Thorman punishes former teammates

Sep 22 2003 By Chris Roberts, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Broncos 22 - 12 Giants. Final game defeat mirrors rest of campaign

Unfortunately, however, ex Giants favourite Thorman had other ideas.

His 58th-minute penalty settled the Broncos nerves before he landed the killer blow three minutes later, scoring a try which will have left departing Giants head coach fuming.

Thorman fed a London scrum on halfway, collected from its base and exploded through a narrow gap in the Giants defensive line and beat the cover to score by the posts.

It was a good try in anyobody's book, but with Thorman having scored carbon copies of the effort on a number of occasions with the Giants last season, Huddersfield really should have been more alive to the threat.

But the fact they failed to read the situation ultimately cost them the game.

Thorman's conversion gave London a 10-point cushion, and there was no way back.

MATCH FACTS

Giants: Reilly, St Hilaire, Bailey, Bloem, O'Hare, McNamara, March, Slicker, Turner, Gannon, Roarty, Morrison, O'Doherty; Whittaker, Cooper, Crabtree, White

Broncos: Sykes, Caine, Roy, Hall, King, Thorman, Moran, Stephenson, Budworth, Retchless, Toshack, Peden, Dymock; Trindall, Bawden

KEY MAN: Ben Roarty

ANOTHER non-stop battling back-row performance from the Australian marked him out as one of the game's top performers. Big things will be expected of Roarty when the Giants resume battle in Super League IX.

KEY MOMENT

FORMER Giants scrum half Chris Thorman's 61st-minute try proved the decisive score for the Broncos, ending Huddersfield's encouraging opening to the second half. But the way Thorman scored the try was the most frustrating as it was a carbon copy of many he scored for the Giants last season, collecting from the base of the scrum and slicing through the defence to score.

KEY STATS

London. Tries: Sykes (16mins), Moran (30mins), Thorman (61mins). Goals: Thorman 5 from 6.

Huddersfield. Tries: White (38mins), Bailey (46mins). Goals: McNamara 2 from 3.

Half-time: 14-6.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Mirfield).

Attendance: 3,286.

Scrums won: London 10, Giants 10.

Penalties conceded: London 10, Giants 8.

Next story