Former Giant Hodgson kills off Huddersfield’s Wembley dream

Giants coach Nathan Brown admitted the 52-6 loss at struggling Castleford a week earlier was the lowest point of his four-year tenure and the dire performance even prompted an apology from chairman Ken Davy.

Subsequently, this Challenge Cup semi-final against one of the competition’s leading lights was always going to be difficult and seven days was simply not long enough to correct all their countless problems.

The players themselves even asked to revert to their old attacking system – captain Kevin Brown at stand-off instead of loose forward – but the change failed.

Desire and effort was clearly there, not least with some of their first-half scramble defence, and Huddersfield only trailed 18-6 nearing the hour mark.

However, all the old frailties, which has seen them tumble from first spot to seventh, then resurfaced – missed tackles, poor decision-making, even worse execution – and Warrington eased home to secure a place against Leeds Rhinos next month.

Ironically, it was former Giants captain Brett Hodgson who applied the decisive touches and ended the West Yorkshire club’s feint hopes of a comeback.

Having starred in the Exiles’ victory over England recently, the 34 year-old full-back was to the fore again here, his 57th minute try prompting the first cries of “Wemberlee” for Warrington’s jubilant fans.

The Australian’s original replacement at the Galpharm Stadium – Scott Grix – endured a horrid evening though and will wake this morning wishing he had just a smidgen of the veteran’s innate composure.

The Huddersfield player has spent most of the season at stand-off but was switched to full-back last night as part of the re-jig which saw gifted youngster Greg Eden miss out.

However, he dropped two hanging Lee Briers kicks in quick succession during the first half to see Warrington score twice and gain an initiative they were never likely to lose.

Huddersfield did well to only be 18-6 down at half-time given the welter of possession afforded their opponents.

Warrington continually looked to probe at pace close around the ruck area, hooker Mickey Higham starting off the tactic with great effect and Michael Monaghan carrying on when he entered the fray. With quick play-the-balls, Huddersfield struggled to contain them as the likes of storming prop Garreth Carvell, Ryan Atkins and Ben Westwood all cut some perfect angles while the Wolves’ ability to off-load under pressure only caused further problems for the West Yorkshire side.

However, the Giants’ cover defence was excellent as they repeatedly scrambled to recover in desperate situations, Huddersfield’s Leroy Cudjoe in particular coming up with some crucial last-ditch tackles.

Huddersfield had shown such obvious resilience by absorbing some early pressure before Danny Brough relieved them with a quality 40/20 kick.

From there, his flat pass sent David Fa’alogo powering close and Scott Moore popped up on the inside to crash over in the eighth minute.

Brough improved but Carvell responded in the 15th minute after piercing Huddersfield with one of those arrowing charges.

He was deeply fortunate though to receive a ‘benefit of the doubt’ decision from video referee Ian Smith having appeared to perform a double movement as he stretched over.

Hodgson converted and did likewise twice more when Grix endured those two moments he will want to forget.

From the resulting scrum after the first, Atkins got on the outside of the Giants defence far too easily to glide over and, just a couple of minutes later, Joel Monaghan picked up the loose ball to stroll in again.

Huddersfield forced two drop-outs but both times failed to make them count.

First, Lee Gilmour, the Challenge Cup veteran who showed his age here last night, coughed up possession and then – after Faiumu and Luke Robinson had both naively tried going from acting-half – Kevin Brown took another bad option and was bundled into touch by four voracious Warrington defenders.

It was just the sort of indecisive action you would expect from a side so out of sorts.

Huddersfield started the second period with a little more confidence but once Robinson and then Cudjoe were held up all their fragilities reappeared.

Winger Aaron Murphy spilled a Stefan Ratchford kick under no pressure which invited more Warrington attacks.

Michael Monaghan dummied over but was rightly denied after Smith ruled an obstruction.

However, it only delayed the inevitable and, with frustrated Huddersfield’s needless errors increasing again, Warrington struck as an erring Brown shot out of the line to leave a gaping hole for Hodgson to slide through.

He converted and – after prop Eorl Crabtree had shown Huddersfield’s spirit remained by chasing down England centre Chris Bridge – added a drop goal soon after.

Grix’s evening deteriorated further when he spilled from a 20m restart, Hodgson adding a penalty after Mason lost his cool.

At the death, Grix’s misery was compounded when Ratchford burst through him for the final score which Hodgson improved.

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Huddersfield: Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Gilmour, Murphy, Brown, Brough, Crabtree, Moore, Mason, Fa’alogo, Ferguson, Lawrence. Substitutes: Robinson, Faiumu, Patrick, Fairbank.

Warrington: Hodgson, J. Monaghan, C. Bridge, Atkins, Riley, Briers, Ratchford, Carvell, Higham, Hill, Waterhouse, Westwood, Harrison. Substitutes: Wood, Morley, M. Monaghan, McCarthy.

Referee: R Silverwood (Great Britain).