Huddersfield Giants 58 - 6 Wakefield Wildcats

Aug 2 2010 by Peter Barrow, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE comfort with which the Giants ensured their place in the play-offs this season will have made a few others sit up and take notice.

After a season of some turmoil, it would appear that coach Nathan Brown’s side are finding their best form just when it matters.

With players to return from injury before the end of term the Huddersfield hand looks even stronger, but they will find that in their remaining games there may not be quite so many opportunities to turn on the style.

With a trip to table-topping Wigan and a final day fling against the Catalans Dragons, their best chance of another confidence boosting stroll would appear to be the last home outing of the season against Salford Reds in three weeks time.

However, there were mitigating circumstances for the visitors with Wakefield’s injury hit squad looking frail from the very off.

Also the Wildcats pinned their hopes on 18-year-old Matty Wildie managing to gain some control on his first team debut. That didn’t happen, but some of Wakefield’s older heads were perhaps more at fault at times than their talented young half back.

But the Giants did not concern themselves with other people’s problems and went methodically about putting ten tries over the Wakefield line and former Wildcat Danny Brough added nine goals from his ten attempts for good measure.

Arguably the best of the Giants was seen in the opening half with 36 points scored and half back pairing Kevin Brown and Brad Drew making rugby league look an outrageously easy game to play – they were that good!

But others also made their mark.

Another up against his old employers was Scott Grix, who looked very much at home at full back and joined the line to great effect, while one more dealing with the old boy mantle was prop Darrell Griffin who turned in a superb shift and duly gained a try for his efforts.

But you could reel off Giants stars throughout the 17 as everyone made a significant contribution – and that was probably the biggest bonus of all for the Huddersfield coaching staff as they plot their way to a successful run in the play-offs.

While it may make a shopping list out of a match report winger David Hodgson scored the opening try as Kevin Brown and Michael Lawrence opened up the route to the line on seven minutes.