Huddersfield Giants 26 Leeds Rhinos 20: McClennan heaps praise on Giants for overcoming champions Leeds

The Giants beat Leeds 30-24 in July 2003, their only previous win against the Headingley club since Super League was launched.

So you could forgive those Huddersfield fans who stayed behind long after the final whistle yesterday to applaud their heroes off the pitch.

Rhinos had a purple spell just before half-time when they turned a 12-0 deficit into an

18-12 lead, and despite Rob Burrow's penalty stretching their advantage to 20-12 after the break, Huddersfield powered to a deserved victory.

It left Rhinos coach Brian McClennan heaping praise on Nathan Brown's side.

"Their victory was easier than the close scoreline makes it seem," he said.

"Super League is going to be a lot tighter this year. Huddersfield are one of several teams who have improved, and I am sure they will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

"It was a very tough game for us and, frankly, our performance was patchy. We started slowly but got on top by half-time.

"In the second half, though, we rarely looked a threat, and Huddersfield won quite easily in the end."

The early spotlight was on Rhinos centre Keith Senior and referee Richard Silverwood, the first match involving both since the World Club Challenge.

After defeat to Melbourne Storm, Senior accused Silverwood of being "arrogant" and despite a swift apology, was fined by the RFL for his outburst.

Rhinos fans greeted Senior's name being read out over the tannoy with expected boos.

The Giants – already missing the influential Brett Hodgson through injury – were forced into an early reshuffle after just five minutes when Michael Lawrence limped off with an ankle injury to be replaced by David Faiumu.

The Spring sunshine was causing problems for both teams with high kicks causing mayhem among the defences with the ball being lost in flight.

Senior's first brush with Silverwood saw a penalty go against the Leeds player but there was no dissent as the Giants moved upfield to take the lead.

A superb run from David Fa'alogo pulled the Leeds defence apart, and Shaun Lunt was on his shoulder to take the try.

The second try from Giants was more unconventional.

Two kicks saw the ball moved right to left and Lee Gilmour raced away down the flank before cutting in to touch down close to the posts.

Leroy Cudjoe converted both to give the hosts – fresh from their 52-0 demolition of Wakefield the previous weekend – a 12-0 lead after 15 minutes.

Kallum Watkins was then forced to leave the pitch, the Rhinos winger helped down the tunnel for treatment on a leg injury.

It seemed to knock the Rhinos out of their stride until they received a fortunate penalty call which allowed Rob Burrow to scamper over – after a bruising run from Jamie Peacock – for a 29th-minute try which he converted himself.

Silverwood did not endear himself to the Rhinos fans when he judged a loose ball had not been knocked on during a home attack, and Stephen Wild should have capitalised but dropped the ball with the line at his mercy.

Huddersfield were made to pay for their carelessness as Leeds went straight up field and levelled at 12-12 on 38 minutes. Luke Burgess played in Danny McGuire to scoot over, Burrow converting.

The Giants, slack for that score, were punished even further for switching off again before the break.

Huddersfield allowed Ryan Hall to outpace them down the right flank to pick up a hopeful kick and go over the try-line. Burrow's conversion made it 18-12 to Leeds and completed a first-half turnaround after they had trailed 12-0 until the 29th minute.

The second half kicked off with a massive melee which ended with Huddersfield's Andy Raleigh and Rhinos' Ali Lauitiiti sin-binned for their part.

Burrow kicked the resulting penalty to edge Leeds ahead

20-12, but Huddersfield had regained their composure and substitute Larne Patrick bulldozed over after David Faiumu had been held up over the line.

Cudjoe's conversion brought the deficit back to just two points, and with Kevin Brown and Luke Robinson continually probing the visitors' defence, the game was finely balanced going into the final half hour. David Hodgson had a glorious chance to put the Giants ahead in the 61st minute. The winger picked up a loose pass and dashed down the left touchline, but with McGuire and Brent Webb hanging on, Hodgson dropped the ball over the line.

But there was to be no denying Huddersfield as Martin Aspinwall drove over the line after good work from Scott Grix, and Cudjoe's fourth successful conversion and a subsequent penalty – after a high tackle on Fa'alogo – gave the Giants a 26-20 victory.

Giants coach Brown said: "We definitely would not have won this game last season.

"Their big blokes were getting on top, but I thought that the players responded very well to the physical challenge in the second half."

Huddersfield Giants: Cudjoe, Lolesi, Lawrence, Wild, D Hodgson, Brown, Robinson, Griffin, Lunt, Raleigh, Gilmour, Fa'alogo, Aspinwall. Substitutes: Crabtree, Faiumu, Patrick, Grix.

Leeds Rhinos: Webb, Hall, Delaney, Senior, Watkins, McGuire, Burrow, Leuluai, Buderus, Bailey, Peacock, Kirke, Jones-Buchanan. Substitutes: Diskin, Lauitiiti, Burgess, Pitts.

Referee: R Silverwood.

Upended: The combined efforts of Huddersfield Giants' Martin Aspinwall and David Faiumu halt a run from Leeds Rhinos' Jamie Peacock.

MATCH FOCUS

Hero: Leroy Cudjoe

The young winger filled the massive boots of injured full-back Brett Hodgson. Notched four conversions and a penalty and his kicking game gave Huddersfield great field position, something which Leeds could not match.

'Villain': Richard Silverwood

Who would want to be a referee? Silverwood got it in the neck from Leeds's Keith Senior last time the two met, and yesterday his decisions were greeted by jeers from both sets of supporters.

Key moment

45th minute:

Huddersfield trailed 18-12 when a massive brawl saw Andy Raleigh and Ali Lauitiiti sin-binned. It seemed to give the Giants a wake-up call and they battled back to triumph 26-20.

Verdict

Huddersfield finished third last season and are improving all the time, while Leeds have yet to get going this season.

Next game

Harlequins v Huddersfield; Saturday, March 20, 5.30pm.

Leeds v Hull KR; Friday, March 19; 8pm.

Quote of the day

We've played six games this season, and in five of them we've suffered a bad injury. It's very frustrating.

– Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown.