Huddersfield 34 Wakefield 24: Anderson less than impressed by Giants in victory

It is a third successive year Huddersfield have finished in the leading quartet and a fifth in the last seven to illustrate their growing standing as a leading club.

However, they will have to improve markedly if they are to push on and reach an Old Trafford Grand Final for the first time, something that has traditionally eluded and frustrated them.

Leading 28-12 at half-time yesterday against a side so low on confidence – even if bolstered by three more debutants – the Fartowners should have comfortably pressed home that advantage.

Instead, they allowed their West Yorkshire rivals to get a sniff once more with tries from Matty Ashurst and a really well-worked move that ending with Lee Smith crossing early in the second period.

When Danny Brough then missed touch with a penalty, it 
invited yet more pressure and Paul Anderson’s side were forced to battle their way home, eventually thankful to their atoning captain for a fine 50m solo try in the 65th minute.

Their encouraged opponents – who have won just one league game in 21 outings – will certainly build on elements of this display as they prepare for the Qualifiers and saving their top-flight status next month.

But, for Huddersfield, Anderson admitted: “Everything we did was soft.

“We’ve made the four but if we want to win a Grand Final, that sort of display can’t happen again.

“If we want to be serious contenders we have to be a million times better.

“It was complacent and poor. It wasn’t Giants-like and I have to ask: is that down to ability or attitude?

“It might only be the second time I’ve questioned our attitude this year.”

Wakefield started brightly when Jacob Miller scampered over for the game’s first try after just seven minutes.

Nick Scruton spilled the ball backwards and – as is so often the case on such occasions – the defence lulled allowing the Trinity scrum-half to collect and skip past Jared Simpson, the young Giants full-back selected ahead of Scott Grix, all too easily.

Craig Hall added the first of only two conversions, but after a succession of penalties the hosts quickly composed themselves and responded, Luke Robinson diving over from acting-half.

Brough, one of Huddersfield’s finest ever signings having joined from Wakefield in 2010, produced one of his magical chip kicks – on the run with the outside of his left boot – to send Jodie Broughton in for the winger’s fifth try of the year.

The stand-off’s grubber then caused chaos near the posts for Michael Lawrence to add Giants’ third try on 23 minutes and it looked like being another long, tortuous afternoon for Brian Smith’s men.

However, when Brough’s off-target 40/20 attempt unusually went out on the full, Scott Moore – the former England hooker who excelled on loan with Huddersfield in 2009 and joined from Castleford Tigers on Thursday – came off the bench to make an impression instantly for Trinity.

His disguised pass ushered Scott Anderson over, Hall making it 16-12, but Wakefield have been their own worst enemies this season.

This was illustrated again when Bill Tupou – the third new signing making his Trinity debut – dropped the ball when playing it in the restart set, gifting Giants a chance to reclaim the ascendancy.

It was Daniel Smith, the prop making his home debut having switched from Wakefield in the deal that saw Anthony Mullally go the other way recently, hit Robinson’s pass strongly and twisted over.

Leroy Cudjoe added their fourth try of the half, the England centre grabbing his 100th career touchdown when accelerating well to latch onto Jamie 
Ellis’s hard-hit grubber that seemed destined to roll dead.

It also saw him pass 500 points for his hometown club since debuting in 2008 but Trinity refused to roll over.

This was demonstrated when Ashurst angled in for their third try on 47 minutes and Lee Smith added another just three minutes later after a fine link with Tupou, the powerful Tongan centre newly arrived from Canberra Raiders.

As Huddersfield imploded, Brough finally restored some 
order with that stunning try, dummying across the line and then speeding to the corner, but even then Trinity capitalised on some shoddy defending when Reece Lyne benefitted from a scrappy hack on in the corner.

Lee Smith took over kicking duties from the wayward Hall, but he could not add the extras either, Wakefield improving just two of their five tries.

Anderson confirmed afterwards that the club’s vice-captain Brett Ferres will miss eight to 10 weeks having had surgery to repair a torn biceps on Friday.

It is hoped he will be fit for the end of the Super 8s or play-off semi-finals but, of course, Huddersfield have to reach them first and, on this evidence, work needs to be done.

Huddersfield Giants: Simpson; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Murphy, Broughton; Brough, Ellus; Crabtree, Robinson, Hughes, Ta’ai, Lawrence. Substitutes: Bailey, Kopczak, Leeming, D Smith.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats: L Smith; Riley, Tupou, Arundel, Lyne; Hall, Miller; Scruton, Sio, Anderson, Ashurst, Molloy, Simon. Substitutes: Moore, Mullally, Walker, Washbrook.

Referee: Chris Leatherbarrow (St Helens).