Humbled Giants out to restore lost pride, says Lunt

They may have lifted the League Leaders’ Shield but the West Yorkshire club’s Grand Final hopes took a severe knock when they were humbled at home by Wigan Warriors last week.

Huddersfield have a second chance to progress to the semi-finals when the Airlie Birds arrive at John Smith’s Stadium tomorrow night but there is no longer any room for manoeuvre.

“We take a lot of pride in the way we play and the way we did last Thursday just wasn’t good enough,” Lunt admitted to the Yorkshire Post about the 22-8 loss.

“We weren’t at the races and not on the mark. It was unlike us.

“That’s no disrespect to Wigan; they came and played really well.

“I think they wanted it more. With it being 8-8 at half-time we needed to come out in that second period, respect the ball and be patient.

“They did that but we didn’t. They tackled harder and ran harder so they deserved it.

“We’ve learned our lesson from that and have some wrongs to right against Hull.”

Huddersfield’s play-off record is notoriously poor but Lunt – the only player in their ranks to have won a Grand Final having done so while on loan at Leeds Rhinos last season – maintains they are ready to reverse that trend.

“You have to build,” said the England international, who has scored 17 tries in their Super League campaign and who proved such a vital component on his return from Headingley.

“Warrington went through their hard period always coming up short but they look like breaking that now.

“They’re up there challenging for trophies, as are Wigan, and we need that now, too.

“We’ve been there or thereabouts. Leeds have that experience of playing big games every year.

“You have to be playing in big games week in, week out to get that understanding of how to play them.

“But winning the League Leaders’ Shield has given us a real hunger to get more.

“We know we have to raise our performance against Hull and we have to get it right on Thursday as we’ve got this second chance but there’s no third.

“We’ve looked at it in training and know where we went wrong against Wigan.”

Hull have reached just one Grand Final, losing to St Helens in 2006, and will make history if they can return to Old Trafford from as low as their finishing spot of sixth.

Peter Gentle’s side have built a reputation as one of the best defensive sides in Super League, showing that again by keeping Catalan Dragons try-less in their 14-4 elimination play-off win on Friday.

However, Huddersfield have beaten them twice this season and are overwhelming favourites to advance to next week’s semi-finals.

Lunt, one of five Giants players named in the Super League Dream Team, added: “We know they’ve got a very good defence –that’s been fantastic for them this season – but we’ve been looking at ways of breaking them down.

“This will be a tough challenge as it is do-or-die for both sides but we’ve been the winning side the two times we’ve played Hull this year and are looking to make that three.

“It’ll be a good game and a close one. They’ve got Danny Houghton going well at hooker. He’s had a great season and I know him well from the England Knights.

“He always plays well for Hull and is so consistent but they have class across the park with people like Gaz Ellis, too. We have to be on our game.”

Huddersfield coach Paul Anderson has a full-strength squad to select from after forward Ukuma Ta’ai recovered from a badly-split lip sustained in the defeat at Bradford 10 days ago and was named in the Giants’ 19-man squad.

“We’ll be better for that Wigan game,” said Anderson. “It was a real good, intense game of rugby. If you look at all the games in the play-offs, I reckon that was the most intense. The consistency we’ve shown all year has given us another opportunity.”

Hull have prop Andy Lynch back for his first match since being injured in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley last month, but centre Ben Crooks is still sidelined with ankle trouble.