Cup of joy for super Giants

May 27 2002 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

This was definitely the Giants' day!

A second penalty success from McNamara within two minutes of the restart made it 20 points, and even at that stage Huddersfield looked home and dry.

It was then, however, that they began to incur the wrath of referee Nicholson.

All of a sudden the Giants could do no right in the match official's eyes, with all six of the remaining penalties going Hull KR's way.

And that came despite high shots creeping into Rovers' play - Crabtree, for instance, will vouch for that after going into the blood bin with a bleeding mouth - and McNamara not being awarded a penalty after he was blatantly obstructed after kicking through.

Four minutes after McNamara had been denied, Hull KR breathed fresh fire into their challenge when Everett plunged over from close range and Chris Charles added the extras.

Even then their cause had been helped as the Giants were temporarily down to 12 men as rock-solid tackler Andy Rice was down injured at the time.

But Huddersfield's response could not have been more emphatic.

Within three minutes McNamara's lovely short pass had sent man-of-the-match Roberts galloping to the line for another converted try and normal service had been resumed.

A day that had gone so well turned sour with five minutes remaining when Gene instinctly lashed out a foot at a loose ball and ended up tripping winger Alisdair McClarron.