Huddersfield Giants 28 Catalan Dragons 20: Hodgson’s try double as Giants head back to summit

In defeating a typically robust Catalan side that had lost just one of its last 10 league games, they showed all the ruggedness and staying power that will be required when they head across the Pennines on Saturday evening.

Huddersfield, who sit joint-top again with Warrington, were short of their slick best but responded to a surprise defeat at Wakefield with a cussed display sprinkled with a little magic from David Hodgson.

The prolific winger scored two tries – his second crucial after 12-man Catalan had battled back from 22-8 down to within just two points – and set up a first of the season for David Faiumu.

Huddersfield, who welcomed back five players rested after the International Origin match, still clearly missed the kicking influence of the injured Danny Brough but had enough inventive options in the vibrant Kevin Brown and Luke Robinson to damage their French opponents.

Their visitors also found ways of damaging themselves all too frequently.

Throughout his stellar, seemingly endless, career, Steve Menzies has not been known as the sort who makes basic errors.

He is one of those enduring footballers who rarely puts a foot wrong so it was with some surprise that the veteran former Australian forward made two glaring mistakes in quick succession, each of which proved costly.

Menzies had already threatened the Giants left edge defence on a couple of occasions with his deft handling skills, that customary loping ability of his to tease foes before unleashing team-mates.

Possibly that was why Hodgson had crept in field a little when, on the 26th minute, the Catalan star crabbed crossfield and directed a pass to winger Damien Blanch.

Hodgson intercepted and raced 90m for the opening try, his seventh in the last six games.

When Menzies inexplicably dropped a standard pass from Ian Henderson soon after, the ex-Bradford hero shook his head in shame.

He then shook Larne Patrick – excellent up front alongside Eorl Crabtree – with a shuddering tackle, obviously riled by his rare ineptitude, but his aggression could not prevent Huddersfield adding their second try moments later.

Brown’s vision saw Blanch slightly out of position and his long cut-out pass left the Catalan wing scrambling as Hodgson tip-toed down the touchline.

As the cover arrived, he dabbed the ball in field where Exiles hooker Faiumu finished.

Scott Grix – having taken over kicking duties from Brough – failed to improve either effort and their 8-0 lead, which should have been far larger given clear dominance, was somehow halved two minutes before the break.

Robinson’s poor kick only got as far as Scott Dureau who skillfully picked up off his bootlaces and sped 80m, surprised Catalan scoring a try out of nothing.

However, Darrell Griffin rolled out of Sebastien Raguin’s feeble tackle attempt from close range three minutes after the re-start following another penalty for interference, the visitors continually trying to negate the impact of Huddersfield’s sizeable pack.

Grix added his first kick from in front and did so in the 46th minute when the Dragons were caught not square, prompting referee Richard Silverwood to finally warn Dureau about his side’s dubious tactics.

Joe Wardle was denied a quality score when Grix’s threaded bouncing kick was collected brilliantly by Jermaine McGillvary on the run but his inside pass under pressure was deemed forward.

When McGillvary then dropped Setaimata Sa’s steepling kick, Catalan responded straight from the scrum 10m out, Sa’s quality long pass giving Blanch the chance to get to the corner and brilliantly finish one-handed.

Blanch was denied a second, his foot sliding into touch after Leroy Cudjoe’s shove, but, after Dureau had been given a second warning by Silverwood, Sa was finally sin-binned in the 59th for blatantly slowing down Dale Ferguson.

Seconds later, they were made to pay following a try from Brown, who hit an excellent off-load from David Fa’alogo as the big Kiwi rolled out of another tackle.

Grix converted but, after Catalan won a short re-start, Henderson sent Jason Baiteri crashing over, then Henderson’s chip was gathered by Jean-Philippe Baile straight after Menzies’s break.

Dureau converted both to leave Huddersfield fans nervous but Hodgson made sure with his second after a slick assist from Cudjoe moments before Sa’s return.

Grix kicked from wide out and resolute Giants held it together.

Huddersfield: Grix; McGillvary, Wardle, Cudjoe, Hodgson; Brown, Robinson; Crabtree, Lunt, Mason, Gilmour, Ferguson, Fa’alogo. Substitutes: Lunt, Patrick, Faiumu, Griffin.

Catalan: Greenshields; Blanch, Baile, Millard, Vaccari; Sa, Dureau; Ferriol, Henderson, Paea, Menzies, Raguin, Mounis. Substitutes: Simon, Fakir, Baiteri, Pelissier.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield)

Ex-Wigan winger has sights set on return to his old club

Dave Hodgson believes Huddersfield Giants are primed for champions Wigan while capable of enhancing their prospects of a first Grand Final.

The wiry winger continued his own impressive form with two tries as the West Yorkshire club defeated one of the competition’s form teams Catalan Dragons 28-20 on Saturday evening.

It leaves Huddersfield joint-top and well-positioned when they head to DW Stadium this Saturday to face an ominously-dominant Wigan side who vanquished St Helens on Friday.

Hodgson told the Yorkshire Post: “They put in a great performance the other night and have set the standard for the back end of the season.

“It’s going to be a big test for us but we’re both taking form into this game and I’m sure there’ll be great interest in it. Beating Catalan was major for us looking at the table and given we’d lost at Wakefield the week before.

“We’ve put a little gap between us and a few other teams now and we know we’re up there with a chance as long as we carry on picking up points like this.”

Huddersfield showed their resilience after staving off a Catalan rally at The Shay.

They had led 22-8 with 20 minutes to go but, despite behind reduced to 12-men, the French opponents brought the game alive to make it 22-20.

“That was a bit of a shock,” said Hodgson. They started playing some good rugby and had a 10-minute spell where they really came at us. But we held in there and got one back to give us the win.”

It was Hodgson who sailed over for his second try – and ninth in just 11 games this season – in the 69th minute after earlier intercepting Steve Menzies’s pass for a spectacular 90m effort.

“That first one was a bit lucky – it just seemed to fall in my hands,” said the ex-Wigan player, who started his career at Huddersfield’s temporary home with Halifax.

“It was a long way to run and I certainly preferred the second.

“It’s going really well for me at the moment and I’m just happy to be scoring tries for the team while helping keep us up at the right end of the table.”

The 29-year-old also created another for David Faiumu and coach Nathan Brown said: “Hodgy’s been a consistent player for us. We’ve got some good, young outside backs and he’s played a big part in the development of those players.”