So close yet again

Mar 22 2003 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Leeds Rhinos 42 - 29 Huddersfield Giants. FOR 39 golden minutes, the dream of a Huddersfield Super League victory at Leeds was alive.

Having weathered a period of intense pressure midway through the opening half, the Giants slowly and steadily began to gain the upper hand.

And in the 38th minute the sure-footed Steve McNamara landed his fourth superb goal to give his side a thoroughly-deserved 18-8 lead.

It was almost too incredible to believe.

While the Giants made an early Challenge Cup exit and lost their opening two top-flight matches, the in-form Rhinos had proved unstoppable in their march to the top of Super League and the Cup semi-finals.

Yet for the first time this season Leeds were being put under serious pressure, with the Giants building on the momentum of the highly-encouraging second-half performance at Wigan a fortnight before.

Unfortunately, however, within a minute of McNamara's fourth strike, the dream was beginning to fall apart.

Almost immediately from the restart, the unfortunate Eorl Crabtree coughed up possession in his own 22, and three plays later Andrew Dunemann plunged over for a close-range try, which Dave Furner converted to make it 18-14.

Instead of the Giants going in at the break feeling 10ft tall over a 10-point lead, it was the Rhinos who were handed the timely psychological lift of a critical late score.

Giants head coach Tony Smith admitted later that "it had taken the wind out of our sails", and that was cruelly reflected by events in the second half.