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

The match official clearly had a big bearing on the contest, with his first blunder coming as early as the fifth minute when he inexplicably missed a blatant obstruction on Paul Reilly as he attempted to race on to Stanley Gene's reverse kick to the line.

That disappointment for the visitors was quickly forgotten, however, as they took the lead two minutes later.

Darren Turner, Hefin O'Hare and Brandon Costin all worked the blindside to send Darren Fleary racing 30m for his first try of the season, with Costin adding the extras.

Within four minutes Warrington had hit back with an unconverted score from former Giants full-back Graham Appo and the scene was set for a pulsating battle.

A fantastic tackle from Marcus St Hilaire then denied Mark Gleeson a certain score, while almost immediately at the other end Turner was held up over the line.

Minutes later Smyth was denied a Warrington try through a forward pass before Costin extended the Giants advantage with a 26th-minute penalty.

But back came the Wolves, albeit fortuitously, as Jarrod O'Doherty's pass on the Warrington 40 was intercepted by Lee Briers who raced away to score in the corner.

Briers' conversion hit a post, but he made no mistake in the 34th minute by adding the extras to the first of Smyth's two tries to give his side the lead for the first time at 14-8.

By the break, however, the visitors were back on level terms.

A penalty by ex-Huddersfield prop Nick Fozzard after charging into tackler Jim Gannon illegally - the incident was placed on report - set up the position for the score.