Warrington Wolves 28 Hudddersfield Giants 16: Return of Brough is crucial to Giants’ prospects

The gifted scrum-half is expected to make an early return from ankle ligament damage at Odsal next Sunday but last night could only sit beside his beleaguered coach in the Halliwell Jones Stadium stands helplessly watching on as his team-mates disintegrated once more, slumping 22-0 down inside a woeful 23 minutes.

They may have recovered from that deficit to run the Challenge Cup holders close, second-half tries from Jermaine McGillvary, David Fa’alogo and Kevin Brown proving their desire, but that merely covered the cracks after the contest unravelled into a mistake-ridden rain-lashed game.

In reality, Huddersfield’s credibility as potential Grand Finalists took another severe blow as a Warrington team nowhere near their ruthless best returned to the Super League summit.

Having suffered a similar misfortune at champions Wigan a fortnight ago, third-placed Giants now know they have to improve markedly to offer a realistic challenge.

How they needed someone of Brough’s calibre to revive their flagging fortunes.

Thankfully, forthcoming fixtures with the likes of Bradford Bulls, Hull KR, Salford and Harlequins, plus a Challenge Cup quarter-final at Castleford, should give Huddersfield and their talisman ample time to rediscover their fluency in readiness for the play-offs and, potentially, Wembley.

However, Brough’s re-emergence will not cure the Giants’ worrying defensive deficiencies shown in recent weeks.

The resilience displayed when defeating Warrington on the opening day and again at the Galpharm in April was noticeably absent last night as their hosts raced into that commanding lead and won for a first time in four meetings between the sides.

While Tony Smith’s side hunted like a pack of wolves in defence, the likes of Ben Westwood, Paul Wood and Garreth Carvell rattling opponents with regular fierceness in a dominant forward performance, the West Yorkshire outfit were timid and lacking their customary aggression.

Brown had pushed Kiwi back-row Fa’alogo to prop after Darrell Griffin – linked with a three-year deal with Leeds Rhinos next season – was ruled out with an injury and switched Leroy Cudjoe to full-back in place of the dropped Greg McNally while there was a return for Graeme Horne at second-row,

Their opponents were again without captain Adrian Morley and the irrepressible Lee Briers but, unlike Huddersfield, Warrington showed in patches they can fire on regardless even if their first-half class dissolved during a scrappy second period.

Brett Hodgson scored against his former club inside three minutes after Luke O’Donnell dropped on the first tackle coming away from a scrum on his own 10-metre line.

Brisk passing out wide saw Ryan Atkins break clear in order to set the platform for an immediate second. Hodgson this time turned provider, dinking a perfectly-weighted grubber to the corner where a diving Joel Monaghan – in an astounding feat of dexterity – somehow got one out-stretched hand to the loose ball before dusting the whitewash.

Hodgson curled in a touchline conversion and, when Fa’alogo erred again, Joel Monaghan almost got a second only for Dave Hodgson to brilliantly tap the ball out of the Australian’s hand just as he stepped past the sliding Huddersfield winger ready to put it down.

Giants – missing Brough’s kicking game to rescue any sort of position – could barely muster any opportunities of their own and when they did their slack execution came at a cost.

Twice Kevin Brown tried to find winger Hodgson as overlaps appeared but twice miscued passes ended in touch and twice their opponents duly reacted with tries of their own.

Brilliant footwork from Richie Myler on the run saw Huddersfield exposed once more as the England scrum-half returned passes with Louis Anderson to dive between the posts before Monaghan completed his brace in the 23rd minute after precision passing caused further splintering.

Horne, Larne Patrick and Dale Ferguson all fumbled early in the count before the rain had even started to thwart Huddersfield’s bid to recover and inexcusable defence saw Brett Hodgson race 50 metres untouched, Atkins just denied at the last.

Even trailing 22-0 at the break though, a positive start could have transformed the contest.

Yet, even when Warrington wasted ample opportunities on Huddersfield’s line, the inept visitors failed to make the most of the resulting ball, struggling to get out of their own half with more sloppiness of their own.

When they did finally escape, the Giants managed to score a freakish try out of nothing in the 52nd minute, McGillvary latching onto Michael Lawrence’s threaded kick after Brown had caused confusion with his initial speculative effort.

Then Brett Hodgson made a rare mistake by booting the re-start straight out and Giants struck immediately, Luke Robinson ushering Fa’alogo over from close range for Scott Grix to make it 22-10.

When Robinson then slid in a grubber for Brown, Grix’s kick suddenly saw them trail by just six points and the erring home side were nervy.

Grix produced a 40/20 to ramp up the pressure, but another handling error saw the chance go and, when they spilled again in front of their own posts, Anderson crept over to end hopes with two minutes left, Hodgson adding his fourth goal.

Warrington Wolves: Hodgson; J Monaghan, Blythe, Atkins, King; Bridge, Myler; Wood, M Monaghan, Carvell, Anderson, Westwood, Simon Grix. Substitutes: Clarke, Harrison, Cooper, Solomona.

Huddersfield Giants: Cudjoe; McGillvary, Wardle, Lawrence, Hodgson; Brown, Scott Grix; Crabtree, Robinson, Fa’alogo, Horne, Gilmour, O’Donnell. Substitutes: Mason, Patrick, Ferguson, Wood.

Referee: B Thaler (Wakefield).