Wigan Warriors 46 Huddersfield Giants 12: Humbled Giants pay for their mistakes at Wigan

Nathan Brown’s squad were forced into squeezing into a fleet of cabs to get to Saturday evening’s meeting with champions Wigan after their bus broke down on the M62.

It was supposed to be the night they underlined their Super League credentials but, after suffering their heaviest defeat since the Australian took over three years ago and being terrorised by the unplayable Sam Tomkins, the alternative of being stranded at Birch Services was suddenly all the more palatable.

Critics will argue that the demoralising eight-try loss was further proof Huddersfield are simply not good enough to challenge the elite despite their obvious promise.

That would be pure folly. Wigan, all imposing strength and marvelled slickness, may have completed the double over the West Yorkshire club this season but Giants have defeated leaders Warrington twice and seen off St Helens and Leeds.

It was clear they had to deliver their finest performance of the season to stay at the top but unfortunately they simply did not get anywhere near that level which was the over-riding disappointment; it was so anti-climatic.

However, as disappointing as it was, especially as the game had been marketed as The Big One 3 attracting a huge crowd of 19,169, the deficiencies at the heart of the defeat – poor defensive decision-making, an abysmal kicking game and careless errors – are all curable.

And, also, Wigan, who seized on almost every mistake to go a point behind Warrington with a game in hand and had Gareth Hock returning after his two-year drug ban, were simply breathtaking.

“When you look back over that match they were pretty clinical,” accepted Huddersfield second-row Danny Kirmond, whose try in the 72nd minute came from a rare Wigan blemish.

“We weren’t our best but maybe that’s because of how good they were.

“We thought we’d prepared pretty well but just on the day we’ve not done ourselves justice.

“To lose by this much in a game which has been billed as a big one, where you want to show how good you are, it really hurts but we’ll definitely come back stronger. We haven’t become a bad team overnight”

When Thomas Leuluai slipped through some meek defence at dummy half to put Wigan 18-6 in front after just 18 minutes, Huddersfield looked visibly stunned.

They had their opportunities to strike in the first half but lacked neither enough guile nor invention to trouble steely hosts whose defence was as stubbornly resistant as ever.

The perfect example was when Wigan scrum-half Paul Deacon cheaply dropped the re-start after Leuluai’s try.

It should have signalled an immediate chance to capitalise – Wigan had done so when Scott Grix dropped the kick-off after David Hodgson had scored in the seventh minute, Tomkins cruising over for the first of his hat-trick – but Michael Maguire’s men just re-doubled their efforts.

First, Deacon launched into Lee Gilmour, then Leuluai rocked a sidestepping Luke Robinson before finally a three-man effort denied Eorl Crabtree as the prop tried muscling over on the last.

The organisation and effectiveness of the Wigan line was exemplary.

Huddersfield certainly missed the variety of injured Danny Brough’s kicking game both to gain decent position and at least keep their defence guessing.

But his absence cannot be blamed for the result; it was his side’s inability to make the correct choices in defence, in particular dealing with Brett Finch, that created so much damage.

England full-back Tomkins may have caught the eye with his searing breaks out wide, elusive running and trio of tries but his stand-off’s vision was the key.

Wily Australian Finch appeared like a magnet as he continually drew in defenders and then expertly exploited the resulting holes down Huddersfield’s confused right side.

It created Tomkins’s third minute opener and his second on 10 minutes. When Leuluai scooted over – after Kevin Brown had forced a pass to Joe Wardle – Pat Richards slotted his third conversion and there was a sense the game was already over especially when Wigan immediately performed that formidable defensive set to illustrate their quality and desire.

Some detractors have labelled them too mechanical in the 18 months since Maguire took charge and too devoid of liberalism in their attacking play.

But when that so-called regimented style creates overlap after overlap and, more often than not, sees the effervescent Tomkins piercing defences at will, what is not to like unless you are one of those hapless defenders clutching at shadows?

If any other coach could guarantee his side so many attacking chances so regularly he would accept the play book immediately.

The key to Wigan’s success is their continued ability to execute their shots when they arrive and the magic always being in their simplicity as George Carmont and Richards ran in further tries to make it 28-6 at the break.

Huddersfield briefly manged to shore the gaps at the start of the second half, keeping ex-Melbourne star Finch in check somewhat, only for his half-back partner to show his enduring class.

Deacon received a stray off-load in centre field, had a quick glance up and, effortlessly, directed a perfect chip to the corner for Josh Charnley to dive over.

Mossop then benefited himself when the towering Ryan Hoffman slipped him through a gap before Huddersfield got that late try when one of their kicks did finally come off.

Grix’s lofted effort out wide was accepted by Jermaine McGillvary who dabbed back infield for Kirmond to score after Tomkins made a hash of trying to trap the bouncing ball.

However, the dazzling England star typically made up for his error when he completed his treble soon after, picking up a loose ball himself and stabbing through for Richards to add his seventh conversion.

Wigan: S Tomkins, Charnley, J Tomkins, Carmont, Richards; Finch, Deacon; Lima, Leuluai, Mossop, Hansen, Hoffman, O’Loughlin. Substitutes: McIlorum, Hock, Coley, Prescott

Huddersfield: Grix; McGillvary, Wardle, Cudjoe, Hodgson; Brown, Robinson; Crabtree, Faiumu, Mason, Ferguson, Gilmour, Fa’alogo. Substitutes: Lunt, Patrick, Griffin, Kirmond.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).