Wakefield Trinity 0 Huddersfield Giants 8: Ian Watson's men get back to doing what they do best

Ian Watson's men were forced to sit out round one due to St Helens' involvement in the World Club Challenge and got beaten to the punch by the revitalised Wolves last week.

A date with a wounded Wakefield Trinity offered the Giants the chance to get back to doing what they do best – grinding the opposition into submission.

Trinity went at Huddersfield hard on the back of a chastening 60-0 defeat at Wigan Warriors but they got into an arm wrestle with the wrong team.

Although they were clunky throughout in just their second hit-out, the Giants kept chipping away and were eventually rewarded.

After a scoreless first half, Tui Lolohea knocked over a penalty before Joe Greenwood scored the only try of the game just before the hour mark.

With all the pre-match focus on the controversial hybrid pitch at Belle Vue, it was always going to take a brave effort to claim the competition points.

The match passed a late inspection but the fallout is likely to continue after several players were seen nursing leg wounds and applying vaseline.

To make matters worse for Trinity, who were already without Max Jowitt, Kelepi Tanginoa and Reece Lyne, they lost Lewis Murphy to a knee injury.

Mark Applegarth's team dug deep and their effort could not be questioned – but a second successive nilling leaves the West Yorkshire club at the bottom of the embryonic table.

With memories of last week's mauling still fresh in the minds of the Wakefield players, all eyes were on their early intent.

Trinity found themselves under the pump in the opening exchanges after a six again invited the Giants deep into home territory but the hosts stood firm to pass their first defensive examination.

Led by returning local lad Jordy Crowther, Wakefield's line speed was much improved and Huddersfield struggled for fluency as a result.

A loose offload by Liam Hood, who like Crowther was making his first appearance of the season, forced Trinity to drop out but they withstood everything the Giants threw at them.

Already without several star names, Wakefield faced more adversity when they lost Crowther and Murphy to injury in quick succession.

Crowther was forced off for a HIA after sustaining a cut to his head, while Murphy looked in real discomfort following a coming together with Jermaine McGillvary challenging for a high kick.

Huddersfield got another good look at the Trinity line after a high shot on Esan Marsters but once again they failed to unpick the lock.

When Wakefield survived another raid from a repeat set forced by a neat chip in behind by Will Pryce, the fully reopened North Stand responded with a huge roar.

Young Trinity debutant Sam Eseh wasted no time in introducing himself to Theo Fages, the young prop flattening the experienced half-back as he applied kick pressure.

Crowther returned sporting a bandage to hand Wakefield a boost in the closing stages of the half, which ended with the home team repelling more goal-line pressure after Lee Kershaw was forced into touch from Pryce's smart high kick.

A first-half shutout was Trinity's reward for a wholehearted defensive effort and Jorge Taufua could be seen bearing scars as he made his way off at the interval.

The outside back returned with his knee bandaged, a sign that the pitch was still causing the odd issue.

Lolohea belatedly got the scoreboard moving from a penalty two minutes into the second half after Fages was caught by a late hit.

The decision to go for goal was a nod to Wakefield's defensive resolve and the scrap Huddersfield had found themselves in the middle of at Belle Vue.

Trinity continued to dig deep but it felt like only a matter of time before they cracked.

After going close through debutant Jake Bibby in the right corner, the Giants eventually found a way through.

Sensing Wakefield were rocking, Huddersfield kept the ball alive close to the line to give Greenwood the chance to crash over next to the posts.

Lolohea knocked over the straightforward conversion to make it 8-0, which had the look of an insurmountable lead with 20 minutes remaining.

As they did to great effect in 2022, the Giants completed high and turned the ball over deep to suffocate their opponents and end any home hopes of a comeback.

Wakefield Trinity: Kay, Kershaw, Langi, Taufua, Murphy, Gaskell, Lino, Whitbread, Hood, Atoni, Pitts, Ashurst, Crowther. Substitutes: Smith, Battye, Proctor, Eseh.

Huddersfield Giants: Lolohea, McGillvary, Marsters, Bibby, Cudjoe, Pryce, Fages, Hill, Peats, Wilson, McQueen, Jones, Yates. Substitutes: Trout, Golding, Greenwood, English.

Referee: Aaron Moore.