have passed but, yet again, Huddersfield proved too passive.

This time Mellor was caught flat-footed as O’Brien got on the outside of him to score his second, converting once more.

Still, Rick Stone’s side responded again, Brough tormenting them further before his short past put Ukuma Ta’ai barrelling over to improve and get close.

But then theys collapsed again.

Huddersfield Giants: Gaskell; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Mellor, Murphy; Brough, Brierley; Ikahihifo, Hinchcliffe, Ta’ai, Lawrence, Ferguson, Rapira. Substitutes: Wakeman, Leeming, Roberts, Clough.

Salford Red Devils: O’Brien, Johnson, Welham, Sa’u, Carney; Lui, Dobson; Kopczak, Tomkins, Mossop, Jones, Griffin, Flanagan. Substitutes: Wood, Krasniqi, Tasi, A Walne.

Referee: James Child (Dewsbury)