Huddersfield Giants 40 Wakefield Trinity 0: Long wait is over as Giants celebrate silverware

Huddersfield Giants last night lifted the League Leaders’ Shield after this comfortable win over troubled Wakefield Trinity Wildcats meant they secured an unassailable advantage at the top of Super League ahead of their final regular game against Bradford Bulls on Saturday.

When this famous West Yorkshire club finished first in 1931-32, however, they were beaten to the eventual title by St Helens in the Championship play-off final.

Obviously, the key now for Paul Anderson’s impressive side, is to ensure that fate does not befall them again and they power on to a maiden Grand Final success at Old Trafford next month.

Given another thoroughly commanding display that reaped an eighth successive league win, there is every reason to suggest they can navigate the play-offs and deliver a first title since 1962.

Undoubtedly, they were the last side crisis-torn Wakefield – who have now lost five successive games – would have fancied playing.

Trinity, subject to another winding-up petition in July having only been in administration barely two years ago, were plunged into yet more uncertainty on the eve of the game when new chairman Michael Carter revealed they had a £400,000 funding gap that needed urgent attention.

He sold star Australian half-back Tim Smith to Salford City Reds for a six-figure fee on Friday to alleviate that but admitted the club required more cash soon.

Bobbie Goulding, the 20-year-old son of the ex-Great Britain star by the same name, duly made his full debut after Smith’s departure but he hardly got a look in as Huddersfield, bossed as always by Danny Brough, the stellar scrum-half signed from Wakefield three years ago, made sure no one would ruin their long-awaited party.

Trinity hooker Paul Aiton looked intent on letting out all his frustration surrounding the club’s plight on Eorl Crabtree in the third minute, swinging high on the England prop and then collaring him on the floor too.

After the ensuing melee and penalty, Shaun Lunt tried barging over and, when the ball came free, Jason Chan picked up for the easiest of tries.

Brough converted but there was plenty of niggle in the early exchanges with Wakefield clearly trying to unruffle the hosts and drag them into a scrappy encounter.

It looked like it might work until Luke Robinson attacked the line – as he has so often this season – and isolated Lee Smith to put Brett Ferres through untouched for the second-row’s 15th try of the season. Brough’s second conversion made it 12-0 but the visitors continued to irritate them even if they did not get anywhere near launching a meaningful attack of their own.

Habitual bad boy Justin Poore was the next to go high on Craig Kopczak and Wakefield, with the penalty count 6-1, were eventually handed a team warning for their incessant infringing.

Kopczak was held up after twisting over and, though Trinity did well to prevent Crabtree in the same fashion, Chan eventually got the ball down at the third attempt in that set, the Papuan second-row benefiting from an obvious mismatch with sleight centre Reece Lyne.

Brough did the rest and, from thereon in, only had to produce what they have been doing all year to ensure this game did not slip from their grasp.

Aside from their dominant defence that, principally, involves enacting a superb kick-chase which continually wears opponents down.

Brough’s kicking repertoire is rightly lauded but, as the old adage goes, it is only as good as its chase and Huddersfield consistently do this better than any other side in Super League.

It was epitomised on the half-hour when another downfield kick from their captain saw Ben Cockyane having to palm the ball back into play to avoid a 40/20. Suddenly, the Trinity winger was under all sorts of pressure as both Robinson and Chan emerged from nowhere to pin him down almost on his own goalline.

Yet, similarly, another example of the improved professionalism of this Huddersfield side was demonstrated soon after.

This time, Brough failed to cleanly intercept Aiton’s pass. To the naked eye, with his side 18-0 up and in complete control, it mattered little.

But the angered scrum-half booted the ball away in real frustration; to his single-minded side it was an opportunity gone to turn the screw further.

They did that, though, just two minutes into the second period when capitalizing on Lee Smith’s dropped ball, the Claret and Golds smartly shifting wide to the left where Aaron Murphy slid over for the ex-Wakefield winger’s 19th try so far this term. Brough, for once, failed to improve but his brilliant footwork and trickery down the middle soon gave Leroy Cudjoe chance to use his acceleration down the right and flick out a pass for Jermaine McGillvary, Huddersfield’s similarly prolific winger, to score their fifth of the night.

England centre Cudjoe repeated the trick all too easily from a scrum to see McGillvary get his second before Lunt scrambled over at the death, Brough finishing with six goals and starting the celebrations.

Huddersfield: Grix; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy; Brough, Robinson; Crabtree, Lunt, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Lawrence. Substitutes: Faiumu, Patrick, Ta’ai, Wood.

Wakefield: Mathers; Fox, Collis, Lyne, Cockayne; Smith, Goulding; Poore, Aiton, Wilkes, Kirmond, Mariano, Tautai. Substitutes: Raleigh, Lauitiiti, Washbrook, Annakin.

Referee: T Roby (York).