Huddersfield Giants bursting with confidence after promisin Super League start

Huddersfield suffered tame defeats by Hull FC and Catalans Dragons at the start of 2021 and their first Super League win did not come until round five, against Leeds Rhinos.

That slow start cost them a place in the play-offs, but a year on, coach Ian Watson’s side have maximum points from their opening two games, at Toulouse Olympique and home to Hull KR two days ago and have not looked in any danger of losing either of them.

Though Thursday’s visit to Wigan Warriors will be a tougher challenge, Giants can head west in confident mood and good form.

The 26-12 defeat of a largely listless Robins side was not all plain sailing; Huddersfield laid the platform for a big score by going 20-0 ahead early in the second half, but then took their foot off the gas and were put under heavy pressure as the visitors staged a two-try rally.

Giants, however, survived that, scored last – on the final play of the game – and were ultimately convincing victors.

Their start was particularly impressive as they applied sustained pressure and eventually made it count, scoring three touchdowns in a 13-minute spell either side of half-time.

Huddersfield were dominant in defence, didn’t allow Hull KR to get their offload game going and then took their chances in fine style.

Australian forward Chris McQueen scored their opener, after Leroy Cudjoe had offloaded from Theo Fages’ kick and then captain Luke Yates burst through from first receiver close to the line.

Josh Jones dummied past full-back Will Dagger just before the interval and, after it, Hull KR’s defence seemed to have thrown in the towel when Tui Lolohea, showing lively signs from full-back, stabbed a kick behind the line and Jermaine McGillvary touched down.

Rovers, beaten by Wigan in round one, had only one clear opportunity in the opening hour, when Kane Linnett almost found a gap, but was brought down in a superb tackle by Fages.

Otherwise, the Robins, missing star signing Lachlan Coote, weren’t in the contest. A pre-game reshuffle did not help, Matty Storton getting stuck in snowbound traffic and having to be replaced after the teamsheet had been printed.

Tom Garratt, a forward signed in the off-season from Dewsbury Rams, was drafted in on the bench for his debut.

At 20-0 down, the visitors had little alternative other than to chance their arm and when they do that, they are a difficult side to contain. Over the final quarter of the game, Hull KR threw the ball around, created some chances and took two of them.

Brad Takarangi broke their duck by running on to Jordan Abdull’s well-judged kick and only strong scrambling defence, led by McGillvary, kept Ryan Hall out at the corner.

Korbin Sims was held up over the line, but Hull KR struck again six minutes from time when Mikey Lewis hacked on three times from a loose ball around the half-way mark and eventually got touched down, with Abdull adding a second conversion to cut the gap to eight points.

Giants’ Chris Hill was sin-binned in the aftermath and had the Robins begun their fightback 10 minutes earlier it could have been a thrilling finale, but they left it too late and Huddersfield, fittingly, had the last laugh when McQueen stretched over for his second try.

Lolohea converted that one, after Oliver Russell had missed with three of five previous attempts.

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Leutele, Senior, Russell, Fages, Hill, Levi, Trout, Jones, McQueen, Yates. Substitutes: O’Brien, English, Greenwood, Ikahihifo.

Hull KR: Dagger, Wood, Kenny-Dowall, Takairangi, Hall, Lewis, Abdull, King, Litten, Sims, Halton, Linnett, Hadley. Substitutes: Parcell, Keinhorst, Richards, Garratt.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham).