Late tries seal it for rivals in super finale

Jun 30 2003 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Wolves 32 - 28 Giants. Same-again script is so deflating

UNLUCKY Huddersfield Giants once again came desperately close to pulling off an away win at one of their main mid-table Super League rivals.

On the side's recent away day at Widnes they held the lead until relatively late in the day and then conceded tries to return to West Yorkshire empty-handed.

And on Saturday they produced an almost identical script in going down by just four points at Warrington.

With 69 minutes on the clock, the Giants held a narrow 24-20 lead and thoughts of a sixth top-flight triumph of the season were very much on the cards.

But two converted tries in a decisive late spell from Mark Hilton and Rob Smyth were to make all the difference and seal the outcome with five minutes remaining.

Even so, Huddersfield still ensured a highly entertaining game produced a rip-roaring finale as Brandon Costin grabbed a 77th-minute try to cut the lead to four points, and the Giants ended the match camped on the Warrington line.

Winger Hefin O'Hare was somehow held up on the line and then referee Steve Ganson adjudged Ben Roarty had knocked on from the play-the-ball, although that claim left the Giants second-rower fuming.

Whether a call in Roarty's favour would have made any difference to the final scoreline - it was, after all, the last act of the contest - will never be known.

Yet such was the nature of the game that anything could have happened.

It left the Giants reflecting on a case of what might have, while it was another ruling from referee Ganson which ensured he was public enemy No1 with both sets of supporters.