St Helens 10 Huddersfield Giants 12 - Jake Wardle’s try stuns champions

Jake Wardle scored the only try of the second half with 16 minutes remaining and Aidan Sezer stepped up to add a tricky conversion which edged the Giants into a 12-10 lead.

Even St Helens, a team famed for their ability to snatch victories at the death, could not find a way through some desperate Huddersfield defence, a feat made all the more impressive given they suffered injuries in the first half to Lee Gaskell and Ukuma Ta’ai.

Simon Woolford’s side who were to score the game’s first points as a Sezer kick to the corner was spilled and Adam O’Brien was on hand to touch down in the seventh minute. Sezer also added the conversion.

Saints were soon level as a perfectly-timed pass from Theo Fages was taken by Luke Thompson at speed and he proved unstoppable from close range. Tommy Makinson added the conversion.

Saints took the lead as Morgan Knowles was quickest to react to a Jonny Lomax grubber kick to the Giants in-goal, though Makinson was unable to convert.

Huddersfield silenced the home fans with 16 minutes remaining. Jake Wardle broke clear and won the race to the tryline to level the scores at 10-10.

Sezer then stepped up to land the conversion and edge the Giants into a 12-10 lead.

Saints tried everything they knew to find a way through the Huddersfield rearguard but they were continually frustrated by some outstanding defence.

St Helens: Welsby, Grace, Knowles, Naiqama, Makinson, Lomax, Fages, Walmsley, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Peyroux, McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Substitutes: Lees, Amor, Paulo, Costello.

Huddersfield: McIntosh, Wood, J. Wardle, Turner, McGillvary, Gaskell, Sezer, Lawrence, Edwards, J. Wardle, Gavet, O’Brien, Clough. Substitutes: Holmes, Wilson, Murphy, Ta’ai.

Referee: Gareth Hewer (RFL)