Easy for Giants!

Mar 30 2002 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Giants 60 - 4 Hunslet Hawks. JUST who can stop the Giants?

Even with a relatively makeshift side, the unbeaten NFP leaders swept away Hunslet's strongest available team in almost embarrassing fashion to claim an opening-day success in the Buddies National League Cup.

Despite coach Tony Smith making eight changes to the side that won so convincingly at Leigh last Sunday, the Giants were in irresistible form.

By half-time they had opened up a 38-0 lead and then added tries at regular intervals after the break to add to the visitors' woe.

Yet what was really impressive about last night's 11-try demolition job was the ease with which it was achieved given the number of key absentees.

Dave Atkins, Ben Cooper, Chris Thorman and Jeff Wittenberg were all rested, while Steve McNamara played for just 13 minutes as a second-half substitute and Darren Turner spent all game sitting on the bench!

Furthermore, Matthew Walker had to pull out at the last minute due to illness and, of course, Mick Slicker is still at least six weeks away from returning after suffering his fractured eye socket.

Apart from Slicker, all should be available for the Easter Monday trip to Batley.

But the problem for Smith after last night's impressive show is who to leave out.