Match report: Giants 6 - 13 Castleford Tigers

Jun 20 2009 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

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UNIMPRESSIVE Huddersfield served up another lack-lustre home display to slip to a fifth Galpharm defeat of the season.

Apart from the top displays in town against Hull KR and Harlequins, the Giants have found hardly any home comfort in Super League XIV.

In May, for instance, the men from the Galpharm hit a season’s low with the woeful home display against Salford.

But this latest performance gave the City Reds’ horror show a run for its money as the Giants did far more wrong than right.

Admittedly, they did once again create a healthy number of tryscoring chances, but the finishing touch continues to be lacking.

And if this carries on for much longer, a slide down the table is inevitable and a play-off spot could become a major doubt.

But they really only have themselves to blame for that, with the tone set early in the contest with a start than couldn’t have been much flatter.

Apart from the odd spark from Scott Moore, Eorl Crabtree and Luke Robinson, the Giants looked lack-lustre in the extreme – and the Tigers just loved it.

Within five minutes the visitors had made their presence felt as Joe Westerman burst clear on halfway and fed Kirk Dixon to score in the corner.

And it was no great surprise when Castleford extended their advantage 12 minutes later, courtesy of an incredibly generous Brett Hodgson gift.

With the home side appearing to finally be finding their feet, Hodgson’s long pass on his own 40m line was swallowed up with ease by Ryan McGoldrick, who gleefully raced away to score the simplest of tries.

Dixon converted and Castleford were full value for their 10-0 lead.

But for the next 15 minutes it was almost all Huddersfield, with the introduction of substitute Liam Fulton proving the catalyst.

Exciting breaks from David Hodgson and Leroy Cudjoe almost created the opportunity the Giants had been craving.

However, the most golden – and by far the most clear-cut – opportunity of them came seven minutes before the break when Robinson shot clear and then took the nightmarish option of attempting to pass to Jamahl Lolesi in an almost impossible position.

It summed up everything that had been so wrong about Huddersfield’s opening ‘effort’.