Huddersfield Giants 19 Wigan Warriors 19: Super League strugglers left in deadlock once again

Wigan winger Liam Marshall claimed a brace to take his season's tally to 22 tries in all competitions but it was not enough to decide a hard-fought 19-19 draw at Huddersfield.
Huddersfield's Danny Brough in action.Huddersfield's Danny Brough in action.
Huddersfield's Danny Brough in action.

The result follows the 16-16 stalemate in the corresponding match at the DW Stadium on March 19 and leaves both sides still hovering dangerously above the cut-off line with the Betfred Super League splitting into two after four more rounds.

The Giants went ahead when Leroy Cudjoe took a Ryan Hinchcliffe pass and stepped out of a tackle to score, with Martyn Ridyard adding the extras.

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Shannon Wakeman was brilliantly held up as he looked likely to extend the home side’s advantage and further pressure was heaped on the Warriors defence by a Danny Brough 40-20.

Brough eventually added an opportune drop goal to create a two-score gap, as the Giants lost Ridyard to injury.

But it was Huddersfield who increased their lead when Lee Gaskell beat a hesitant Joe Burgess to a Brough grubber and, in Ridyard’s absence, the Scottish international half-back converted to make 13-0.

Wigan hit back on the half-hour mark when John Bateman crashed onto a Thomas Leuluai pass and George Williams added the first of his three conversions.

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Marshall then launched an astonishing dive to just beat a deft George Williams kick to the dead ball line and the conversion closed the gap to just a point.

The second half was just three minutes old when a sharp cut-out pass from Sam Tomkins had Marshall diving acrobatically over in the corner for his eighth try in the last five games to give the visitors the lead for the first time. Williams then landed his second touchline conversion.

Jermaine McGillvary roused the home crowd with a dangerous break from halfway and Wigan were forced into some desperate defence.

And it was McGillvary who finally managed to crack the Lancastrians’ rearguard for his 13th try of the season with Brough’s goal edging the hosts ahead again.

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Williams landed a 35-metre drop goal to tie matters and, despite both sides pressing and Leuluai missing a late one-pointer, neither could get their noses in front again.

Huddersfield: McIntosh, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Gaskell, Murphy, Brough, Ridyard, Ikahihifo, Leeming, Wakeman, Roberts, Mellor, Hinchcliffe. Substitutes: Ta’ai, Clough, Mason, Dickinson.

Wigan: S. Tomkins, Davies, Burgess, Gildart, Marshall, Williams, Leuluai, Nuuausala, McIlorum, J. Tomkins, Bateman, Farrell, O’Loughlin. Substitutes: Sutton, Isa, Powell, Wells.

Referee: G Hewer (RFL).