Huddersfield Giants 22 Wigan Warriors 38: Tepid Giants undone by Sean O'Loughlin's class as relegation fears heighten

Worryingly for Huddersfield Giants, though, it looked more like they were actually relaxing on a beach rather than fighting for their Super League future.

Their flimsy defence perished time and time again,

Too often Wigan Warriors strolled past them with alarming ease and a chance to pull themselves away from the relegation zone soon disappeared on a bitterly disappointing evening for Simon Woolford’s side.

Victory for the West Yorkshire club would have seen them draw level with champions Wigan in seventh spot and aiming for the play-offs but, instead, they remain just two points off bottom.

Yesterday marked the Summer Solstice and the longest day; if Giants continue in anything like this manner their season run-in will seem even longer. And painful.

Super League is simply too competitive - four points separated bottom to sixth at the start of this round - to allow those in danger too many abject displays.

Huddersfield have now lost three in a row and urgently need a result at similarly troubled Wakefield Trinity next Friday.

They only trailed 18-12 at the break last night against a Wigan side who have not been without their own problems but have now strung together three successive wins.

Giants need a similar injection of form. Despite that promising interval scoreline, they then conceded 20 unanswered points in as many minutes from near the start of the second period.

Zak Hardaker evaded one weak tackle attempt before being given so much time to pick out his pass for Joe Burgess to score.

Huddersfield then failed to wrap up Wigan’s offloads near the line as Thomas Leuluai dived over but worse was still to come as both Suaia Matagi and Ukuma Ta’ai were utterly embarrassed when George Williams almost walked past them in the 65th minute.

There was no urgency or steel. Chris Hankinson, who also added two penalties, converted them all meaning late scores from Jordan Turner and Louis Senior for the hosts were mere consolations.

Tempers frayed at the end, too, when a melee involving all the players broke out, Ta’ai and Willie Isa being yellow-carded.

But it was Wigan - led superbly by veteran England captain Sean O’Loughlin - who came away with the vital two points.

Huddersfield trailed by just six at the break having scored a timely try via Matt Frawley in the 35th minute.

At 18-6, and having already conceded three soft tries, they had looked in danger of being swept away.

However, Frawley dummied his way over from close range and showed strength to get the ball down to give his side hope.

It was remarkable in a sense given, moments earlier, the Australian scrum-half had needed treatment after being hit by one of those fearsome Leuluai hits that have silenced players for more than a decade.

It was an important try for Frawley to score on a personal level, too; this was his first start in a number of weeks having been dropped due to a lack of form, Woolford preferring teenager Oliver Russell to the NRL recruit.

However, by the end, and like so many of his colleagues, he was left scraping around for scraps.

Wigan had opened the scoring with real simplicity when O’Loughlin slipped Hankinson through on the last tackle with a basic pass in the seventh minute, Hankinson slotting the first of his seven goals.

Huddersfield also lost Aaron Murphy at that point to a jaw injury.

He was playing as a makeshift centre with Joe and Joe Wardle both injured and captain Leroy Cudjoe still not ready to start his season.

Giants’ backline was already inexperienced with teenage twin wingers Innes and Louis Senior on the flanks given internationals Jermaine McGillvary and Akulia Uate were sidelined.

Back-row Sam Hewitt, 20, came on and scored with his first touch as he supported a lovely break from Louis Senior, who then held his nerve with a fine pass score a score converted by Lee Gaskell.

However, Gaskell soon put a kick out on the full and O’Loughlin eased over with no one getting near the 36-year-old loose forward.

Gaskell forced back-to-back drop-outs with his teasing grubbers but there was no reward and an errant pass instead saw Louis Senior bundled into touch.

When Giants lost the ball in their own 20, Williams was allowed to crab across field before Hankinson got Liam Marshall arrowing back infield for their third score. It would became a whole lot easier in the second half.

Huddersfield Giants: McIntosh; L Senior, Turner, Murphy, I Senior; Gaskell, Frawley; Clough, O’Brien, Matagi, Roberts, Mellor, English. Substitutes: Leeming, Hewitt, Ikahihifo, Ta’ai.

Wigan Warriors: Hardaker; Marshall, Hankinson, Gildart, Burgess; Williams, Leuluai; Clubb, Powell, Navarette, Isa, Farrell, O’Loughlin. Substitutes: Smithies, Sammut, Partington, Greenwood.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes)