Did it go over? Just read the papers '“Brough

On its validity, the smiling veteran stand-off said: “Just read the papers. We’re in Super League. End of.”

You sense the 33 year-old, being one of rugby league’s more mischievous characters, would give the same vague response even if he knew, as they say in Australia, it had gone ‘right over the black dot.’

Jamie Peacock, the Hull KR head of rugby playing his third game since coming out of retirement to aid their relegation fight, was certainly sure it did not on a dramatic Survival Saturday.

“Beaten by a drop goal that missed,” said the former Great Britain captain on Twitter, the issue all the more important given a draw would have been enough to see Rovers finish third in the Qualifiers and confirm their own Super League place for 2017 rather than Huddersfield’s.

Instead, the tension and pressure on the East Yorkshire club ratchets up even further to an almost unbearable state – they now have to do it all again and host Salford Red Devils in Saturday’s Million Pound Game, the loser relegated to the Championship.

Salford’s director of rugby Tim Sheens, ironically set to take over as Hull KR’s head coach in 2017, has now stood aside to avoid any conflict of interests.

For relieved Huddersfield, who saw a 22-4 lead evaporate to be left level 22-22 before Brough’s intervention, all they will be concerning themselves with now is the traditional Mad Monday end-of-season celebration, when the beer will flow so much easier knowing they have successfully avoided demotion.

“It’s the most important drop goal I’ve ever kicked, without a doubt,” said the long-serving half-back, who jumped into the stand to celebrate with Giants fans at the culmination of a dramatic 80 minutes.

“The club actually deserves to be in Super League; we’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but the fans are just great and it’s always nice to get in with them.

“We’re back where we deserve to be although I feel for whoever loses that Million Pound Game because it looks like 30 people or so are going to lose their jobs.

“This is huge motivation for next year and beyond; I wouldn’t want to be involved in these Qualifiers ever again.

“It’s not good for your life outside rugby because you’re always thinking about what’s around the corner.

“As good as the game was, I don’t think this Super 8s has a real great impact on the lives of players involved in this part.”

Huddersfield, who certainly deserve their status given they have beaten Leeds Rhinos and Rovers on successive weekends, looked comfortably on course for success when opening up that 22-4 lead inside just 32 minutes.

Scrum-half Ryan Brierley, who has sometimes struggled to impress since his early-season switch from Championship Leigh Centurions, rewarded head coach Rick Stone’s faith in him with a brilliant 40 minutes.

He intercepted Terry Campese’s pass to race 60m and score inside five minutes, made a lovely break to supply Leroy Cudjoe and scored a second himself before Aaron Murphy also crossed. Error-ridden Rovers were abysmal, coach James Webster labelling it “suicide” the way they squandered possession, forcing pass after pass.

Maurice Blair’s try was their only success but they lost in-form second-row James Greenwood to a knee injury and Ben Cockayne was sin-binned after dropping a horrendous pass from Josh Mantellato and then lying on Cudjoe too long to give his team-mates time to reorganise defensively.

However, they turned it around with a blistering spell of three tries in just 11 minutes to level the game on the hour, Ken Sio, Mitch Allgood – after Brough gaffed trying to make Matty Marsh’s grubber secure – and Iain Thornley scoring tries with Mantellato improving each time.

Brough had earlier seen a penalty attempt strike an upright but when Peacock was offside handling James Donaldson’s dropped pass, Huddersfield worked their way upfield for the Scotland captain to deliver the definitive score.

“It was definitely dwelling on my mind afterwards, the (missed) penalty,” he admitted.

Even then there was more drama as Campese also found a post with a 40m drop-goal effort and KR centre Thomas Minns had a ‘try’ disallowed. Referee Robert Hicks waved play on despite Campese pushing Jake Connor but a touch judge intervened which saw the ruling handed over to the video referee.

Hull KR: Cockayne; Sio, Minns, Thornley, Mantellato; Campese, Marsh; Tilse, Lunt, Allgood, Blair, Clarkson, Donaldson. Substitutes: Greenwood, Walker, Peacock, Jubb.

Huddersfield Giants: Grix; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Connor, Murphy; Brough, Brierley; Huby, Hinchliffe, Ta’ai, Symonds, Wardle, Lawrence. Substitutes: Wood, Mason, Roberts, Ikahihifo.

Referee: R Hicks (Oldham).