Talented Eden sticks with Giants despite outside interest

Huddersfield Giants have tied down Greg Eden, rated the find of the Super League season so far, to a new long-term contract.

The rookie full-back, 21, arrived from Castleford Tigers on a two-year deal last winter and made an instant impact, Huddersfield coach Nathan Brown likening his dazzling style to that of the brilliant Australian Billy Slater.

His rich form had alerted the Giants’ leading Super League rivals but Huddersfield have moved swiftly to secure his services until the end of 2015.

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The news will have been intended to lift the mood at the club following the shock announcement highly-regarded captain Kevin Brown is joining struggling Widnes at the end of the year.

Giants also suffered a third consecutive league defeat when they surprisingly fell to Salford City Reds on Sunday, their title quest faltering once more.

Huddersfield hope to respond this weekend but look certain to be without Brown when, ironically, they head to Widnes.

The loose forward is charged with a Grade B reckless high tackle on Salford’s match-winning hero Adam Sidlow in the final moments of the bitterly disappointing 38-34 loss and faces a two-game ban.

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Brown, 27, has until 11am to decide whether to submit an early guilty plea or attend tonight’s RFL disciplinary panel.

Widnes captain Jon Clarke is in a similar position having been charged with a grade B offence of a dangerous throw on Warrington centre Matty Blythe.

Champions Leeds Rhinos, meanwhile, will await news from that same disciplinary with interest as up to three Wigan Warriors players could be suspended.

Leeds entertain the leaders at Headingley on Friday but their in-form opponents could be severely depleted if the trio are all found guilty of punching during the mass brawl that erupted in Sunday’s win against St Helens.

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Gareth Hock and Chris Tuson were both red-carded after the melee and face bans of up to two and three games respectively.

But the match review panel also charged Warriors colleague Lee Mossop with a grade B offence which could see him miss a couple of games.

St Helens’ Shaun Magennis, however, was deemed the worst offender in the ugly scenes which marred the Magic Weekend at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium.

He too was sent-off by referee Ben Thaler, but could now be banned for up to five matches after the panel rated his punching offence as grade E.

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Bradford Bulls’ Chev Walker – who had been waiting patiently for his chance at Odsal – suffered a broken rib in his first game back against Leeds and is now out for between two and four weeks.

Bulls team-mate Adrian Purtell is currently recovering in hospital after reportedly suffering a heart attack following the game.