Huddersfield Giants 18 Catalans Dragons 38: Luke Robinson's injury curse continues as hosts suffer seventh straight defeat

Huddersfield's injury crisis began before a ball had even been kicked in Super League and has only worsened since, prompting Robinson to joke that someone is pulling the strings of his bad luck.

A week off would ordinarily offer a chance to recuperate but instead the Giants saw several more players join the casualty list.

If anything summed up Huddersfield's rotten luck, it was George King suffering a fresh injury setback just as he was preparing to make his long-awaited debut.

Robinson had to send a patched-up side out to face Catalans Dragons and the result was a seventh straight Super League defeat, not helped by two fresh injuries to prop Fenton Rogers and debutant hooker Bill Leyland.

There were reasons for encouragement in a hugely committed performance – but there is no column for effort in the table.

Huddersfield remain the competition's only winless team and it is hard to see where their first victory will come from barring a change of fortune, although a home clash with Castleford Tigers at the end of the month is as good an opportunity as any.

The fans appreciated their side's efforts in adversity but it was another costly defeat, one that was on the cards from the moment Sam Hewitt was sin-binned just before half-time.

Already without a dozen first-teamers, it was an inauspicious start for the Giants when they lost Rogers to a leg injury inside the opening five minutes.

Huddersfield shrugged off the early setback to edge the opening exchanges, Hewitt almost dancing his way through before Aidan McGowan was held up over the tryline.

The Giants had an opportunity to keep the pressure on after Tommy Makinson dropped George Flanagan's cross-field kick but could not carve out a clear-cut chance.

Huddersfield got the try their promising start merited in the 17th minute when Jacob Gagai broke out of two tackles to crawl his way over.

Liam Sutcliffe added the extras to give the Giants the start they craved – but their lead did not last long.

Luke Keary stabbed a kick through which bounced up perfectly for Tariq Sims to finish out wide and Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet converted to level the scores.

The Giants faced a character test and the immediate signs were positive, the dangerous McGowan denied just short of the line after Reimis Smith was forced into an error.

Ashton Golding left the field with a head injury to compound Huddersfield's issues and they were soon behind for the first time.

Flanagan produced a try-saving tackle to deny Leo Derrelatour but the French winger could not be stopped minutes later when he finished a slick set move in the corner following an error by Joe Greenwood.

It proved to be a huge moment in the game with Hewitt sin-binned for catching Derrelatour with a leg as he scored.

Aispuro-Bichet missed his first conversion from the touchline but got another go from in front because of the foul play and made no mistake.

Huddersfield's frustrations continued when Taane Milne caught Keary late and Aispuro-Bichet knocked over the penalty to give the Dragons a two-score lead.

Golding returned just before the interval after passing his head injury assessment but it was a long way back for a Giants outfit missing three members of their first-choice spine.

The hosts were quickly in damage limitation mode at the start of the second half, Julian Bousquet touching down from Theo Fages' high kick thanks to a wicked bounce before Bayley Sironen steamed over from Oliver Partington's short ball.

To make matters worse, Leyland was forced off with a head injury.

Hewitt returned from the sin bin to find his side 26-6 down and out of the game.

The home fans were given a reason to cheer when Jake Bibby finished Flanagan's grubber kick but Catalans did not take long to respond, Paul Seguier getting in on the act thanks to good work from Derrelatour.

Huddersfield never threw in the towel and scored a third try in the closing stages, Sam Halsall claiming Flanagan's lofted kick to touch down in the corner.

However, Tevita Pangai Jr had the final word with a powerful finish to round off another difficult afternoon for the luckless Giants.

Huddersfield Giants: McGowan, Carr, Sutcliffe, Jake Bibby, Halsall, Gagai, Flanagan, Rogers, Golding, Burgess, Greenwood, Hewitt, Cudjoe. Substitutes: Leyland, Milne, Jack Bibby, Billington.

Tries: Gagai (17), Bibby (51), Halsall (67)

Goals: Sutcliffe 3/3

Sin bin: Hewitt (34)

Catalans Dragons: Aispuro-Bichet, Makinson, Romano, Smith, Derrelatour, Keary, Fages, Pangai Jr, Da Costa, Garcia, Sims, Sironen, Partington. Substitutes: Bousquet, Satae, Seguier, Laguerre.

Tries: Sims (21), Darrelatour (33), Bousquet (42), Sironen (45), Seguier (58), Pangai Jr (78)

Goals: Aispuro-Bichet 7/8

Referee: Liam Moore.