Hull FC 14 Huddersfield Giants 6: Giants fall to Hull as Long gives a vintage display

There was none of the fireworks of their opening win against St Helens last night but in holding off the challenge of a difficult Huddersfield Giants team, Richard Agar's side showed another crucial quality – character.

With Australian import Craig Fitzgibbon a huge presence at loose forward, they battled away to succeed in a game they would invariably have lost last year.

Huddersfield certainly missed Man of Steel Brett Hodgson – who was ruled out by a late injury meaning Paul Whatuira made his first appearance since the breakdown that left him in a mental institute last October – and the hosts were 12-0 up at the break. They should have been further in front such was their dominance.

Shrugging off the fact Huddersfield boast last season's meanest Super League defence, Sean Long – on his home debut - confidently and continually opted to run penalties in their half.

From the first, they profitted handsomely, hooker Shaun Berrigan's neat short pass close to the line, allowing second-rower Danny Tickle to charge over in the sixth minute.

Tickle converted and Hull were quickly on the offensive again.

Long showed – even at 33 – he still has pace, the scrum-half streaking clear on a smart break before linking with Richard Whiting and Craig Hall down the right although the latter's final pass back inside went to ground.

Mark O'Meley launched one seismic tackle on Raleigh as Hull continued to out-muscle their opponents and, when Kevin Brown had a kick charged down following more pressure, it was the fearsome Australian prop who picked up and sent Richard Horne racing towards the line.

Leroy Cudjoe just got across in time to erase the danger and Huddersfield thought they had responded when, in the 23rd minute, with their first real promising attack, Jamahl Lolesi rose above England winger Tom Briscoe to collect Luke Robinson's kick but he fumbled trying to get the ball down.

Less than 60 seconds later, crucially Hull were in at the other end.

The rugged Epalahame Lauaaki, such a formidable wrecking machine at Saints, showed his more delicate side delivering a lovely slip pass to Whiting with his first touch after coming on.

That gave the centre space and, in turn, winger Hall was given just enough time to accelerate away and beat the closing Cudjoe to the corner.

Tickle curled in an impressive conversion to make it 12-0 and Huddersfield struggled to find any position to strike back.

From a penalty, Robinson's pass gave Eorl Crabtree sight of the line but the colossal England prop coughed up the ball under the posts.

Seconds before the interval, Robinson finally made their first clean break, skipping clear from halfway.

But the scrum-half – switched to hooker when Shaun Lunt departed with an arm injury - ignored his support and tried fooling Jordan Tansey only to get flattened by the full-back and then lose the ball when a retreating Lee Radford clattered into him on the rebound.

They did get off the mark five minutes after the re-start, Scott Grix scoring his first try since his move from Wakefield, twisting over between the posts to hand an easy conversion for Cudjoe.

Giants grew in confidence only to see Craig Fitzgibbon dump David Faiumu with a fierce tackle, forcing the visiting loose forward to fumble near his own 20-metre line.

Soon after, when Huddersfield were punished for interference again, it came as little surprise when Long finally decided to give his side a cushion, Tickle slotting the kick to make it 14-6.

Lolesi thought he was in just before the hour mark when the winger got on the end of the classic swift backline move which Hodgson has made his trademark. Unfortunately, Cudjoe was acting in the Australian's position last night and the youngster's final pass lacked his captain's precision; it was slightly forward and Hull survived.

Giants' David Hodgson raced in from 65 metres after picking up a wayward Richard Horne pass but the effort was ruled out by an eagle-eyed touch-judge who spotted Whatuira had got a fingertip to Horne's initial pass.

Both sides had chances at the death but Hull – in front of a crowd of 14,520 – held on.

Hull FC: Tansey; Hall, Whiting, Yeaman, Briscoe; R Horne, Long; O'Meley, Berrigan, Radford, Tickle, Manu, Fitzgibbon. Substitutes: Dowes, Cusack, Lauaki, Houghton.

Huddersfield: Cudjoe; Lolesi, Lawrence, Whatuira, D Hodgson; Brown, Robinson; Raleigh, Lunt, Griffin, Gilmour, G Horne, Faiumu. Substitutes: Crabtree, Fa'alogo, Grix, Patrick.

Referee: T Alibert (Toulouse).