Huddersfield Giants 50 Hull FC 6 - Ian Watson backs under-fire Tony Smith to turn Airlie Birds' season around

Adam Swift came back to haunt his former club as Watson’s Huddersfield Giants hammered the Airlie Birds at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Swift scored four tries in a 50-6 rout which saw the visitors concede a half-century of points for the second straight week and heaped more pressure on head coach Smith, whose team have only won one Super League game all year.

The Giants led 20-6 at the break after Sam Halsall, Kevin Naiqama and Jack Murchie joined Swift on the scoresheet, with Jordan Lane responding for Hull.

Huddersfield stepped it up after the break as the visitors capitulated, Swift grabbing a second-half hat-trick and Halsall and Naiqama adding to their earlier efforts, while Harvey Livett also got on the scoresheet.

Six points from the boot of Tui Lolohea and four from former Hull favourite Jake Connor competed the misery for the visitors.

Giants’ head coach Watson was rightly pleased with his team’s performance, particularly coming on the back of a frustrating 24-12 Super League defeat at home to Hull KR the previous week.

But he was quick to leap to the defence of under-fire counterpart Smith, citing his track record of getting it right at all the previous teams he has coached.

"When you’re a supporter, nobody cares, because they just look at the scoreboard, they don’t see what you’re trying to build or what you’re working towards,” said Watson. "Tony is probably one of the best coaches – if not the best – coach.

"And I know that because he mentored me when I was younger, so I’ve seen him first-hand in terms of what he does and what his philosophies are.

"But his background shows that he’s done it at every club he’s been at – if people let him do what he does, he will do it at Hull, too.

"I don’t think there’s really been anywhere where he has been and he’s failed.”