Leeds Rhinos 13 Huddersfield Giants 12: Luke Gale wins it again

The West Yorkshire club could easily have asked for the derby to be postponed given they announced shortly before kick-off they had needed to stand down seven players.

One is awaiting the results of an antigen test after a family member displayed Covid-19 symptoms. With track and trace, six additional players were sidelined as a precaution.

Under this week’s new rulings, that would have been enough to call this fixture with Huddersfield Giants off.

However, Richard Agar’s side had already seen their last two games - against Wakefield Trinity and Catalans Dragons - postponed after their opponents had both received positive tests.

It is easy to understand why they were keen to push on regardless and they were rewarded with a hard-fought win, coming back from 10-0 down in miserable conditions to inflict a sixth successive defeat on Giants.

It was even tougher on frustrated Huddersfield given they also lost to Rhinos by just a solitary point in their first game back after lockdown, Gale doing the damage then, too.

The late alterations saw Brett Ferres come in for his ‘second’ Rhinos debut while Alex Cuthbertson and Alex Sutcliffe also saw unexpected call-ups.

Huddersfield, who gave a debut to former Queensland State of Origin back-row Chris McQueen at No13, got off to a solid start when Matty English barrelled his way over from close range in the fourth minute.

Fit-again Aidan Sezer converted but Leeds had their own pressure, too, forcing a series of set restarts with English eventually sin-binned,

Leeds could not make the extra man count and there was also a significant delay during that 10 minute spell as Giants hooker Adam O’Brien received lengthy treatment after suffering a neck injury when attempting to burrow over from close range.

He was stretchered off with his neck in a brace but, with Sezer back in the ranks, his side did not lack direction.

It was the Australian scrum-half who teased a penalty out of Brad Dwyer.

Sezer, who had missed the last three games after straining a hamstring, handed kicking duties over to Olly Russell who slotted the two points.

Leeds became erratic; Gale unsuccessfully trying to set Robert Lui free with a pass on the last tackle from inside his own half and Richie Myler seeing a drop-out not go 10m - and bounce back behind his own goalline.

Sam Hewitt looked certain to score a second try for Giants but Dwyer’s knee managed to knock the ball clear of his grapes at the critical moment.

Still, his side did extend their lead before the break when Russell added a second penalty as Leeds were caught offside.

Drizzle turned into a downpour in the second period. It gave Rhinos a way back into the contest, though, when Giants centre Leroy Cudjoe failed to clean up a scrappy Dwyer grubber and the Rhinos hooker fed Konrad Hurrell for a gift try. Gale improved and Dwyer thought he had levelled but Robert Lui’s inside pass was clearly forward.

They were not denied, though, capitalising as Giants’ mistakes increased. Myler floated a lovely cut-out pass to send Tom Briscoe in, Gale showing his class in the wretched conditions with the touchline conversion for a 12-10 lead on 55 minutes.

Ironically, though, Briscoe spilled in his own 20m soon after to give Huddersfield some rare field position and, when Lui offered a high tackle, Russell levelled the contest.

Yet Oliver Wilson spilled taking the restart back, Leeds youngster Alex Sutcliffe producing a fine hit. From there, Harry Newman got over the line but saw the ball stolen in a three-man tackle.

It left Gale with a difficult penalty which drifted narrowly wide and, under pressure from Huddersfield defenders, the England scrum-half saw a drop-goal attempt agonisingly miss, too.

Sezer was well-placed at the other end but he was off-cue as well before Gale’s next effort was charged down by Kenny Edwards.

He would not miss again.

Leeds Rhinos: Myler; T Briscoe, Newman, L Sutcliffe, Handley; Lui, Gale; Seumanufagai, Leeming, Cuthbertson, Thompson, A Sutcliffe, Oledzki. Substitutes: Donaldson, Dwyer, Hurrell, Ferres.

Huddersfield Giants: Golding; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Jake Wardle, McIntosh; Russell, Sezer; English, O’Brien, Lawrence, Edwards, Joe Wardle, McQueen. Substitutes: Holmes, Hewitt, Wilson, Gavet.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas (Leigh)