WATCH - Huddersfield 6 Catalans Dragons 20: Cudjoe's return fails to prevent Giants' Cup exit
The Australian had flown in just in time to see his side record a fourth successive win at Salford Red Devils last Friday.
A fifth last night would have seen them move to within just 80 minutes of Wembley but, instead, after a low-standard affair against irritating French opponents, they are left to concentrate on securing Super League safety.
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Hide AdThere was one highlight amid a wretched game: the sight of Giants captain Leroy Cudjoe’s long-awaited return after nine months nursing a knee injury.
Fittingly, he also scored the West Yorkshire club’s only try of the evening.
It was a trademark effort from the former England centre – ball in one hand, skipping on the outside of his man and just getting in, although there was some debate as to whether the 30-year-old did actually get over the line.
Nevertheless, Danny Brough curled in the touchline conversion to give his side a slender 6-4 advantage in the 43rd minute but it was almost immediately lost and, crucially, never recovered.
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Hide AdHuddersfield winger Darnell McIntosh got things all wrong when rising to claim Tony Gigot’s crossfield kick and the ball fell invitingly to David Mead.
Josh Drinkwater improved and then added two more penalties before the hour as the hosts’ discipline waned too often again.
Former Australia star Greg Bird almost stumbled over for Catalans’ second try in the 66th minute – it was that sort of game – and, though Brough thought he had crossed to give Giants a lifeline, his effort was ruled out by the video official for obstruction.
Catalans finally saw a man sent to the sin-bin when Ben Garcia was yellow-carded for an alleged cannonball tackle in the 71st minute but, trailing 20-6, the extra-man advantage meant little to Huddersfield by then.
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Hide AdThey have not won the famous competition for more than 60 years, have not even reached a final since 2009 and the wait must now go on another season.
It is Steve McNamara’s Catalans – improving themselves with a fourth successive win – who go into Sunday’s semi-final draw.
They led 4-0 at half-time but it did not signify a tense, fiercely-contested 40 minutes of action. Rather arguably the worst half of rugby league in recent memory.
Due to a combination of factors it was completely disjointed, fractured and utterly lacking in any memorable action of note.
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Hide AdAt every turn, a player seemed to be lying prone receiving treatment, to the extent it was constantly stop-start; there was no fluency to the play of either side.
Indeed, as early as the 23rd minute, as yet another Catalans player waited for assistance from a physio, Giants fans initiated a slow handclap.
Some will argue referee Gareth Hewer’s handling of the contest did not help – there was some strange decisions in amongst it all – but the teams have to take their responsibility. It was awful.
Loose offloads, wayward passing, dropped balls, it hardly proved a good advert and it was perhaps a bonus that only 2,151 fans were there to witness it.
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Hide AdTo sum up, the half didn’t need much description; Drinkwater slotted two penalties, one in the sixth minute and another moments before the interval.
Brough was sin-binned for an alleged crusher tackle on Kenny Edwards – the New Zealander second-row from Parramatta Eels making his debut – but Catalans never even threatened when the hosts were down to 12 men.
Indeed, aside from McIntosh’s early midfield break, no one really got near scoring a try.
Still, Huddersfield did remedy that at the start of the second period when Cudjoe crossed but it was a false dawn and, instead, Woolford will look to next Friday’s trip to champions Leeds Rhinos looking to improve on their current eighth spot.
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Hide AdAt the end of last night’s game it was announced Giants chairman Ken Davy has offered free tickets for the Super League game here between Huddersfield and Catalans in a fortnight’s time. He said: “I believe we all need to show as a town we are all fully behind Simon Woolford and his plans to take this great club forward.
“I can think of nothing better to greet him on his first home Super League game than a huge crowd and a newly refurbished John Smith’s Stadium pitch.”
It is another benevolent act from the long-serving chairman as he desperately tries attracting fans. But, as some angry season-ticket holders asked managing director Richard Thewlis, how do they benefit having just paid to watch this Challenge Cup tie?
Huddersfield Giants: Rankin; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Mamo, McIntosh; Turner, Brough; Ikahihifo, O’Brien, Clough, Murphy, Mellor, Hinchcliffe. Substitutes: Leeming, Smith, English, Roberts.
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Hide AdCatalans Dragons: Gigot; Tierney, Mead, Williame, Broughton; Bird, Drinkwater; Simon, McIllorum, Moa, Jullien, Garcia, Casty. Substitutes: Bousquet, Maria, Anderson, Edwards.
Referee: Gareth Hewer (Whitehaven).