Why it all had to end in tears

Sep 17 2001 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Giants 28 Broncos 24. TEARS of joy were shed as the final hooter sounded and the Giants had pulled off their most important win in Super League.

But within minutes they had become tears of despair as news filtered through that relegation rivals Wakefield had beaten Salford at The Willows.

Even though the Giants triumphed over London to finish their most successful season in Super League with six wins and a draw - the previous best was five wins in 1999 - it could not secure their top-flight status.

After four sorry years, Huddersfield are no longer a member of the rugby elite.

But at least they went down fighting!

Four wins in the last six games underlines the progress made under coach Tony Smith in the second half of the season.

However, Huddersfield paid the costliest price for that dreadful start which produced a sickening 15 straight defeats.

In the end it was a handicap just too great to overcome.

Just imagine what this squad could have done if it had chalked up a couple of early wins!

They could easily have found themselves in a respectable mid-table position and challenging on the fringes of the play-offs.

Certainly, the manner of their first-half performance against a London side who had rattled up 96 points in winning their previous two matches would support that view.

Even beaten Broncos boss Tony Rea acknowledged the improved standard of the Giants by stating: "A side as good as this doesn't deserve to go down".

In the opening 40 minutes Huddersfield gave their visitors a real run-around.

The start couldn't have been worse as scrum half Dennis Moran gave Lonon the lead with a try after 90 seconds, converted by Brett Warton.

But for the remainder of the half it was all Huddersfield.

Within four minutes Hefin O'Hare plunged over from acting half-back after a good surge from the ever-impressive Martin Gleeson.

Steve McNamara then tagged on the extra to level the scores.

Six minutes later, the Giants took a lead they were never to lose.

Good work from Ben Kusto and Stanley Gene caught the Broncos on the back foot and the ball was quickly swept across to the right to Gleeson.

His run was checked illegally and he had the vision to take a quick tap penalty and plough over.

McNamara again converted and the early-match nerves were beginning to disappear.

Jason Hetherington just failed to ground the ball following up a Moran kick-through midway through the half as London threatened to hit back.

But five minutes later the lead was extended as the Broncos failed to deal with a Kusto high kick to the corner and Paul Reilly gratefully picked up the pieces to score.

This time McNamara failed with the conversion attempt.

Another high kick shortly after almost brought a try for Dave Atkins, but referee Ian Smith ruled that there had been a Huddersfield knock-on.

There was, however, no mistake five minutes later when a Chris Thorman kick was taken off former Giants winger Sylvain Houles by Stanley Gene who stretched out to touch down.

On the stroke of half-time Brandon Costin landed a penalty after a high shot on McNamara and a 16-point lead was surely better than anyone could have imagined.

The momentum was maintained at the start of the second half, with a magnificent Kusto 40-20 setting the scene.

A Richard Marshall break from deep deserved better, but in the 49th minute the advantage was made even greater.

Costin's kick-through caused confusion in the London defence and Gleeson was on hand to pick up the loose ball and score.

McNamara landed a magnificent touchline conversion to make it 28-6.

Surely nothing was going to stop Huddersfield now!

Yet almost inexplicably, the home side went off the boil, presumably under the assumption that the game had been won - and it nearly had dreadful consequences.

Tries by Greg Fleming, Mat Toshack and Nigel Roy and goals from Warton and Michael Gillet set up a heart-pounding finale.

And had it not been for some tremendous defensive work from the likes of Reilly, Gene, O'Hare and Atkins the final outcome could have been very different.

The mixture of joy and relief from the Giants at the final hooter underlined how tense the second-half tussle had become.

But even though Huddersfield's brave battlers hung on so heroically in the final stages, it was all to be in vain.

Huddersfield Giants Reilly; O'Hare, Gleeson, Gene, Langley (Thorman, 18mins, bb); Costin, Kusto; Marshall (Moana 55mins), Rowley, Stone (Slicker 30mins, Lomax 50mins, Slicker 75mins), Atkins (Marshall 70mins), Lomax (Molloy 48mins, Molloy 76mins), McNamara.

Tries - O'Hare (6 mins), Gleeson (12mins & 49mins), Reilly (24mins), Gene (35mins).

Goals - McNamara 3 from 5, Costin 1 from 1.

London Broncos - Roy; Golden, Warton (Lupton 60mins), Fleming, Houles; Gillet, Moran; Cram (Dooley 40mins, Cram 50mins), Hetherington, Retchless (Potter 26mins), Millard, Toshack, Dymock.

Tries - Moran (1min), Fleming (53mins), Toshack (64mins), Roy (67mins).

Goals - Warton 2 from 2, Gillet 2 from 2.

Half-time - 22-6.

Referee - Ian Smith (Oldham).

Attendance - 3,103.

Scrums won - Huddersfield 7, London 10.

Penalties conceded - Huddersfield 4, London 4.

Top Huddersfield tacklers - Marshall 31, Costin 25, Rowley 25, Lomax 24, Stone24.