Huddersfield Giants 0 Hull FC 19: Giants whitewashed as Ellis and Shaul shine for Hull FC

Hull FC's Jamie Shaul and Fetuli Talanoa celebrate after their second try. against Huddersfield Giants. (Picture: Gordon Clayton).

Full-back Jamie Shaul was the hero of Hull’s 19-0 victory, scoring two tries in a crucial seven-minute spell in the second half, but coach Lee Radford will be especially delighted with the contribution of his new signings.

Former Salford and Castleford scrum-half Marc Sneyd went a long way to demonstrating that his wonderful year with the Tigers in 2014 was no one-off as he helped create two of his side’s three tries and kicked seven points.

Sneyd’s new half-back partner Leon Pryce and Australian forward Mark Minichiello also played their part as Hull cruised to their first win at the John Smith’s Stadium for six years.

With only one trial game in pre-season, Huddersfield were clearly under-done and new signings Jack Hughes, Craig Huby and Jamie Ellis all failed to make an impression on their debuts.

The Giants’ only threat came from the towering kicks from captain Danny Brough that swirled in the stiff breeze but Hull coped admirably with their limited attacking capabilities.

With Sneyd and Pryce combining well, Hull looked marginally more creative in the first half and scored the only try when left winger Fetuli Talanoa took Kirk Yeaman’s pass to cross in the 19th minute.

Sneyd, who was involved in the build-up, failed to add the conversion but added a penalty just before half-time to make it 6-0.

Talanoa also caught the eye in defence as he kept dangerous Huddersfield winger Jermaine McGillvary in check. Hull might have made more of a clean break by Ellis early in the second half but their sterling defensive efforts were enough to keep them in control and they clinched the points thanks to Shaul’s tryscoring prowess.

He won the race to Sneyd’s pin-point grubber kick to touch down on 51 minutes and then bamboozled the home defence with a solo run from halfway to add a second.

Sneyd converted both tries and rounded off the scoring with a 64th-minute drop goal.

Huddersfield’s only real chance came when England second rower Brett Ferres lost the ball trying to reach the line.

Huddersfield: Murphy, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Broughton, Brough, Ellis, Huby, Robinson, Kopczak, Ferres, Hughes, Bailey. Substitutes: Crabtree, Lunt, Ta’ai, Mullally.

Hull FC: Shaul, Lineham, Sa, Yeaman, Talanoa, Pryce, Sneyd, Paea, Houghton, Watts, Minichiello, Ellis, Westerman. Substitutes: Whiting, Green, Bowden, Thompson.

Referee: T Roby (RFL).