Superb Giants have that Saintly feeling

Mar 31 2003 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Giants 36 - Saints 22. WORDS cannot do justice to just how well the magnificent Huddersfield Giants performed to pull off one of Super League's greatest shocks.

Written off by virtually everyone ahead of kick-off - although clearly not by the Giants themselves - coach Tony Smith's 17 heroes produced an amazing performance to rip the form book apart and hammer St Helens.

The reigning Super League champions arrived at the McAlpine after destroying Castleford 54-12 the week before and having scored 40 points against Bradford Bulls a month earlier.

But the red-hot Giants were a totally different proposition.

The shell-shocked Saints had no answer to the spirit, determination and skill of their hosts, who looked far hungrier, both on attack and defence.

From Marcus St Hilaire at full-back to late substitute Matthew Whittaker, every single player can feel immensely proud, not only in his individual performance but that of their team.

In the four previous seasons the Giants have been in Super League, they have never once come genuinely close to beating one of the so-called `big four'.

So that in itself makes all 17 of these players extra-special.

In fact, it was way back in 1978 that Huddersfield last secured success over St Helens, with a 26-11 triumph at Knowsley Road.

But if the Giants continue to improve at this incredible rate of knots, then success against established top-flight teams will become far more frequent.