Huddersfield Giants 76 Hull FC 18: Giants march on with stunning dismantling of appalling Hull

Just seven days after leaving their fans so nervy with a stuttering home play-off defeat to Wigan Warriors, brilliant Huddersfield Giants returned to their usual dominant selves last night to move to within 80 minutes of a maiden Grand Final.

The manner of their emphatic victory in this elimination tie not only reminded people why they finished top for the first time in 81 years but could also probably condemn Hull FC coach Peter Gentle to the sack.

Embarrassed Airlie Birds owner Adam Pearson – who seethed in the stands here – has been miffed on more than one occasion this season by the ineptitude of some of Hull’s performances despite reaching the Challenge Cup final.

He may have publicly insisted only last month that Gentle, who has two years left on his contract, is part of his long-term plans at the East Yorkshire club.

However, it is hard to imagine the Australian will be around at the KC Stadium next term after this horrific end to their season and the biggest loss in play-offs history; Hull needed to deliver and they failed badly.

Incredibly, rampant Huddersfield, with scrum-half Luke Robinson scoring four first-half tries including the 100th touchdown of his career, were 54-6 up by the interval and already safely into the semi-finals.

Having sacrificed the right to a home last-four tie and ClubCall with that earlier loss to Wigan, Paul Anderson’s side must wait until Sunday to discover who they face next week for a place at Old Trafford.

Warrington Wolves now have the dubious honour of choosing either Huddersfield or the victors of tonight’s other elimination tie between defending champions Leeds Rhinos and St Helens.

Many expected Tony Smith’s men to, initially, opt for Huddersfield despite them finishing first given Warrington have beaten the West Yorkshire club three times already this season.

Selecting fierce rivals Saints, who finished fifth but hold such dominance over Warrington in the summer era, would be a big call while they have been burned before by daring to choose Grand Final specialists Leeds.

Last night’s performance, though, makes that choice all the more difficult for a club, like Huddersfield, also seeking their first Super League title.

The hosts began atoning for last week’s loss with just 57 seconds on the clock after Craig Kopczak’s off-load in midfield saw Shaun Lunt scamper 50m. The hooker was dragged down by Jamie Shaul, the Hull FC full-back who later departed with a leg injury, but swift hands saw Leroy Cudjoe cross for the first of his brace. Hull captain Gareth Ellis then caught Scott Grix high with a swinging arm and Robinson latched onto Brough’s slide-rule grubber for his first.

When Hull did get chance to attack, Danny Tickle spilled in a heavy tackle from Brough and Joe Wardle quickly shrugged off Jason Crookes to put Scott Grix sprinting in for their third try.

Only nine minutes had passed but with Brough improving all three tries – the captain finished with 12 goals from 13 attempts and broke two club records – Huddersfield were home and Hull were out. Shaul dropped one of Brough’s towering bombs to concede a drop-out which Robinson converted into another four points for his personal milestone after he dummied his way through, Ellis caught out alarmingly easily.

When the hapless Crookes spilled again in possession, England second-row Brett Ferres showed great awareness and touch to deftly kick to the corner for Aaron Murphy to earn his 20th try of the campaign. Trailing 30-0 after just 19 minutes you had to fear for the stunned visitors who, ironically, have been praised for their defence for much of this season.

That defence disintegrated all too easily, though, when just one long pass from Robinson allowed Cudjoe acres of space down the right, the England centre producing a great change in pace to cut infield and furnish Grix with his second.

It needed some luck for Hull to get off the mark when Daniel Holdsworth’s high kick bounced off the top of a post protector into Shaul’s arms, Tickle converting.

But normal service resumed when yet another stubbed Brough kick eluded the visiting rearguard and landed in the hands of a gleeful Robinson between the posts.

Brough’s conversion was his 148th of the season, breaking Ben Gronow’s 93-year-old club record set in the 1919-20 season.

Lunt celebrated his 100th Huddersfield appearance with his 22nd try of the campaign following another Wardle break while Robinson could not believe it when he mopped up another kick just before the interval.

It was the heaviest first half battering Hull had ever received, surpassing a 42-2 scoreline at St Helens in 1988, and brought stark reminders of their 71-0 play-off hammering at Bradford in 2005.

In fairness they improved slightly after the break. Tom Briscoe scored two tries on the England winger’s final appearance for the Black and Whites, Widnes-bound Tickle converting both before his own departure, but, of course, it mattered little.

The classy Cudjoe had already grabbed his second and, after Lunt had done likewise, Brough’s conversion took the captain past Pat Devery’s club record of 332 points in a season, set in 1952-1953.

Ironic jeers arrived when he failed to convert Ferres’ next try but he was back on target after Kopczak completed the rout and that final kick meant this was also the biggest score ever inflicted on Hull.

Gentle may not be allowed to forget that.


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

Hull: Shaul; Crookes, Horne, Yeaman, Briscoe; Holdsworth, Miller; Watts, Houghton, Johnson, Ellis, Tickle, Westerman. Substitutes: Lynch, Heremaia, Bowden, Green.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Mirfield).