Huddersfield Giants 38 Warrington Wolves 36 - Top-four guaranteed but coach Ian Watson issues warning to players

Huddersfield Giants edged out a demoralised Warrington Wovles to guarantee a top-four finish and a home play-off tie – but head coach Ian Watson warned they must improve if they are to challenge for the title.

The hosts scored six of their seven tries in a 24-minute first-half spell and saw a 24-point lead reduced to a final winning margin of two by Wolves’ brave recovery in the second period.

Full-back Matt Dufty scored four tries – including a second-half hat-trick – as Warrington threatened to overhaul third-placed Giants’ 32-10 half-time lead, but the visitors came up short.

“I thought we were awesome in the first half and attacked the game in the right way, but our mentality changed in the second half,” said Giants’ boss Watson.

“We became very loose with the ball and we started playing more individually than anything else. It is a lesson for us. If we go into a play-off game and play like that for 40 minutes, we are going to get turned over.

“There were individuals who probably thought we had done the job. And they were happy with that But as a team and a club we can’t be happy with that. We have got to be a ruthless team.

“We are playing for 40 minutes at the moment while earlier in the season we were playing for 80. That’s why we got to a Challenge Cup final.

“However, we have secured a home tie which means we will finish third or fourth which is great for our development. Now we have got to take advantage of the opportunity that has arisen from it.”

Opposite number Daryl Powell admitted to being “embarrassed” by his team’s 11th-placed position in the 12-team competition.

“I have never finished this low in my coaching career. I am embarrassed by it,” he said.

“The team has not been good enough and I haven’t been good enough clearly because of where we are.

“So I have to hold my hands up and take full accountability. But I think we are going somewhere.”

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea, L. Senior, Leutele, King, Cudjoe, Pryce, Russell, English, Jones, Hewitt, Hill, O’Brien, Trout. Replacements: Yates, Levi, Greenwood, Ashworth.

Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Lynch, Mata’utia, Wardle, Thewlis, Ratchford, Williams, Harrison, Walker, Bullock, Holroyd, Nicholson, Holmes.Replacements: J Clark, Mulhern, Thomas, Hayes.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (RFL).