Super League talking points: Huddersfield Giants the real deal, Castleford Tigers 'pub team', Hull FC's Jake Connor fear

Huddersfield Giants, Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity were the big winners, while Hull KR got back on track with a comfortable victory over Salford Red Devils.

Here, The Yorkshire Post takes a look at the talking points across the county after the latest round of fixtures.

Giants prove title credentials

Few, if anybody, expected a much-changed Huddersfield to go to Perpignan and win on the back of a heartbreaking Challenge Cup final defeat.

But Ian Watson's side proved they are the real deal by picking themselves up off the canvas to inflict a first home Super League defeat of the year on Catalans Dragons.

Hardworking, dogged and tactically disciplined, the Giants are greater than the sum of their parts and would be a team to be feared in the play-offs.

Radford's scathing assessment

Wigan Warriors made it a double for the Challenge Cup finalists after scoring 32 unanswered points to stun Castleford Tigers.

Lee Radford was typically forthright in the aftermath of Castleford's eighth defeat of the season, labelling the Tigers "a pub team" based on their second-half efforts.

After questioning his side's heart when the going gets tough, Radford will demand a reaction when Castleford travel to Toulouse this weekend.

Rhinos find spark

Leeds are now only one point adrift of the Tigers after making it four wins in five games thanks to a 40-4 demolition of Warrington Wolves.

It would be fair to say Leeds caught Warrington on a bad day but Rohan Smith's influence was clear as the Rhinos piled on the points by playing fast and direct with an emphasis on support play.

If Leeds reproduce that performance against a well-organised Huddersfield, the play-off dream will be very much alive.

No Connor, no party?

After losing Jake Connor to injury and going down to Wakefield in golden point, alarm bells could be ringing at Hull FC.

The Black and Whites do not need reminding that they were fifth at the halfway point in 2021 before losing nine of their final 10 games.

Brett Hodgson had a Connor-shaped hole in his team at the start of that run and faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of his knee injury after seeing Hull fall flat in the absence of the influential full-back.

Wakefield ease tension

There appeared to be no threat of a Wakefield comeback as the minutes ticked away at Belle Vue but Hull's lack of creativity without Connor kept the home side in the game and Willie Poching's men showed spirit in abundance to force golden point.

Not for the first time in his eight years at the club, Jacob Miller was the hero with a potentially season-defining drop goal.

Trinity are not out of the woods but find themselves in a position where they could pull level with Warrington in the table this weekend, which would really put the cat among the pigeons.

Reenergised Robins back in the mix

For all the talk of a crisis at Hull KR after losing their way in the aftermath of Tony Smith's shock departure announcement, the Robins occupy a play-off spot heading into the final few months of the season.

The break for the Challenge Cup final allowed Rovers to regroup and reenergise, a pit stop at just the right time.

Smith's side still have plenty of work to do to secure a play-off berth but they can look forward with renewed optimism after putting recent events behind them.