Huddersfield 24 Hull KR 24: Burns pegs back Huddersfield to snatch late draw for Hull KR

Yet how Hull KR got to the position yesterday where nerveless Travis Burns converted a difficult conversion of Omari Caro’s 80th-minute try to level a remarkable game will remain a vexing question for a long time to come.

Huddersfield, last season’s League Leaders, had been 24-6 up at half-time having managed to keep their composure amid Rovers’ constant niggling tactics and, therefore, seemingly looking forward to completing a routine win, especially given a fierce wind would be behind them for the second period.

Wrong. Instead, it was the visiting side, who had seen Jamie Langley carried off in the first half and Justin Poore sin-binned following an ugly brawl, who fought back to produce what, in consideration, could be seen as one of the more remarkable Super League results of recent times.

Jordan Cox, the towering young prop who ran so purposefully, gave them a chance when he plunged over in the 44th minute, but even then Huddersfield, with their stellar goalline defence, never really looked like crumbling.

However, they wilted horribly in the last three minutes to contrive the unlikeliest of results.

First, Scott Grix dropped a towering kick from Greg Eden, ironically the man who had been jettisoned by Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson last year in favour of the current Giants No 1.

From there, Josh Hodgson bundled over and Burns’s third conversion gave the East Yorkshire club some hope. Eden then turned that hope into reality when his searing break down the right caused enough confusion in the Huddersfield ranks to give Caro a glimpse of open ground.

Fifty metres later and the Rovers fans in front of him were in delirium. It was still a difficult kick for Burns, the combustible Australian stand-off who has taken over those duties after fellow countryman Michael Dobson returned home, but he was faultless.

Rovers players, vanquished 34-6 by Leeds Rhinos in their opener a week earlier, celebrated as wildly as the travelling support yet coach Craig Sandercock was still less than satisfied.

“We know we can play a lot better,” he said.

“We’re disappointed as that first half was not good enough.

“The second half was pleasing and I don’t think any other team will come here and be down 24-6 at half-time and still get a draw.

“I have to commend their performance, their fightback, and they never gave in.

“We showed some good desperation and we had some good luck go our way for a change.

“If we can rectify the errors of that first half we’ll be a good footy team.”

He was never in doubt when the ultra-competitive Burns, who at one point almost looked like coming to blows with referee Phil Bentham when arguing one decision, stepped up for the vital denouement.

“Travis is a very confident character; he loves that kind of stuff,” said the Australian. “He keeps telling me in the NRL he kicked at 85 per cent. He tells me every day.”

Huddersfield, who dismantled champions Wigan Warriors with such ease in their first game, will be fuming, certainly if Anderson’s reaction is anything to go by.

“In the first half we scored points for fun and embarrassed Hull KR at times,” he said.

“But at some point we made the decision to stop working together.

“The players have had a spray from me. Some things weren’t Giants like. If they happen again I’ll just make changes and bring new players in.”

Hull KR – already missing injured David Hodgson with Caro being his replacement – saw Ben Cockyane briefly go off after just three minutes with a facial wound.

As innocuous as it was, maybe that is what riled his colleagues so much as they went on to do everything possible – legal or otherwise – to get under Huddersfield’s skin.

It did not work, initially, as the home side took control with typically well-worked tries for Luke Robinson (2), Danny Brough – who kicked three conversions and a penalty – and Kyle Wood, the hooker who was particularly lively in Shan Lunt’s absence.

There were some exceptions. The game exploded when Brett Ferres, the England second-row whose ability to produce such unlikely passes out of the tackle frustrated Rovers no end, was irked a little too much in the 20th minute.

Clearly, his opponents were the instigators and, after everyone rushed in, it was Huddersfield’s Jason Chan and, perhaps not too surprisingly, Rovers’ Justin Poore who were handed yellow cards.

Not three minutes later and the hosts were down to 11 men after Joe Wardle – such a fearsome defensive hitter all afternoon – tracked back to thwart an intercepting Kris Welham, but then held on too long.

Yet Huddersfield extended their lead despite the numerical disadvantage.

Adam Walker, the fiery former Huddersfield prop who helps create possibly the grittiest pack in Super League, barged over the line but spilled, something Rovers industrious hooker Hodgson would do twice also under intense pressure, and, soon after, Wood profited at the other end.

Langley, as always, flung his body in the way, albeit without success but, thankfully, causing no lasting damage either and he could face Castleford Tigers at Craven Park on Friday. Whether that – or any other game this season – will be as entertaining as this remains to be seen.

Ferres, meanwhile, left John Smith’s Stadium last night with a protective boot covering his left ankle, but Anderson says it is nothing major so he may still play in Friday’s trip to Widnes.

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Huddersfield Giants: Grix; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy; Brough, Robinson; Crabtree, Wood, Kaufusi, Chan, Ferres, Bailey. Substitutes: Kopczak, Lawerence, Leeming, Ta’ai.

Hull KR: Eden; Caro, Salter, Welham, Cockayne; Burns, Keating; Poore, J Hodgson, J Walker, Larroyer, Langley, Costigan. Substitutes: A Walker, Green, Lovegrove, Cox.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).