Match report: Giants 24 Bradford Bulls 12

Feb 6 2010 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD Giants have wasted little time showing they could again be a major Super League force.

A final scoreline of 24-12 against a strong Bradford Bulls side who have made several outstanding signings may give the impression there was very little between the two sides.

But in reality, the Giants were much better than that score suggests.

In the opening half, they were completely dominant, quickly racing into a 16-0 lead with Man of Steel Brett Hodgson running the show.

And then, after conceding two tries just before the break, they again began to ran the show at the start of the second period – before the intervention of referee Steve Ganson.

Twice in that second 40 minutes the St Helens official sent Giants players to the sin-bin to hand the visitors a golden opportunity to fight their way back.

Fortunately, the fitness and steel character of the Giants shone through in helping secure a magnificent opening-day triumph.

At the same time, it also posed the question of how good the Giants could actually have been had they not spent half of the second period one man down.

That in itself should further raise the optimistic stakes as they battled for what could well prove a very precious two League points in what is expected to be the most competitive Super League season.

But the Giants couldn’t have got off to a shakier start.

Within three minutes they had been forced to drop-out from under their posts and then failed to find touch with their first penalty of the game – something they also repeated with attempt No2.

On top of that, Keith Mason was forced off the field holding his shoulder, clearly in some discomfort after just five minutes.

At that stage the signs looked ominous.

Yet, as it turned out, there was little for the Giants fans to worry about, at least in the short term.

With Huddersfield’s first attack, the Bulls were cut apart in clinical fashion.

Luke Robinson took the play to the line and fed Brett Hodgson, whose superb long cut-out pass sent Leroy Cudjoe cruising over in the corner.

Hodgson then landed an excellent touchline conversion, and the Giants were up and running in Super League XV.

Then eight minutes later, the home side were over again, with Giants’ inspirational captain once again the architect.

Collecting the ball on the Bradford 20, Hodgson looked up to see Cudjoe unmarked out on the right and dispatched the perfect high kick for his winger to collect with ease and touch down.

Although Hodgson was unable to convert on that occasion, he was to make no mistake seven minutes later as the Giants grabbed try No3.