Brilliant Giants turn on the style

Jul 16 2001 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Giants 52 - 10 Wolves.

THE magnifient Giants produced their finest Super League performance to destroy the star-studded Wolves in spectacular fashion.

For the first time in four top-flight seasons Huddersfield topped the 50-point mark in a display which had almost everything.

On attack they were at times razor-sharp, while in defence they were rock solid.

In fact, the two second-half tries they did concede were down to their own mistakes.

But on an occasion like this it would be churlish to pick up on those errors the Giants did make.

Instead this should be a time to bask in the glory of Huddersfield Giants' finest Super League hour.

Quite simply, coach Tony Smith's men were heroes - from one to 17.

They played with a passion, enthusiasm and commitment that the Wolves found impossible to match.

The visitors may have a side that, on paper, looks good enough to compete in the top five, yet on the events of yesterday a role reversal was on show.

It was Huddersfield who looked a top-five side and Warrington who looked as if they should be propping up the Super League table.

With the forwards again laying a magnificent platform - what a contrast to the start of the season! - the backs were allowed to weave their magic.

And from the start it was clear the Giants meant business.

Within three minutes they had opened their account with a try that showed the true value of good support play.

Full-back Paul Reilly broke clear and fed Stanley Gene who in turn found David Atkins to score under the posts for Brandon Costin to land the first of his eight goals from nine attempts.

Costin and Andrew Frew were then held fractionally short before the home side were forced to show their defensive qualities.

In a 10-minute spell the Wolves threw everything at the Giants' line, with Australian legend Allan Langer looking a big danger.

Atkins pulled off a trysaving tackle on Jon Clarke, Reilly was forced to kick the ball dead under severe pressure from Tawera Nikau and Gary Mercer was held up when his side looked certain to score.

Not so long ago, the Giants would have crumbled under such an intense assault, but not any more!

By the midway point of the half Huddersfield had weathered the storm and scored their second try totally against the run of play.

And this time it was down to one man - Costin.

Collecting the ball on halfway, he sold a delightful dummy, sliced through the defensive line like lightening and outpace full-back Alan Hunte to score in the corner.

To add to the excitement he then added the touchline conversion.

Six minutes later the lead was extended when Costin added a penalty following a successful 40-20 kick from Ben Kusto.

Outstanding defence denied Lee Penny over the Giants' tryline, but that proved a brief scare as the home side made it 20-0 by the break.

From a scrum just inside Huddersfield's half, Costin immediately kicked ahead for Frew to run through, regather and race under the posts for his 15th try of the season.

A magnificent 40 minutes had been completed, and for the first time in Super League they had nilled a team in the opening half.

Any thoughts Warrington may have had of mounting a second-half fightback were extinguished within two minutes of the restart as Kusto jinked over from close range, completetly bamboozling the Warrington defence who couldn't lay a hand on him.

That set the scene for an equally impressive second-half show.

A 49th-minute missed penalty denied Costin a 100% goalkicking haul, but he made amends four minutes later.

A Kusto reverse pass was gathered at speed by the stand-off, and despite four defenders around him he had the the strength to crash over.

Warrington hit back with an Allan Hunte try shortly after, but normal service was quickly resumed.

After a Costin penalty on the hour mark, the Australian then kicked again in open play for Chris Langley to capitalise on a Warrington fumble to race away.

Martin Masella finished off in the corner to take his side into duble figures, but the remainder of the game belonged to the Giants.

With 11 minutes remaining Troy Stone opened his Huddersfield account by stepping past his marker and then crashing over and then Frew finished off in the corner to bring up the 50.

Steve McNamara landed both conversions from wide out to send the home fans into raptures.

But the last act on this amazing day was on defence, with Reilly pulling off an amazing tackle to stop Rob Smyth scoring in the corner.

What a breathtaking way to finish off a breathtaking match!

Match Facts

Huddersfield Giants Reilly; Frew, Gleeson, Gene (Cardoza 63mins), Langley; Costin (Thorman 63mins), Kusto; Stone (Walker 32mins), Rowley, Molloy (Marshall 25mins, Molloy 70mins), Atkins, Lomax, McNamara (Marshall 79mins).

Tries - Atkins (3mins), Costin (21mins & 53mins), Frew (38mins & 76mins), Kusto (42mins), Langley (62mins), Stone (69mins).

Goals - Costin 8 from 9, McNamara 2 from 2.

Warrington Wolves - Hunte; Smyth, Kidwell (Kohe-Love 21mins), Sibbit, Penny; Briers, Langer; Guisset (Masella 59mins), Clarke, Nutley (Wood 52mins), Busby, Mercer, Nikau (McCurrie 22mins, Kidwell 70mins).

Tries - Hunte (55mins), Masella (66mins).

Goals - Briers 1 from 2.

Half-time - 20-0.

Referee - Ian Smith (Oldham).

Attendance - 3,217.

Scrums won - Huddersfield 5, Warrington 8.

Penalties conceded - Huddersfield 5, Warrington 15.

Top Huddersfield tacklers - Atkins 23, McNamara 23, Costin 18, Lomax 17, Gleeson 16, Kusto 16.

Next Giants fixture - Away to Castleford Tigers, The Jungle, Sunday July 22 (3.30)