Huddersfield Giants 12 Warrington Wolves 20: From Michael Buffer to BBC mauling, Giants put up fight but fall short as opening weekend finishes strongly

Warrington Wolves won this corresponding fixture 66-0 just five months ago so a 20-12 defeat to start the 2025 season at least points to progress made in Luke Robinson’s first pre-season as Giants head coach.

It was another good advert for Super League in a weekend where three games were decided by fewer than two points, Wakefield Trinity got off the mark with victory at Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC alluded to better days ahead for last year’s beleaguered East Yorkshiremen with a convincing win at Catalans Dragons.

Legendary boxing baritone Buffer had brought the razzmatazz on opening night at Wigan and while the only voices echoing around the cavernous John Smith’s Stadium were that of lone Giant fans bellowing encouragement or the 2,000 Wolves fans who had made the trip west, it was another fiercely-contested clash that was in the balance right up until the final four minutes when Matt Dufty followed up his own grubber kick to dot down.

The only aberration was St Helens’ 15-try mauling of financially crippled Salford Red Devils live on BBC Television. Of all the games to get national, free-to-air exposure this weekend… “A black mark on the competition,” ventured Warrington head coach Sam Burgess.

The travails of clubs like Salford is not Robinson’s concern and he can take solace in Huddersfield’s performance.

“I’m absolutely gutted,” said Robinson. “The effort and desire was unbelievable. I hope the fans realise how hard they worked.

“There were key moments in the game we didn’t handle very well.

“We gifted them a try in the first half and then watched the ball dribble out for Danny Walker’s 20/40. If we’d handled those instances better we’d have been in a better position.

“We were sensational for the first 30 but were masters of our own downfall before half-time.

“Our game-management wasn’t what it could be and it’s something we’ll have to learn quickly.”

Huddersfield were indebted to a good piece of play by Tui Lolohea who covered a chip kick in behind the defence from George Williams that prevented an early Warrington try. Oliver Wilson looked in no mood to be pushed around with a thundering run that took Huddersfield out of their own half and relieved the pressure on the Giants.

That set up Huddersfield’s first real try-scoring threat but they couldn’t convert on the left flank.

No matter, for they were in front 25 minutes into the game. Danny Richardson made the most of a favourable bounce from a towering kick and although he was held up short, the ball was recycled to Lolohea who dived over to mark his 250th career appearance with the opening try which Richardson converted.

Giants were on the backfoot for the remainder of the half and needed stout defence to keep out Warrington. Leroy Cudjoe was penalised for a ball steal, upheld at captain’s challenge with the evergreen forward claiming he had intercepted, and he was called upon again along with Sam Hewitt to hold up the visitors and force the turnover.

Their pressure was also forcing handling errors from Warrington with Williams overthrowing Josh Thewlis on the wing when the tryline beckoned.

But seconds before the hooter, Giants resistance was broken when Aaron Lindop danced across on that same right wing. Stefan Ratchford’s missed touchline conversion gave Huddersfield a slender 6-4 half-time advantage.

It was only one try but it had the effect of altering the course of the game as Warrington were immediately back on the front-foot on the resumption and into the lead within five minutes of the second period when Dufty sent Matty Ashton in on the left. Ratchford converted. The pressure was eventually eased when Joe Greenwood intercepted a pass deep in his own territory and headed for the opposite tryline, only to be caught and hauled down on halfway. The ensuing comedy of handling errors from Huddersfield let Warrington off the hook.

And within minutes of that Huddersfield were punished, Danny Walker’s 20/40 resulting in another Dufty pass releasing former Meltham All Blacks player Tony King to score against his hometown team.

Another missed Ratchford conversion kept Huddersfield interested, just 14-6 behind going into the last quarter.

And they kept Wolves honest with a second try with 12 minutes remaining, Greenwood atoning for being caught too quickly earlier on by barrelling over after Tom Burgess had been held up. Richardson’s conversion pulled Giants to within two.

But they couldn’t sustain an attacking spell long enough to threaten the Wolves’ lead and Dufty sealed it with a try to add to his two assists.

Even Warrington’s coach Burgess, whose brother Tom was making his Super League debut for Huddersfield and lost a bet with his sibling about who would win and will now have to do a bungee jump, was impressed with Huddersfield.

“They were much-improved,” said Sam Burgess.​​​​​​​